Stories of Local Activism #7
Engage Miami
Building Young People’s Power Beyond the Ballot Box
Miami–Dade County, Florida
Engage Miami is a youth-led civic organization working to grow civic participation and community power in the Magic City—Miami, Florida. The nonprofit is building “civic equity and power” through voter engagement, civic education, leadership development, and local and state issue organizing, centered on young Black and Latinx residents ages 16–35.
Rather than treating elections as one-off moments, Engage Miami operates year-round. It brings civic engagement directly to young people on campuses and in their communities, and connects voting to local priorities like housing affordability, climate action, community safety, transit, and public education.
Hear from the Team
Randy Grice, Board Member
Faisal, Field Coordinator
Mission
Building people’s power for a just, sustainable Miami. Young people have the power to shape the city, change Florida, and build a better future. As voters, advocates, and leaders, people are stronger when they are in community.
What They Do
1. Civic education
Share practical civic learning about local government, elections, and organizing through social media and member engagement.
2. Leadership development
Groom young leaders through a membership base and fellowship-style programming, especially for Black, Indigenous, and Latinx young people.
3. Voter engagement
Engage Miami runs voter readiness outreach and publishes voter guides that translate local races and issues for young voters. “Voter Hub” offers deadline reminders, voting-rights information, and guidance for registering and voting by mail.
4. Issue organizing
Organize at city hall, county commission, and the state legislature to advance a platform called the Young People’s Policy Priorities, which includes democracy, and voting rights
IMPACT
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Theory of Change
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Engagement
Make voting and civic participation feel normal and accessible for young people by meeting them where they are and providing clear, local information
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Power-building
Translate civic engagement into sustained power by developing leaders, building a membership base, and organizing around concrete policy priorities
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Accountability
Create ongoing pressure and participation in local decision-making spaces so young residents shape budgets and policies, not just elections
IMPACT
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Founded in 2015, with documented growth from voter registration and meetings to a county-level policy platform with budget advocacy
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A sustained voter education footprint, including published voter guides for local races
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Organizational scale and resources: $2.25M revenue and $1.57M expenses reported for fiscal year ending 2024
Take Action
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Share this story with your network.
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Volunteer: Engage Miami volunteers support outreach like phone or text banking, event support, and community actions.
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Get vote-ready: Use the Voter Hub for deadlines, rights, registration, and vote-by-mail guidance.
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Join the Movement: Become a member and support sustained youth organizing.
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Connect with Team Engage Miami
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Instagram: @engagemia
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Facebook: EngageMIA
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Write to Engage: info@engage.miami
