Alabama Arise 2024 Annual Report
2024 Annual Report
Building a Better Alabama for All
2024 Annual Report
Building a Better Alabama for All
Letter from our Executive Director
2024 was a tough year, one in which we faced some of our hardest legislative roadblocks yet. Despite hardline resistance from policymakers, together we were able to lift up the needs of working families and secure new resources to keep our communities safe.
We are doubling down on our commitment to community organizing and power building. These activities are the heart of our mission to engage and empower everyday Alabamians…
Letter from our Executive Director
2024 was a tough year, one in which we faced some of our hardest legislative roadblocks yet. Despite hardline resistance from policymakers, together we were able to lift up the needs of working families and secure new resources to keep our communities safe.
We are doubling down on our commitment to community organizing and power building. These activities are the heart of our mission to engage and empower everyday Alabamians…
Our Mission
Alabama Arise is a 501(c)(3) statewide, member-led organization advancing public policies to improve the lives of Alabamians who are marginalized by poverty. Our membership includes faith-based, community, nonprofit and civic groups, grassroots leaders and individuals from across Alabama.
Alabama Arise Action is the 501(c)(4) partner organization of Alabama Arise. Alabama Arise Action connects members directly with lobbying resources at the state Legislature.
Our Vision
Arise envisions an Alabama…
Where all people have resources and opportunities to reach their potential to live happy, productive lives, and each successive generation is ensured a secure and healthy future.
Where all government leaders are responsive, inclusive and justice-serving, and the people are engaged in the policy-making process.
Where all people live with concern for the common good and respect for the humanity of every person.
To learn more about who we are, click here.
Our agenda at the State House
As a member-led organization, we work year-round on legislative priorities decided annually by our membership base. Last year, Arise members across Alabama came together at our Annual Meeting and voted on our 2024 policy agenda. We know that, together, we will build a more inclusive future for our state.
Learn about the progress we made on your legislative priorities below, and make sure to keep an eye out for these icons throughout the report for more information.
Progress on our legislative priorities
Click on a priority to learn more!
What We Do
Policy Analysis
The Arise policy team studies state policies and proposals and analyzes their impact by race, gender, age, place and income.
Statewide Organizing
Arise organizes people across the state to speak out on the development of public policies that affect their lives.
Citizen Advocacy
Arise works to equip our members for active participation in the democratic process, including legislative advocacy.
Policy Analysis
POLICY ANALYSIS IN ACTION
Prioritizing workers on the path to economic justice
You made worker power a major focus for lawmakers this past year! Organized labor can raise wages and improve the lives of workers and their families. Thanks to your advocacy, a new state law is in place to protect children by increasing the penalties for companies that violate child labor laws. When a bill to prohibit tax incentives to companies that voluntarily recognize unions made its way through the Legislature, Arise advocates and our coalition partners packed the Senate hearing in opposition. We also were on the ground meeting with and listening to autoworkers, which resulted in our comprehensive State of Working Alabama report on Alabama’s auto industry: A Wheel in the Ditch: A Closer Look at Alabama’s Big Bet on the Auto Manufacturing Industry. The report highlights pay disparities, inequities across racial and gender demographics, and the overall decline in job quality in Alabama’s auto industry. This report has had a significant impact: It’s been mentioned more than 100 times in local and national media, and it’s been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor!
“Policymakers, employers, workers, unions and community partners all have vital roles to play in strengthening our state’s auto industry and economy. By working together, we can build an inclusive economy that ensures every Alabamian has the resources they need to thrive.”
Dev Wakeley, Worker policy advocate
Together we accomplished
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Ensuring that more than half a million Alabama children receive meals while school is out next summer. Advocacy by Arise members secured the necessary $10 million appropriation for Summer EBT in the General Fund budget.
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Strengthening child labor protections. We successfully supported SB 119, which increases penalties for companies that break child labor laws.
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Bettering defendants’ access to an attorney, even if they cannot afford one, by supporting the passage of SB 83.
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Improving public records access through SB 270, which improves our state protocol by requiring a response to record inquiries and setting a timeline for that response.
