DemLabs applies innovative tech and storytelling to social justice and voting rights causes.
Introduction
DemLabs is a non-profit organization in the United States that aims to empower democracy through the innovative use of technology. It provides citizens with access to tools and resources to participate in the democratic process and promotes transparency in government by providing access to government data and records. DemLabs works to protect the integrity of elections by monitoring for voter suppression and disinformation campaigns and advocating for stronger election security measures. It also develops digital platforms for civic engagement and trains citizens and government officials on how to use technology for democratic participation. The organization is unique in its combination of technology expertise and democracy activism and is working to create a more just and equitable society for all citizens.
Below is a collection of their resources. For more see the DemLabs website.
Organizing Strategy and Skills
- Strategy for Organizers – Slides and Videos
- Grassroots Community Organizing Fundamentals For Beginners – Learn key strategies for becoming a powerful grassroots organizer for social change in your own community – Online Course
- Grassroots canvassing made free and simple
- Five Free Online Training Platforms To Train Volunteers And Organizers
- Canvassing Goes Better With Palm Cards
- Survey community concerns during COVID by crowdsourcing
- Convert Public Attention Into Supporters And Donations (with QR Codes)
- Boost door hangers with QR Codes to get more responses
- Improve Your Phone Banking Skills
Telling Stories using Maps and Story Maps
“Maps are like sandwiches,” says Deepak Puri. “You can see all the layers together in a single entity that is greater than the sum of its parts and provides an integrated view of the context surrounding an incident. Source
Articles
- Maps Are a Change Agent’s Best Friend
- 3 Ways to Give Your Advocacy Story Map More Reach
- Two Free Mapping Apps To Better Target Campaigns
- Organizing Fundraising with the value of GIS, Deepak Puri, DemLabs – Digital Politics Radio
Examples
Maps and StoryMaps created by Democracy Labs include:
- Opioid overdose crisis: Who made money from it? Who died?
- Fatal Police Encounters – Created in collaboration with the nonprofit Fatal Encounters
- Gun Violence StoryMap
- Denied broadband internet? How to challenge faulty FCC data that leaves you offline
- Respect: Register. Vote. Organize – StoryMap created for Women’s Voices Women Vote Action Fund
DemLabs Favorite Free Storytelling Apps
- Memes: CANVA – Ideal for creating graphics quickly and includes a library of stock symbols and images.
- GIFs: ezGIF – Create, optimize and scale GIFs with this free app.
- Videos: Lumen5 – An easy to use app to create and edit videos for your campaign or cause. It includes hundreds of professionally made video clips and soundtracks that you can use as building blocks to create and caption your own video.
- Infographics: Infogram – Create data rich graphics that can be downloaded or shared online.
- StoryMaps: ArcGIS StoryMaps – The perfect tool when you have a story to tell that involves maps, data, images and videos.
Other Technology
Videos
- Enhance your video with an AI generated talking head. It’s fast, easy and affordable
- Recording a video to shine a light on injustice? Do it right for maximum impact with these expert tips
- How to quickly create customized videos in different languages with just a computer
- Campaign videos made easy. Free app includes thousands of video clips, photos & soundtracks
- Make punchy campaign ads. Combine your message with a YouTube video and call to Action Button
- Make your own fundraising video for free
- Create your own Rapid Response GIF
- Power of Memes and GIFs to Break Through the Noise with Deepak Puri The Democracy Labs