Milwaukee looking to accept $250k civic engagement grant for voter education

A Milwaukee Common Council committee is backing the city taking a second grant from a Washington, D.C., nonprofit, this one for the Milwaukee Public Library and Election Commission to plan and implement a citywide "civic engagement campaign."

The grant from Cities Forward, along with another to purchase election equipment, is expected to be taken up by the full Common Council on Tuesday. Together, the grants amount to about $1 million.

Here's what to know about the civic engagement grant:

How much would Milwaukee receive through the civic engagement grant?

This grant is for $250,000.

What would Milwaukee do with the Cities Forward civic engagement grant?

The Milwaukee Public Library and the Milwaukee Election Commission, which administers elections, would use the funding to launch a citywide, nonpartisan public education campaign, according to the grant proposal.

The campaign would be dubbed "ONE MKE" and would seek to "increase civic connection among residents," the proposal states.

"MPL and the Election Commission believe that by combining our individual departmental strengths and expertise, residents throughout the City of Milwaukee will be empowered to participate in our democracy, not only exercising their right to vote, but also by accessing government resources and programs," the proposal states. "The Election Commission will serve as the subject matter experts to ensure any information provided around voting is accurate, while the Library will employ its expertise in resident outreach and engagement as we work together on this non-partisan campaign."

The campaign would include a website, texting, city mail inserts, QR codes on other city materials, a non-partisan civic engagement coalition and a street outreach team.

The grant agreement includes a prohibition on using the funds to try to influence the outcome of any election or to participate or intervene in any political campaign for or against any candidate. It also prohibits using the grant funds to try to influence the "selection, nomination, election or appointment of any individual to any public office or office in a political organization."

Who is funding Cities Forward?

That's not clear.

Cities Forward is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has been tax-exempt just since January and has not yet filed documentation with the IRS that shows all of the people involved.

In a statement, Sam Oliker-Friedland of Cities Forward said the organization would publish its major donors on a tax form and its website "no later than November."

The presidential election is Nov. 5.

The grant agreement says the nonprofit "works to prioritize participation in our democracy by supporting cities in the development of nonpartisan, city-driven projects to boost civic participation and by helping cities strengthen the infrastructure of civic engagement."

Private grants to municipalities to run elections have been controversial, though Election Commission says civic engagement grant is distinct

After the 2020 presidential election Republicans were critical of private funds to municipalities that flowed through the Center for Tech and Civil Life, an organization financed by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. Among criticisms was that most of the money flowed to larger, Democratic-leaning cities, although municipalities of all sizes statewide received the grants.

The scrutiny over the Center for Tech and Civic Life grants is fueling an April 2 referendum on a constitutional amendment that would bar state agencies and local governments from using private grant money to help administer elections.

Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall said the referendum is related to election administration while the civic engagement grant is "entirely public education."

"There's no relation to any work that's administering the election," she told the council's Finance and Personnel Committee on Friday. "None of the staff will also be election officials, so this work I view as very separate. We are involved because it is in state statute that it's incumbent upon my office to provide voter education and voter resources, but I don't think it could be construed to be election administration related."

In contrast, she said, the equipment her office is seeking through the separate Cities Forward grant would be used to administer elections.

Alison Dirr can be reached at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee council to take up Cities Forward civic engagement grant