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Bringing Alabama’s workers to national attention. We released our State of Working Alabama report in November, detailing 30 years of inequities in Alabama’s auto industry. And our work to empower workers reached a national audience. In June, Arise staff and members met with acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su during a worker listening session and roundtable meeting in Birmingham.
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Launching a campaign for paid parental leave for state employees. We supported HB 309, which would have provided state employees with eight weeks of paid parental leave, and SB 305, which would have provided teachers with paid parental leave. We hope to continue this work next year.
By the numbers
In May, we ended a tough legislative session for Arise and our supporters. However, through timely and persistent advocacy, Arise members still helped build a better, more equitable Alabama. To learn more about the bills we worked on during the 2024 legislative session, visit our Bills of Interest page.
Providing accurate, easily digestible information about issues impacting people with low incomes is one way we work to build a better Alabama for all. When you share Arise’s information, tools and events with your community, you help us reach more people!
Statewide Organizing
STATEWIDE ORGANIZING IN ACTION
Member advocacy drives Alabama transportation progress
Thanks to the advocacy of members like you, we saw significant movement to fund public transportation for the first time in years! Arise members know public transit creates jobs, improves lives and keeps people connected to their communities. In 2018, your advocacy created the Public Transportation Trust Fund. This year, we worked closely with our partners at Action Coalition for Transit (ACT) to advocate for SB 91, which would have brought in millions of dollars to build and support public transportation across Alabama. Alongside ACT, hundreds of Arise members called and emailed their legislators in support of an Alabama where people have a way to get to their doctors, jobs and grocery stores. With your efforts, this became the first public transit funding bill heard in committee in years! We are excited to build on this momentum next year and continue our efforts to fund public transportation in Alabama.
“Investing in public transit benefits anyone who needs to get from one place to another, but especially people with low incomes. We will continue to champion this issue until we achieve more robust public transit options.”
John Northrop, Action Coalition for Transit coordinator
Together we accomplished
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Growing our membership diversity and benefits to strengthen Arise’s connection to the community and those most impacted by state policy. We continued our gift membership program, and gift members made up more than 22% of Arise’s 2024 individual membership.
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Ensuring our work stays focused on the issues Alabamians care about with record-high engagement in choosing our legislative priorities. More than 500 members voted to select our 2024 legislative priorities, and hundreds of members attended our Annual Meeting either online or in person.
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Making our voices heard at Legislative Day. More than 230 members came together, making this our largest Legislative Day since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
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Running Cover Alabama’s first statewide paid media campaign for Medicaid expansion. Our coalition’s efforts were seen or heard more than 13 million times across the state, delivering a strong message in key legislative districts in support of getting Alabamians the health care they deserve.
By the numbers
Arise’s power is in our people. We believe people experiencing poverty should be the leading voice in the development of public policies that affect their lives. Because of this core value, we are a member-led organization, and our staff organizes people across the state who are living in poverty. We also have been working to increase membership among people living in poverty, young people and BIPOC Alabamians through our gift membership program. Even though the fight is hard, our members’ persistence for more than 30 years allows us to achieve our many wins.
Citizen Advocacy
CITIZEN ADVOCACY IN ACTION
Summer EBT is a win for Alabama’s children
Your advocacy this past spring ensured that more than 500,000 children will have access to food next summer! Fighting hunger has been a longtime priority for Arise members because too many families in Alabama struggle to put food on the table. After winning a grocery tax reduction last year, Arise saw an opportunity this year to relieve hunger for more children by funding Summer EBT. And our members were up to the task, sending more than 2,400 messages to legislators. We generated dozens of media stories to increase public pressure on the issue, and we advocated until we couldn’t be ignored. Our legislators let us know in the State House hallways that they heard our message loud and clear! Late in the session, we were able to secure the necessary $10 million of administrative funding for Summer EBT starting in 2025. More than 500,000 eligible children in households with low incomes now will continue to receive access to nutritious food when school is not in session. Your advocacy made this important investment in child nutrition possible!
“Thanks to Arise members, more than half a million Alabama children will gain access next summer to the nutritious food they need. This is what collective advocacy can do.”
