Organizing ‘for such a time as this’ with Black Church PAC
Impact at a glance
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sign-ups on Mobilize
Some think faith and politics don’t or shouldn’t mix, but Black Church PAC disagrees. In fact, they’d say the two are deeply intertwined. The Black Church has long stood as a cornerstone in communities, a place where people seek faith, guidance, and support in addressing the most pressing issues impacting their lives — from gun violence to access to education to health equity. Historically, the Black Church has not only provided spiritual refuge but also served as an engine for social change, exegeting the pain of the people and transforming it into progress.
Over time, some have adopted the belief that faith and politics should remain separate. However, whether or not one follows politics, politics follows us. The policies crafted in legislative chambers shape the realities faced by congregants, clergy, and community members alike. Those sitting in the pews often bear the brunt of political decisions made without their voices, yet they hold the power to advocate for solutions that reflect their lived experiences. Given its deep-rooted connection to the people, the Black Church is uniquely positioned to uplift the voices of its communities and push for systemic change. Recognizing this, Black Church PAC continues the legacy of faith-driven advocacy, mobilizing Black faith communities to fight for justice and equity in the political arena.
After Kamala Harris announced her candidacy to be the next president, Black Church PAC, (along with other organizing groups like Win With Black Women) understood the historic nature of this campaign, and the opportunity to organize “for such a time as this” — a Biblical reference about not letting a critical moment slip away. The clarion call was clear, and with just under a few months left until Election Day, there wasn’t a second to waste, so Black Church PAC got right to work.
“The magnitude of this moment was never just about an election — it was about a calling. Esther 4:14 reminds us that we are placed in critical moments, not for personal gain, but to stand in the gap for our people. ‘For such a time as this’ is not just about seizing an opportunity, but about recognizing the responsibility to act, regardless of outcomes. Whether in victory or challenge, our work remains — to uplift, organize, and mobilize our communities toward justice that outlives any election cycle.”
Rev. Traci Blackmon, Co-Founder, Black Church PAC
The makeup and goals of Organize the Church
Black Church PAC is a political action committee leveraging the power of the Black Church to elect leaders who champion justice and equity through partisan advocacy, GOTV campaigns, and grassroots mobilization. It is committed to organizing and mobilizing Black faith communities to build political power and ensure Black voices are heard at the ballot box.
Organize the Church functions as a broader movement that brings together faith leaders, organizers, and advocates to drive voter engagement. Black Church PAC plays a critical role in this effort, focusing on electoral engagement, candidate support, and mobilization strategies that strengthen Black political influence.
This election cycle, Organize the Church set an ambitious goal to engage over 1 million voters in swing states before Election Day. To achieve this, it sought user-friendly organizing tools that could activate its supporter base and scale with its growing movement — leading it to turn to us.
“I recommended NGP VAN because of its reputation as the premier tool for data-driven organizing. Having used it successfully in prior roles, I knew it could provide the scalability and integration we needed to:
- Centralize voter engagement, advocacy, and fundraising across three organizations.
- Transition from fragmented tools like Google Sheets and Excel to a unified platform for streamlined operations.
- Enhance credibility, impact, and influence by enabling better reporting and tracking.
The platform’s digital tools, designed to meet the unique needs of its users and bridge stories and data seamlessly, enable organizations to not only measure impact but to transform it into meaningful change. Pastor Michael McBride trusted this recommendation, recognizing that adopting NGP VAN was a leap of faith but a critical step toward achieving our organizational goals.”
Hannah Naomi Jones, National Director of Policy and Storytelling, Black Church PAC
Using NGP VAN software to help marginalized communities have their voices heard
Black Church PAC set their goal of engaging with over a million voters before Election Day to help ensure that those in marginalized communities had their voices heard at the ballot box. To do that, they employed nearly our full suite of organizing tools — from SmartVAN to MiniVAN to Mobilize to Online Actions and more.
