We are an innovative civil rights law, policy, and communications “action tank” that advances universal opportunity and a just democracy for those left behind in America. We believe that sustainable progress can be made when multiple tools—law, policy analysis, strategic communications, technology, and research— are coordinated with grassroots movements.

 

Advancement Project was founded in 1999 in Los Angeles and Washington DC by veteran civil rights lawyers who were looking for new ways to dismantle structural barriers to inclusion, secure racial equity, and expand opportunity for all.

We create change by:

 

  • Promoting and supporting coalitions and organizations that bridge race, culture, and class divisions;
  • Building new tools for the national movement for social justice; and
  • Effecting reform of public institutions responsible for providing democratic participation, affordable housing, education, and public health and safety.

National National

Our National programs focus on issues of democracy, voter rights and access to justice.

 

  • Opportunity to Learn: Eliminating barriers that exclude children of color and poor children from quality K-12 education and opportunities to pursue college degrees
  • Power and Democracy: Increasing democratic participation in low-income and minority communities by removing obstacles to voter participation, building support for a more transformational solution
  • Strategic Initiatives: Responding to critical issues in racial justice, including recovery from Hurricane Katrina, justice for immigrants and inclusive economic development