Swifties for Hope exists to harness the power of fandom as a force for civic engagement, community action, and democratic participation.
The organization was founded on a simple but transformative belief: if fandom can mobilize millions around music, it can also mobilize millions around democracy. At a time when many voters, particularly younger voters, felt exhausted, disconnected, and increasingly disengaged from traditional political institutions, we saw an opportunity to create a different entry point into civic participation—one rooted in community, creativity, belonging, and hope.
Originally launched as Swifties for Kamala during the 2024 election cycle, our goal was to transform the energy of one of the world's largest fandoms into meaningful civic action. We sought to register, educate, motivate, and mobilize voters by meeting people where they already were. We believed individuals who might never attend a political meeting, volunteer for a campaign, or engage with a traditional advocacy organization could become powerful civic participants when approached through trusted communities and shared cultural experiences.
Following the election, we recognized that the challenge extended beyond a single candidate or election cycle. In response, we evolved into Swifties for Hope, a long-term civic engagement movement grounded in four pillars: Activate, Advocate, Educate, and Celebrate.
Today, our mission is rooted in the belief that hope is not passive optimism but a discipline of action. We activate individuals through civic engagement opportunities, advocate for democratic participation and community impact, educate through voter education and media literacy initiatives, and celebrate collective action by fostering belonging, joy, and community.
Ultimately, we aim to prove that fandom communities can serve as powerful civic institutions, transforming cultural participation into civic participation and building a sustainable, replicable model for democratic engagement.
Our strategy was built around a simple insight: people are more likely to participate when civic engagement feels personal, accessible, and connected to communities they already trust.
Rather than asking supporters to enter traditional political spaces, we brought civic engagement directly into fandom spaces. We leveraged the organizing power, creativity, and sense of belonging already present within the Swiftie community and transformed those strengths into a civic engagement infrastructure spanning digital platforms, volunteer networks, grassroots organizing, and community education.
Our voter engagement strategy combined traditional organizing tactics with fandom-driven innovation. Volunteers participated in large-scale text banking, phone banking, postcard-writing campaigns, voter registration initiatives, relational organizing programs, canvassing, and direct voter outreach. Through initiatives such as Typical Tuesday Night phone banks, Eras Tour texting activations, Fan-Out relational organizing campaigns, and coordinated volunteer mobilizations, supporters engaged voters through trusted peer-to-peer connections.
Partnership was central to our approach. We worked alongside national and state-level campaigns, candidate committees, grassroots organizations, reproductive rights advocates, voter engagement groups, media literacy organizations, and get-out-the-vote coalitions to connect our community with meaningful opportunities for action. By serving as a bridge between fandom and civic institutions, we translated cultural enthusiasm into civic participation while extending the reach of partner organizations.
Innovation remained a defining feature of our work. Our Friendship Bracelet Brigade and Friendship Bracelet Voter Outreach Initiative, believed to be the first effort of its kind, transformed one of the most recognizable traditions in fandom into a civic engagement tool. More than 100 volunteers across 49 states handcrafted and distributed over 5,000 friendship bracelets. We expanded this concept through a first-of-its-kind Pennsylvania voter mail program that distributed more than 250,000 voter mail pieces, including 50,000 friendship bracelets, to low-propensity women voters.
We also launched creative grassroots initiatives including Operation Post-It, postcard campaigns, community activations, pop-ups, and local outreach efforts that encouraged supporters to share civic information and calls to action throughout their communities.
Digital engagement served as the backbone of the movement. Through social media campaigns, newsletters, email programs, livestreams, virtual events, and a highly engaged Discord community, supporters organized campaigns, received training, shared resources, and developed leadership skills. Volunteer moderation teams intentionally cultivated welcoming spaces that prioritized belonging, safety, education, and participation.
Following the election, we expanded beyond voter mobilization into long-term civic engagement. Through partnerships including the Media Education Lab, we launched media literacy initiatives, workshops, Know Your Rights trainings, digital literacy programming, and public discussions focused on misinformation, source evaluation, and responsible digital citizenship. Programs such as 12 Action Items for TS12 encouraged continued engagement through advocacy, education, service, and local action.
Finally, through our post-election report, How Did It End?, we analyzed voter outreach, volunteer engagement, media impact, demographic trends, and organizational lessons learned. These findings informed our transition from Swifties for Kamala to Swifties for Hope and provided the blueprint for a sustainable civic engagement movement grounded in Activate, Advocate, Educate, and Celebrate.
While the presidential candidate we supported did not ultimately win the election, the impact of our work extended far beyond a single race and continues to shape our organization today.
In just 107 days, Swifties for Kamala generated more than 22.29 million voter contacts, including 19.1 million text messages, 2.7 million phone calls, 259,000 voter mail pieces, and 175,200 relational organizing actions. Volunteers completed more than 8,000 shifts and contributed over 15,000 volunteer hours.
Our efforts also delivered meaningful down-ballot impact. We supported 11 ballot initiatives, helping secure passage of 7 reproductive rights measures, and backed 18 candidates, contributing to victories in 9 key Senate, House, and gubernatorial races.
Our first-of-its-kind Friendship Bracelet Initiative mobilized more than 100 volunteers across 49 states, distributing 5,000+ bracelets and supporting a Pennsylvania voter mail program that delivered 250,000+ mail pieces, including 50,000 bracelets, generating more than 4,600 voter pledges.
The movement generated 400+ earned media stories, reached an estimated 250 million readers, appeared in major outlets including The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vogue, and The Washington Post, and reached audiences in 62 countries.
Following the election, the movement evolved into Swifties for Hope. Today, we have supported 45,000+ voter registrations, engaged 74,000+ volunteers, raised more than $226,000 for civic and community initiatives, generated 500+ million digital impressions, and raised $22,000 in under 48 hours for Feeding America. Most importantly, we proved that fandom can be a powerful force for civic engagement, community action, and lasting social impact.