LaTrell Clifford Wood, Hunger policy advocate
Together we accomplished
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Expanding our portfolio to support maternal health and hiring our maternal health fellow. This has empowered us to educate maternity Medicaid members on program updates and deepen our work to improve maternal health outcomes. We also have worked to link the Alabama Maternal Health Task Force’s work to concrete policy changes.
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Pushing the conversation about Medicaid expansion. This year, Alabama’s speaker of the House came out in support of closing the coverage gap. Legislators heard solutions to close the coverage gap during a joint meeting of the House and Senate health committees with lawmakers from Arkansas and North Carolina. Because of your persistence, legislative opposition to Medicaid expansion is softening. We will continue to push until we close the coverage gap!
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Showing up and speaking out for workers in Alabama. Working alongside Jobs to Move America and our labor allies across the state, we turned out more than 60 advocates to push back against SB 231, which prohibits tax incentives to companies that voluntarily recognize unions. Though the bill unfortunately passed, we continue to speak up for workers’ rights.
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Working to reduce Medicaid coverage losses for eligible enrollees through our community outreach efforts during the Medicaid unwinding process. We provided vital information to partners and enrollees and ensured consumer voices were heard while building the unwinding plan.
By the numbers
Arise values connection. We connect people with their lawmakers, organizations with organizations, and neighbors with neighbors. We must actively engage and include all of us to build a better Alabama.
Our Membership
We strive to create a state where those who are most affected by public policy influence and shape those policies. Our membership is our people power, and their financial contributions hold us accountable to doing the work our membership drives.
Because members are so critical to our mission and vision at Arise, we are working to diversify our membership. Our short-term goals are to reflect the demographics of Alabama:
17% people with low incomes
10% young people
32% people of color
We have made progress from when this project began, according to survey data from our members. More than 32% of our membership has taken our survey. The data shows that our membership in 2024 was:
27% people with low incomes
6% young people
32% people of color
We are glad to have reached two of our goals according to the survey data and will continue to work toward these membership goals in 2025. If you haven’t taken our membership survey yet, you can do so here.
This year, we had members in 53 out of 67 counties!
Financial Report
FY 2024
July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024
Alabama Arise
Total revenue & support
Total revenue & support................................................$2,465,125
Grants & contracts for FY 24..…….........................................$2,144,144
Member giving ……………...……………………..................................$307,153
Other support.............................................................................$13,828
Total revenue & support..........$2,465,125
Grants & contracts for FY 24....... $2,144,144
Member giving ……………...………...... $307,153
Other support....................................$13,828
Total expenditures
Total expenditures..........................................................$2,465,125
Organizing......….....................................................................….$584,612
Policy ……………...……………………..................................................$486,269
Advocacy................................................................................ $1,394,244
Total expenditures................. $2,465,125
Organizing......…..............................$584,612
Policy ……………...…………………….......$486,269
Advocacy..................................... $1,394,244
Funding Partners
Foundations
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
Families USA Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Gratitude Foundation
The Kresge Foundation
The Leonard Davis Health Initiative
Marguerite Casey Foundation
Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation
Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation
Rx Foundation
Organizations
Alabama Forward
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
American Heart Association*
American Lung Association
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Community Catalyst | Coverage and Care
Community Catalyst | Together for Medicaid
EBSCO Industries
Economic Policy Institute | EARN in the South
Economic Policy Institute | Southern Mindshift
The Just Trust
The Lift Fund
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
University of Alabama at Birmingham | Maternal Health Task Force
*funder for Alabama Arise Action
Alabama Arise Action
Total revenue & support
Total revenue & support........................................................$83,109
Member groups……….................................................................…..$42,751
Individual donations……………...……......……………….........................$11,033
Other support.................................................................................$18,500
Operating reserves.........................................................................$10,825
Total revenue & support...............$83,109
Member groups……….........................$42,751
Individual donations……………...……...$11,033
Other support....................................$18,500
Operating reserves............................$10,825
Total expenditures
Total expenditures..................................................................$82,298
Advocacy & outreach………..............................................................$40,791
Legislative advocacy……………...……......………………..........................$41,507
Total expenditures........................$82,298
Advocacy & outreach……….................$40,791
Legislative advocacy……………...……....$41,507
Funding Partners
We’re so grateful for all of our member groups, which are the primary funders of Alabama Arise Action. You can find a list of our member group partners on this page.
