Fair Count

Year Founded: 2019

Fair Count seeks to dismantle systemic underrepresentation and secure equitable access to political power and public resources.

Fair Count believes the best way to address the inequities in our democracy is by overwhelming the system with participation. Through culturally relevant, non-extractive organizing and strategic coalition building, Fair Count activates historically undercounted rural communities of color to participate fully in civic processes and secure critical resources and representation.

Fair Count’s unique focus on rural Southern communities and long-term civic engagement, and its long-term strategy integrating census participation, voter engagement, and redistricting advocacy, distinguishes it in the field. The organization’s data-driven approach, deep community trust, and commitment to nonpartisan, culturally competent organizing aligns with New Profit’s Democracy strategy to shift systemic barriers to representation.

Headquartered in Columbus, GA, Fair Count operates across rural Georgia and Mississippi.

Fair Count is co-led by President Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean, a population-based researcher, and CEO Rebecca DeHart, a seasoned organizer. Their complementary expertise and co-leadership have driven Fair Count’s strategy since its founding.

Impact Highlights:

• Fair Count has reached over 2 million residents, improved 2020 Census response rates in hard-to-count areas, and secured $1.8B in federal funding for underserved communities.
• Their Commit to Vote card campaign boosted turnout by 2.9% among infrequent voters and 5% among frequent voters—double the industry average.
  They’ve led major redistricting efforts in the South and are the only state-based organization serving on the national redistricting coalition CHARGE.