THE ANDREW GOODMAN FOUNDATION

New York, New York, 10005 United States

Mission Statement

The mission of the Andrew Goodman Foundation (AGF) is to make young voices and votes a powerful force in democracy. Inspired by Andy’s legacy of courage, AGF invests in the next generation of civic leaders to advocate for our civil rights. Our vision is that young people will become active, engaged citizens who ensure a just democracy and sustainable future.

About This Cause

Andrew Goodman was a young college student who joined Mississippi Freedom Summer to register Black voters in Mississippi. On his first day in the state, June 21, 1964, Goodman, along with his fellow activists James Chaney and Michael Schwerner, was murdered by the Mississippi White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The deaths of these three young people shocked the nation and contributed to the eventual passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In 1966, Goodman’s parents, Robert and Carolyn, founded the Andrew Goodman Foundation (AGF) in memory of their son and to honor Goodman, Chaney, and Schwerner‘s activism to protect voting rights for all Americans. Over the last decade, AGF has built a reputation as a reliable partner and advocate for youth democratic participation. To accomplish its goals, AGF has set itself apart from other organizations by working not just on youth voting accessibility, but also by providing sustained resources for leadership development. This includes building a network of 81 campuses across 26 states with a leadership pipeline. Our theory of change engages both students and faculty, not just intermittently around elections or episodically on hot topics, but through sustained long-term coaching and collaboration. We put students in the driver seat as AGF Ambassadors with faculty sponsors/mentors referred to as AGF Campus Champions. Our goal is to build an infrastructure for civic engagement that passes from each class or generation of students. This strategy has proven to be both remarkably effective and resilient - reaching more than 1.5 million students in direct engagement and registering more than 100,000 voters.

THE ANDREW GOODMAN FOUNDATION
55 Exchange Place Suite 402
New York, New York 10005
United States
Phone 201-995-1808
Unique Identifier 136207568