Dear Colleagues,
We have had difficult conversations the past few days. I am grateful for the time and energy you have invested in this painful process.
RepresentUs is marking its 10th anniversary this year, a decade in which we have won more than 160 pro-democracy laws across the country and inspired millions of Americans to get active in the fight for democracy. To make it another 10 years, we have to right-size and respond to the changing economic and political landscape with a decision that is incredibly difficult to face. As you know, on July 20th, we will lay off about 20 employees, more than a third of our staff.
This is a gut-wrenching decision that we know is painful for our staff and partners. Responsibility lies with leadership, as we let our desire for scaled impact get in front of the economic reality. I am sorry that this is the position we are in.
In 2020 and 2021, we grew rapidly to respond to the urgent threat former President Trump’s actions presented to our Republic, as well as the once-in-a-generation opportunity to pass federal voting legislation. We are proud of those efforts to save democracy, and our efforts have continued through 2022 with a new campaign to address the rising threats from election deniers and extremists.
Now, we must refocus our efforts on what we do best: seeding, supporting and winning pro-democracy policies across the country, and cultivating the American democracy movement. We are confident this is the right decision to best address the needs in the pro-democracy movement and our demonstrated strengths. While the decision to cut back at any time is a painful one, it is especially difficult now – when American democracy is facing the greatest threat in generations. However, these changes mean that RepresentUs will have the stability and longevity required to meet this threat for years to come.
Our strategy moving forward follows in the footsteps of successful movements that have come before us: winning local and state reforms to pave the way for national change. We remain focused on Anti-gerrymandering, Ranked Choice Voting with nonpartisan primaries (Final Four and Final Five Voting), strict Ethics and Anti-Corruption laws, and a raft of other pro-voter policies. Today, our work is more urgent than ever, and while the climb is steep, we know that RepresentUs will continue to lead the fight.
We are committed to caring for our entire team, including those who will be impacted by these changes, and are grateful for the open and constructive conversation with our Union and staff during this difficult transition.
We are guided by our desire to build a world-class organization with a diverse and welcoming culture of excellence. To that end, we are prioritizing dignity, compassion and openness to the best of our ability through this process. We will work with our Union throughout the process, and follow the agreements in our CBA. We will support those impacted, including those affected by layoffs and those who have chosen to use our voluntary separation period, by making the following commitments to our staff:
- We will provide severance packages to all affected staff.
- Health insurance, including dental and vision plans, will be continued through COBRA reimbursement.
- We will offer access to legal and financial counseling, wellness and mental health resources, including 24/7 access to therapy, through our Employee Assistance Program.
- Outplacement and career counseling services will be available to impacted employees through the Insperity Premier platform. Also, the executive and management teams will use personal and professional networks to assist employees with career transitions.
To the incredible people who have helped make RepresentUs the leading organization it is today: Your dedication, creativity, political acumen and fiercely non-partisan commitment has had a tremendous impact on the future of the Republic. Because of you, millions of Americans get to vote in fairer, more representative elections, and millions have powerful tools to hold elected leaders accountable. Because of you, millions have joined the ranks of our movement, and millions more will benefit from our impact in the future. To those who will carry the torch forward, let’s honor the work that has come before, build upon this foundation, and push our organization to have even more impact in the decade ahead.
With gratitude for all you do for RepresentUs and democracy,
-Joshua G. Lynn
CEO and Cofounder, RepresentUs