Celebrating Five Years of Impact, and Looking Forward to 2024
Dear Variant Strategies Community,
As we say goodbye to 2023, we also celebrate the momentous occasion of our five-year anniversary. These past years have been an incredible journey marked by growth, resilience, and the collective spirit of our communities.
When Variant Strategies was founded, we didn’t yet have a website or logo, but we had a big vision: "To use technology tools to enhance social justice." Five years later, we’ve worked with and supported some of the leading national non-profits, extraordinary movement lawyers, and local advocates, as well as people directly impacted by oppressive legal systems to tell powerful stories for social, racial, legal, and immigration justice. Many of these collaborations are highlighted below.
Looking back on the last five years fills us with immense pride for what we've built, what we’ve achieved, and how we’ve done it. Every project, collaboration, and endeavor has resulted in concrete impact, including influencing judicial outcomes, changing laws, impacting budgets, shining light on previously opaque court processes, and more. We listen to, learn from, and incorporate the communities we are working for to ensure impact. We are strategic, nimble, constantly learning, and growing.
Our commitment to purpose will be exemplified in 2024’s first release: our upcoming five-minute documentary, "This Is Freedom." Shot in Houston, Texas, in a county that, unlike most of the U.S., prohibits unaffordable bail and pretrial detention, the film will be used to underscore what bail reform really looks like and why freedom is a public health and safety imperative. With approximately half a million people locked up pretrial in U.S. jails, and only because they cannot afford to purchase their freedom, this project sheds light on a critical human rights challenge and offers a model for change.
As we close the year and celebrate this significant milestone, we have immense gratitude to our partners, supporters, advisors, and collaborators—the heartbeat of Variant Strategies. The coming years promise new opportunities and continued impact. At this momentous juncture, we are poised to create a future that builds upon the foundation we’ve laid, changing the lives of millions of people, and many more to come.
Thank you for being a part of our journey. Here's to 2023, the last five years, and, of course, the next five. We can’t wait to see what they bring.
Wishing you a joyful holiday season. We’ll see you next year!
With gratitude,
Abby Goldberg
Looking Back…
The We Have Rights Campaign (2018-2019):
Our ongoing commitment to immigrant rights is evident in the We Have Rights Campaign, which has reached over 24 million people online, in waiting rooms, and on TV, providing crucial information on protecting millions of immigrants from deportation.
Including Hard to Reach Populations in the 2020 Census (2019):
Working with the Association for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), Variant Strategies supported a campaign to reach hard to reach populations to encourage them to participate in the 2020 Census. We developed a text campaign volunteers could use to message phone numbers from districts that weren't reporting with specific and targeted information. We also provided highly designed training tools for ACNJ staff and volunteers. Together, we helped increase participation in the 2020 Census, providing critical demographic information for many services and for voting in the U.S.
Variant collaborated with PIF on a video campaign addressing fears about the COVID vaccine among immigrant communities. The videos, available in various durations, aimed to reassure and encourage vaccine uptake given specific concerns of immigrant communities in the U.S.
PSA for passing the JRA (2021):
A short PSA-style video was created to support the Maryland Juvenile Restoration Act of 2021, urging social media users to express their support for ending life without parole sentencing for juveniles. The Justice Reinvestment Act was passed after our video was made and distributed, producing important reforms could reduce Maryland’s prison population by 16% and save $270 million within 10 years.
The Still In Prison Campaign (2021):
In collaboration with 40 organizations, including the ACLU and Human Rights Watch, we produced a powerful 7-minute video advocating for the overturning of a racist law in Oregon. The Oregon Supreme Court's decision to vacate thousands of cases marked a significant triumph for justice.
Hispanics in Philanthropy (2022):
Variant created an End of the Year video for HIP's Migration Program, showcasing our commitment to supporting philanthropic initiatives.
This Is Freedom (2022, officially launching January 2024):
Our five minute documentary, This Is Freedom, created for the Texas Project's bail reform campaign, showcases the impact of a law allowing pre-trial freedom for those arrested on misdemeanor charges. It follows the cases of two individuals who benefitted from the law, and shows the importance of pre-trial Freedom. With approximately half a million individuals awaiting trial in prisons in the U.S.affected by bail-related issues in the U.S., this project sheds light on a critical social challenge.
The Courtwatchers (2022/23):
Variant's innovative, graphic novel-inspired animation became the centerpiece for a national courtwatching campaign. This collaboration with Fiona Apple scored significant media attention, including a live interview by the Washington Post. The film is now captivating audiences in theaters nationwide.
End the Crisis in Child Care in California (2023):
Launched in March, this campaign targeted the California State government to address childcare issues. Our efforts, including a compelling two-minute video, an automated letter to legislators, and a social media toolkit, contributed to a successful budget passing for 2023/24 with increased funding for childcare centers and providers.
…And Looking Ahead!
For more of our work, visit www.variantstrategies.com/work. We are excited about the innovative projects unfolding in 2024, including collaborations with Zealous on the Felony Murder Rule, Parent Voices for a unique website supporting parents, and a campaign with Global Justice Center for a positive future for abortion in the U.S. We're also in conversation with our first for-profit client with whom we would be working on a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign. We are also building our Advisory Board, adding new services, and many more developments.