With our easy-to-use voter file solution, SmartVAN, Black Church PAC quickly created voter universes of infrequent and high-propensity voters within marginalized communities and started reaching out to them with the help of our other organizing tools. Using MiniVAN, our mobile canvassing app, they knocked on over 193,000 doors across four swing states. They also used Mobilize to generate 25,000 sign-ups for important events and actions this cycle — while helping them build their supporter list for their long-term goals as well. Additionally, they logged over 950,000 calls in their database and sent over 500,000 texts to get out the vote. Not only did this consolidated data allow them to make an impact for this cycle, but now they have data to build on for elections to come.
Civic engagement and voter education will be year-round priorities, addressing the community's need for understanding the power of their vote, the voting process, and their role on the ballot. They will leverage these tools and past data to combat voter suppression, misinformation, and disinformation while ensuring their message is clear and actionable.
In addition to their organizing work, Black Church PAC launched several advocacy campaigns to help apply social pressure to legislators to endorse Kamala Harris and drive legislative change. These campaigns led supporters to take over 50,000 advocacy actions (like sending letters to their legislators and signing petitions) to help support Kamala Harris and pass legislation to prevent gun violence and disarm hate.
All this work — from their direct organizing work to their advocacy campaigns — helped ensure those most impacted by systemic inequities had a voice in our democratic process. By reaching out to voters who are often overlooked by most campaign outreach, Black Church PAC helped drive out the vote and build a larger base of support for the Democratic nominee. While the results were not what we hoped for, Organize the Church built a major network of supporters, volunteers, donors, and more who were integral to their successful programs this cycle. A network that they can continue to empower to take action as we continue to fight for a better future together.
Finding trusted messengers to share the message and activate the electorate for such a time as this
One of the major takeaways from the 2024 cycle was the important role that trusted messengers played in activating and mobilizing specific demographics. Organize the Church was ahead of the curve by working with trusted faith leaders whose influence and impact extends far beyond their places of worship. They’re community leaders, elected officials, and organizers all fighting for a more just and equitable future — as their faith drives them to do.
In addition to working directly with faith leaders nationwide, Black Church PAC also employed neighborhood leaders in Pennsylvania to help get out the vote. These leaders were hired from within the neighborhoods they were organizing in — helping Black Church PAC create stronger, more trustful communities under the guidance of local leaders who were invested in their communities’ success.
By working with trusted messengers within faith and neighborhood communities, Black Church PAC understood the importance these individuals played in advancing their mission, and their partnership allowed leaders and the organization to organize more effectively for such a time as this.
What’s next for Black Church PAC
Organizing is a 24/7, 365-day job that requires innovation, input, and investment. As Organize the Church looks to the future, they’re focused on scaling up their programs to build long-term power and drive policy change all year long. As an example, immediately after the election, H.R. 9495 was making its way through Congress, and Black Church PAC was quick to encourage their supporters to sign their petition and call their Senators and encourage them to vote no on this dangerous bill.
Recently, Black Church PAC led an impactful campaign to advocate for justice. Through their digital tools and organizing platforms, they mobilized supporters to take over 3,000 petition signatures and send more than 30,000 letters to decision-makers and appointees, resulting in meaningful change by way of a presidential pardon. This campaign demonstrates the transformative power of combining tools, data, and advocacy to drive results and amplify the voices of those fighting for equity.
"Digital tools give us the ability to turn passion into action and ensure every voice is heard. By embedding data and strategy into our advocacy, we’re not only able to change narratives but also lives. This work is about building bridges to justice, one action at a time."
Rev. Cece Jones Davis, Founder of Justice for Julius and Special Advisor to Black Church PAC
By having a dedicated set of organizing and fundraising tools that helped channel energy into action and produce exceptional results this cycle, Organize the Church is expanding their use of NGP VAN’s tools and making the most of them to increase their impact and engage their supporters all year round for the important fights ahead.
"Our work is never done. Every step forward — every vote cast, every story told, every voice lifted — is a step toward the future we envision. The fight for justice, equity, and transformation isn’t just for today; it’s for generations yet to come. We are called to keep building, keep believing, and keep organizing for the world we want to see."
Pastor Michael McBride, Co-Founder, Black Church PAC
