IGNITE National

IGNITE is a non-partisan movement of young women and gender expansive youth who are ready and eager to become the next generation of civic and political leaders. IGNITE is a national leader in young women’s civic leadership development and the only organization in the political space that explicitly brings young women who have traditionally been left out of the American democratic process into political power, by giving them the tools, skills, resources, and networks to make their voices heard.

Women, especially BIPOC women and women with disabilities, are dramatically under-represented among the 520,000 office holders nationally, 96% of them local. IGNITE increases the share of women in public leadership: as electeds, appointees, and in supporting positions that push up to appointed and elected roles. IGNITE creates entry points and support for next-gen women to advance in political leadership: from civic and political engagement to community leadership and beyond.

Locally, IGNITE organizes high school and college-aged women to become civically and politically active. Statewide, we train them to advocate on policy impacting women and families. Nationally, we shift culture to propel them into civic and political influence. IGNITE introduces young women to politics before adulthood; provides them with the tools, resources, and training to lead; and gives them a platform, uplifting their voices so the public values their perspectives, experiences, and expertise. These young women become the local commissioners, candidates, and policymakers shifting cities, counties, their states, and our nation to an equitable civic and political arena.

Programs:

Dr. Anne Moses Fellows – Politically ambitious college-aged women hone their political organizing abilities over 18-months by launching, organizing, and running IGNITE college programming efforts. Fellows host events on local policies and civic education; build college chapters; train chapter members to network with local stakeholders and organizations; and support our high school clubs.

IGNITE the Vote – Voting knowledge is the first step toward civic engagement. Participants learn voting basics (how elections happen, why they’re important, how to use a ballot) and issues/measures related to women and families. They register and activate peers on campus; hold candidate meet-and-greets and ballot parties; and educate and engage others on campus who don’t understand how politics impacts their lives.

Legislative Advocacy – Young women train on what legislation is, the policy lifecycle, and how to influence local, state, and national legislation. They practice amplifying their voices on local gender justice issues; then convene at the city and state level. IGNITE the Capitol brings them to their legislative seat to meet policymakers and discuss issues they identify as important.

Training – Comprehensive training teaches young women the skills and strategies to seek and win key leadership roles including seats and appointments on boards and commissions; public office; policy-making internships and positions; campaign staffer, community organizer, and voter activation bootcamps; and more.

Thought Leadership - We train young women to see themselves as leaders, so the public values their knowledge and insights. We center their voices, teaching them to write for and speak in interviews and op-eds with local and national media. They learn to elevate the political ideas they see as important and develop political and cultural power.

IGNITE believes that in order to remove barriers for young women to reach elected office we must support policies promoting equity, economic empowerment, safety, and women’s well-being. We need more diverse representation in leadership and governance that accurately represents the USA's demographics.

We train women such as:

• Former IGNITE Raleigh-Durham Fellow Mary Black, who was appointed to the Environmental Advisory Board in Raleigh, NC in 2020, and to City Council in 2022 as the youngest member ever to serve.
• IGNITE alumna Christina Haswood, who at age 25 is the youngest Native American ever elected to Kansas’s State Legislature. When Haswood first learned about IGNITE she had never imagined holding political office.
• The 60+ member strong IGNITE UCLA chapter, which gained statewide recognition and coverage in the Los Angeles Times for their successful efforts to change policy at the UC Regents and CA state legislature, increasing students’ access to rape crisis kits and confidential sexual assault services on campuses statewide.

IGNITE participants are 3x more likely to vote, 5x more likely to advocate, and 28% more likely to engage in political action vs. their peers. Elections occur daily across our country; IGNITE uplifts participants’ voices and organizing power to maximize their impact, mobilizing communities on the issues that affect them. As more young women become politically active and engaged, they bring their skills to local campaigns and communities wherever life takes them, championing systemic change toward equity nationwide.