Arise’s 2024 Leadership
Half of the Arise boards of directors must represent low-income member groups or constituencies. This ensures we are governed by the people closest to our issues.
Alabama Arise Board of Directors
October 2023 - September 2024
Rev. Clyde W. Jones, Jr., President
Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church
Daphne, Alabama
Shakita Brooks Jones, Vice President
Central Alabama Alliance, Resource and Advocacy Center (CAARAC)
Wetumpka, Alabama
Benard Simelton, Treasurer
Alabama State Conference of the NAACP
Harvest, Alabama
Hon. James Scott Sledge, Secretary
Community Volunteer
Gadsden, Alabama
Carmen Maria Austin
Mary’s House Catholic Worker Center
Hoover, Alabama
Ashley Edwards
First Christian Church
Montgomery, Alabama
Susan Ellis
People First of Alabama
Vestavia Hills, Alabama
Benga Harrison
Community Volunteer
Birmingham, Alabama
Kenneth Tyrone King
Church of the Reconciler
Birmingham, Alabama
Audrey Noel
Community Enabler Developer
Anniston, Alabama
Tiearra Pettway
Bay Area Women Coalition
Mobile, Alabama
Judith Taylor
Grace Presbyterian Church
Northport, Alabama
Tari Williams
Greater Birmingham Ministries
Birmingham, Alabama
Dr. Carole Zugazaga
Auburn University Department of Anthropology, Sociology and Social Work
Auburn, Alabama
Alabama Arise Action Board of Directors
March 2023 - February 2024
Kathy Vincent, President
Community Volunteer
Montgomery, Alabama
Shakita Brooks Jones, Vice President
Central Alabama Alliance, Resource and Advocacy Center (CAARAC)
Wetumpka, Alabama
Benard Simelton, Treasurer
Alabama State Conference of the NAACP
Harvest, Alabama
Ashley Edwards
First Christian Church
Montgomery, Alabama
Ana Delia Espino
Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice
Baileyton, Alabama
Susan Ellis
People First of Alabama
Vestavia Hills, Alabama
Rev. Clyde W. Jones, Jr.
Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church
Daphne, Alabama
Benga Harrison
Community Volunteer
Birmingham, Alabama
Kenneth Tyrone King
Church of the Reconciler
Birmingham, Alabama
Audrey Noel
Community Enabler Developer
Anniston, Alabama
Tiearra Pettway
Bay Area Women Coalition
Mobile, Alabama
Hon. James Scott Sledge
Community Volunteer
Gadsden, Alabama
Judith Taylor
Grace Presbyterian Church
Northport, Alabama
Tari Williams
Greater Birmingham Ministries
Birmingham, Alabama
Dr. Carole Zugazaga
Auburn University Department of Anthropology, Sociology and Social Work
Auburn, Alabama
Arise Staff
July 2023 - June 2024
Robyn Hyden, Executive Director
Akiesha Anderson, Policy and Advocacy Director
Presdelane Harris, Organizing Director
Chris Sanders, Communications Director
Jacob Smith, Advancement and Operations Director
Natalie Bishnoi, Development Associate
McKenzie Burton, Development Associate
Malee Galloway, Finance and Operations Associate
Carol Gundlach, Senior Policy Analyst
Jennifer Harris, Senior Health Policy Advocate
Stan Johnson, Organizer for Northwest Alabama
Adam Keller, Organizer for Northeast Alabama
Mike Nicholson, Senior Policy Analyst
Matt Okarmus, Communications Associate
Victoria Enyinda Petty, Maternal Health Fellow
Whit Sides, Cover Alabama Storyteller
Debbie Smith, Cover Alabama Campaign Director
David Stout, Legislative Affairs Coordinator
Juliette Thornton, Office Manager
Formeeca Tripp, Organizer for Southeast Alabama
Dev Wakeley, Worker Policy Advocate
Whitney Washington, Communications Associate
LaTrell Clifford Wood, Hunger Policy Advocate