Fun With Gerrymandering: Mapping Software Gives Ordinary Citizens a Lesson in Civics

A group of seven foundations in Pennsylvania recently ventured into some unusual territory for most of them: the arcane world of gerrymandering.

Their entry into a cause that falls squarely in the realm of politics is a sign of how serious some donors have gotten about trying to fix what they see as urgent flaws in the democratic process. It is one of several efforts underway at the state level. National grant makers like the Ford and Joyce foundations have also made it a priority to focus on gerrymandering, or the way lawmakers manipulate legislative district boundaries to gain a partisan advantage

The Pennsylvania foundations have directed $1 million in grants to support Draw the Lines PA, which livens up the wonky process of redistricting with competition.

High-school and college students and adults learn about gerrymandering and the redistricting process with mapping software and teacher-training materials provided by the Committee of Seventy, a civic-leadership nonprofit in the state. Participants craft their own congressional district maps and provide the rationale for their work. Winners in regions throughout the state, and in different age groups, are awarded $5,000 each after being judged by Draw the Lines PA’s staff and members of its steering committees, which include academics, former lawmakers, and nonprofit leaders.

The election redistricting process that leads to gerrymandering is often done with little input from the public. Jim Denova, vice president at the Benedum Foundation in Pittsburgh, says he was excited by the competition because it does more than just teach students how to use a technology tool; it teaches them to use mapping software to learn more about what it means to be a responsible citizen. Instead of a dry lecture, students complete a project that “brings meaning to civics class,” Denova says.

Not all of the foundations that support Draw the Lines PA have made civics education a key grant-making priority. But some, like the Benedum Foundation, think educating students about the mechanics of the democratic process is an attractive add-on.

Benedum has historically focused on education in rural areas in the southwestern part of the state.

The group got involved in Draw the Lines in 2018, says Denova, as a way to stay true to that mission by completing a tech-based project and at the same time prepare them to be informed citizens.

“Different foundations have different sweet spots,” he says. “Everybody has a different angle.”

In 2011, redistricting in Pennsylvania was “an ugly experience,” says David Thornburgh, Draw the Lines PA’s founder, and the educational nature of the project takes the sting out of an issue that is typically highly pointed and partisan.

“This is a kinder, gentler way of making a contribution,” Thornburgh says. “It’s hard to argue that informing and engaging citizens is a partisan effort.”

Alex Daniels covers foundations, donor-advised funds, fundraising research, and tax issues for the Chronicle. Email Alex or follow him on Twitter.