Editor’s Note: REV UP was founded in 2016 by grassroots activists in Texas to build the power of the disability vote—and over the past decade, it has grown into a powerful national movement. REV UP stands for “Register, Educate, Vote, Use your Power!” As we celebrate 10 years of impact, we are spotlighting leaders from across the country whose work reflects the strength and influence of the REV UP movement.
Often, when we think about building the power of the disability vote, we think about the potential for systemic change – improved elections, inclusive campaigns, the accessible policies we’ll see as a result of a powerful voting bloc. The REV UP movement is also about building power within communities through collaboration, mutual support, and solidarity.
For The Grove Foundation, a key supporter of REV UP, investing in the capacity of communities is essential to building a more equitable future.
Andy and Eva Grove founded their philanthropic initiative in 1986; drawing from their own experiences as a refugee (Andy) and an immigrant (Eva), they led with the mission that all people should have access to resources, respect, a sense of belonging, and the opportunity to live and contribute fully as themselves. Civic engagement work focused on engaging historically excluded communities became a core part of that mission.
Initially, The Grove Foundation’s portfolio of grantees focused on Black power building, immigration, and reproductive justice. Executive Director Leslie Dorosin, who created the foundation’s civic engagement program, vividly remembers her first introduction to disability advocacy.
“I was at a meeting where the presenter was clicking through PowerPoint slides and graphs,” Dorosin recounts. “All of a sudden, a person who was blind stood up and said, ‘You’re sitting here talking about equity and inclusion, but I am being excluded. I can’t see your slides, and you’re not describing them.’ There was dead silence in the room.”
Dorosin found herself unable to stop thinking about the advocate who spoke up about accessibility. She reached out to Rebecca Cokley, U.S. Disability Rights Program Officer for the Ford Foundation, to learn about how The Grove Foundation could support disability organizations.
“REV UP really stood out because REV UP is led and rooted in the disability community,” Dorosin said. “Disability crosses age barriers [and] race barriers, and everything we do to make voting and engagement more accessible benefits everyone.”
“We recognize that the people closest to the work understand their communities and their needs best,” added Blanch Vance, Deputy Director at The Grove Foundation.
Vance described that as funders, they believe in a trust-based approach, leaving flexibility for the grantees to decide how to allocate resources in service of the shared mission.
This approach also recognizes the ebb and flow of community organizing. Dorosin shared that she appreciates how REV UP does not wait for a coalition to be fully formed to engage. REV UP meets people where they are, connecting with individual organizers, supporting emerging coalitions as they grow, and continuing to partner with established coalitions through periods of change.
Within the REV UP movement, The Grove Foundation’s broad support enabled AAPD to begin providing annual stipends to each REV UP coalition. The stipends support paying grassroots organizers, engaging communities, and ensuring coalition work is accessible.
REV UP and the Grove Foundation recognize that building the power of the disability vote is year-round work. Coalitions need to develop leaders, form collaborations, build relationships in their community, and create resources. State legislative advocacy and engaging election officials also happen year-round. The “off-season” work is what makes driving voter turnout and supporting accessible elections possible.
Additionally, there are higher costs to organizing in the disability community. Organizers need financial support to hire American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART), and cover the costs of accessible transportation and personal assistance to make it possible for disabled advocates to participate and lead.
“Operational support was the difference between just doing activities and building real infrastructure,” shared one REV UP coalition leader. “Because of this funding, we were able to compensate leaders, embed accessibility as standard practice, and show up consistently across Georgia. In a complex state like ours — especially in rural communities and communities of color — that stability matters. We’re seeing increased recognition of disability voices in broader democracy spaces, and that momentum is directly tied to having the structure to stay organized and engaged. Continued operational support will allow us to build on that progress rather than start over each year.”
While REV UP is focused on increasing access to voting, the movement also works to build strong communities, amplify local disabled leaders, and create cross-movement collaboration and solidarity. This aligns with The Grove Foundation’s own theory of change.
“We say voting is necessary, but not sufficient,” Dorosin said. “When people are engaged in community, that’s how power is built, that’s how we drive change, and if we don’t include the voice of disabled people, then we don’t wield our power effectively, and we might not make the best decisions for everybody.”
Vance and Dorosin also reflected on the ripple effect of investing in the disability community.
“It’s a privilege for philanthropy to invest in you because disability-led movements help all movements become more accessible, inclusive, and representative,” said Dorosin.
“Disability is part of the equity and democracy framework,” added Vance. “Our democracy is stronger when more people are able to participate and shape the decisions that affect their lives.”
While The Grove Foundation will sunset in 2030, distributing the last of Andy and Eva’s assets, their support has been invaluable in helping REV UP reach a decade of organizing and grow from just a few activists to 27 coalitions.
Vance and Dorosin reflected on the need for sustained investment in disability organizing. Vance shared advice for other funders: “Listen. And don’t underestimate how important building relationships is. Infrastructure begins by building a relationship, person to person, listening and figuring out what is possible together rather than coming up with a strategy alone.”