Community Action Making Change: 300+ Citizen-Led Successes in 2018

Across the nation, our intrepid American Promise Association volunteers are making huge progress—building community, fueling conversation, hosting events, winning support in Congress and passing local legislation. Read about their successes.

It is the tireless work and commitment of our community of citizen leaders that will ultimately win the 28th Amendment and assert political rights are for people, not big money. American Promise Associations (APAs) are the local groups that bring the movement to life in communities across the country and bring Americans together to build support for the 28th Amendment. APA members educate their communities, spread the word about the Amendment, gather signatures, meet with elected officials and much more.

This outreach makes APAs among the most critical components of the effort to build nationwide, grassroots support for the 28th Amendment. By establishing APAs in communities across the country, we can work together to connect Americans who are ready to get big money out of politics and have a real-world impact as civically engaged citizen leaders.

We’re thrilled to say it’s been a year of growth for our APAs thanks to the launch of more than a dozen new chapters.

As we prepare for the new year and new growth in our membership, take a look at the numbers below. They reflect our nationwide impact and successes and highlight just a few of the local successes we’re ready to replicate in 2019.

• A Growing Movement: We’re up to 22 APAs in 16 states: Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming.
• A Growing Voice in Congress: In 2017, APA members had a total of 17 meetings with elected officials or their staff. In October 2018 alone, APA members had 11 meetings with elected officials or their staff, for a total of 130 meetings leading up to the 2018 midterms.
  
• A Growing Voice in Communities: In 2017, APA members published 26 media pieces. In 2018, APA members across the country were published more than 80 times.
• Building Partners in Congress: APA members developed relationships with candidates and secured dozens of American Promise Candidate Pledge signers, who promise to use their offices to advance a Constitutional amendment to get big money out of politics. In the 2018 election cycle, 27 pledge signers were newly elected to Congress.
  
• Building Support in New York: During the 2018 National Citizen Leadership Conference last summer in Washington, D.C., members of the New York City APA met with and got support from the offices of U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler and U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke.
• Inspiring Fellow Citizens in Ohio: In rural Ohio, the Port Clinton APA is having a serious impact: 25 published media pieces, 11 outreach events and 13 candidate pledges. Best of all, its members inspired their neighbors in Columbus to start a chapter. Now the two groups are actively working with Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature to make Ohio the 20th state formally calling for the 28th Amendment.
  
• Passing Local Resolutions in Minnesota: In April 2018, the Minnesota APA helped pass a local 28th Amendment resolution through the Sherburne County Board of Commissioners. The APA is working to duplicate this victory with the Wright County Board of Commissioners and has generated coverage from five newspapers in the process.
• Building Cross-Partisan Support in Missouri: The St. Louis APA helped organize an American Promise Writing the 28th Amendment event, convening more than 200 people for a night of debate and deliberation. The St. Louis APA turned that momentum into a citywide 28th Amendment resolution and is developing relationships with the Republican congressional delegation, a testament to the fact this amendment will be won by red states and blue states, working together.
  
  Ready to join us? Check the American Promise website for more information on the APA network and how you can join or establish an APA.