Our story begins with Founder & Executive Director Jackie Payne, an experienced leader in the field of gender equity for over twenty years.
Prior to founding Galvanize USA and Galvanize Action, Jackie designed and ran a movement-building project for the NoVo Foundation focused on ending violence against girls and women. She previously championed reproductive justice as the Director of Government Relations for Planned Parenthood Federation of America and economic justice as a Legal Aid lawyer and as Policy Attorney for the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund. Jackie received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and her J.D. from the University of Michigan.
“I’ve spent my adult life working to advance gender, racial, and economic justice. In 2016, I became increasingly alarmed by the rise in authoritarianism and threat to democracy in the US. I couldn’t understand why so many women were being pulled toward strongmen leaders—and it made me worry for the future of America. But I also found the chorus of political elites accusing women of ‘voting against their interests,’ to be condescending and judgmental. I know these women. I grew up in the Midwest, spending my summers in Wisconsin and going to college in Michigan. They’re my cousins—literally and figuratively speaking—and I wanted to understand what was going on with them. So I decided to dig deeper.”
Jackie spent the next two years talking and—more importantly—listening to women around the country before founding Galvanize USA in 2018. She repeatedly heard that they avoid talking about current events because they don’t want to start an argument, feel like they don’t have the information they need to speak knowledgeably, or worry that no one else shares their point of view. This was particularly true among women living in small towns and rural communities.
Too often, many of us decide it’s easier to keep quiet to avoid arguing, or we only discuss our beliefs with people we know share our perspective. Most online political discussions quickly devolve into echo chambers that drown out dissenting points of view, or vicious arguments in which everyone is shouting and no one is listening. The net result is an America that is deeply polarized, where we have forgotten how to even talk with people who have different viewpoints, and our democracy itself hangs in the balance. So what do we do about it?
Jackie recalls, “I knew that the women I had been speaking with were a key part of the solution, so I asked them what they thought would help. They told me that more than anything, they wanted a supportive space where they could come together with other women to make sense of what was happening in the world. A space where they could ask questions, share ideas, and learn from one another, without worrying about it turning into an argument or that someone would think they were stupid. That’s why I created Galvanize USA as a judgement-free community built by women, for women, where we can engage in real talk about the things that matter to us.” Open-minded women from across the ideological spectrum joined this community, united by the belief that regardless of our background, we all want a better future for our kids and grandkids.
Galvanize Action soon followed, founded in 2019. Recognizing the value of the nonpartisan community and the opportunity it provides for women to grow their civic knowledge, confidence, and agency, Jackie wanted to preserve that much-needed space. At the same time, she became increasingly concerned about the direction this country was headed and wanted to be a part of the solution. White women are the single largest voting bloc in this country and will be for years to come. Power is being concentrated over time in more rural, less populous states. By the year 2040, it is predicted that just 30% of the population—largely white and rural—will control 68 of the 100 Senate seats. The math is clear. Progress requires persuading more white voters to join a multiracial coalition to build a country that works for everyone. Galvanize Action takes the time to truly understand moderate white women so that together we can build a broader base for lasting change.
Galvanize Action works at the intersection of neuroscience, behavioral psychology, and data science to find women who want progress on key issues, connect with them on their values, and impact their civic behavior. In just two years we have grown to include a team of staff conducting intensive research to better understand our audience, developing messages that are continually tested and refined, and collaborating with the field to purposefully share our learnings so we can promote social welfare and all move forward together.