Michigan Voices' Year in Review
As we all know, 2025 was not an easy year. We navigated an ever-changing landscape marked by shrinking access to federal and foundation funding and increasing threats to the communities and partners we serve. In the face of these challenges, our partners showed resilience, adapting quickly while continuing to care for their communities and advocate for their missions.
Throughout 2025, we expanded our impact by training over 500 people, launching new training cohorts, and gathering partners together in collaborative spaces. Participation in our Reproductive Justice (RJ) workgroup increased by 150%, reflecting the growing momentum from our RJ Retreat that resulted in a draft agenda. Also, more than 21 different organizations participated in our Development Cohort, which equipped participants with the skills to diversify their funding streams, attract and engage potential donors and foundations, and establish a robust individual giving program. Together, these efforts strengthened individual leaders and organizational capacity, which sets the stage for deeper collaboration and collective action.
Michigan Voices regranted over $600k to partners for nonpartisan voter turnout initiatives in the 2025 municipal elections. Thanks to the work of our partners, we made over 1.18 million attempts to reach people across the state this year. Our Ballot Builder partnership provided people in Michigan with a clear, nonpartisan way to learn about their local races. Our partners were dedicated to talking to Michiganders about their voting rights totaling 166,251 doors knocked and 406,281 dials. In addition to this, 7,847 Michiganders registered to vote this year because of our partners’ civic engagement work. We will continue this commitment to ensuring every eligible voter in Michigan knows and uses their power.
Michigan Voices expanded into new digital horizons in 2025, bolstering our online presence and enhancing engagement with partners and Michiganders. We started our Substack, Michigan Voices (Literally), and published over 20 articles in collaboration with partners. We also dove into new social media spaces and launched a TikTok account, growing it to more than 1,000 followers, while continuing to expand our reach and visibility on Instagram. These efforts helped us reach wider audiences and amplify more of our partners’ work.
What we are most proud of this year isn’t the metrics (although they’re great), it’s the way we show up, support each other, and work collaboratively, all while staying grounded in our values. None of this work is possible without the passion and dedication from our team and our partners in the movement. This year will be a big one: we’ll prepare for the midterm elections and celebrate 20 years of Michigan Voices. In 2026, we’re committed to nonpartisan work to ensure that all voters have access to the ballot, supporting our partners, and urging voters to exercise their freedom to vote.
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Sommer Foster, Michigan Voices Executive Director
