Our Work
Western States Center works alongside communities to strengthen networks of care, courage, and collective power to protect and expand our democracy.
Our Actions
From rapid response to pushing back against threats to long-term leadership development, we invest in the people and places most impacted by anti-democracy activity.
Read recent updates from across our work.
Our Strategy
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We have three core strategies, informed by our values, to advance our vision of a just, thriving democracy. Our strategies are reinforced across our programs: we cultivate leaders, resource organizers and movements, and share political education and analysis.
We Cultivate Leaders
We train for resilience, connection, and long-term impact.
We support organizers, community leaders, and institutional change-makers with the skills and relationships they need to push back against division, resist authoritarianism, and build inclusive power. Through fellowships, peer cohorts, and local partnerships, we invest in those already leading—and those with the potential to become powerful agents of change in their communities.
We Resource Organizers and Movements
We move fast with communities who are targeted—and build power that lasts.
We build pro-democracy infrastructure at the state level by resourcing grassroots movements, coalitions, and civic institutions. From rapid response mobilizations to long-term capacity-building, we provide tools, connections, and support to counter anti-democracy and bigoted activity—locally, regionally, and nationally.
We Share Political Education and Analysis
We bring clarity, courage, and strategy to defend democracy.
We develop and share education rooted in an understanding of how white nationalism, Christian nationalism, antisemitism, and other forms of bigotry work—and how to organize against them. Our trainings, toolkits, and research prepare leaders, institutions, and communities to recognize and effectively counter anti-democracy forces before they take hold.
Our Programs
Common Good
Confronting antisemitism as a foundation of organized bigotry and threat to U.S. democracy—and building leadership to counter it.
Culture Lab
Partnering with musicians, artists and venues to build cultural power that challenges bigotry and authoritarianism, maintains space for art and joy in our movements, and moves people to act in defense of democracy.
Momentum
Supporting local leaders and democratic institutions to counter white nationalism, organized bigotry and political violence, and protect democracy in their communities and states.
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