Building Infrastructure for Change: Reaching Young and Anxious Audiences Through Creators

How do we bridge the gap between economic anxiety and belief in government’s potential, turning skepticism into support for policies that improve the lives of children and families?

Grounded in the Economic Security Project’s (ESP) “Young and Anxious” framework, the session will unpack a bold strategic bet: that building narrative infrastructure is essential to advancing economic policy and shifting public will – and affordability sits at the center of that narrative.

Drawing on a year of real-time testing, this session will introduce participants to the “Young and Anxious” audience—nearly 40% of the electorate, under 40, cross-partisan, and deeply concerned about affordability—and what messages, messengers, and channels are actually moving this audience.

We’ll meet two social media content creators from the ESP’s Economic Futures Project, a cohort of content creators reaching a total 6 million + followers, to explore how creators are shaping conversations about economic issues with young audiences.

Through a candid discussion of their work on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, they’ll share what it’s like to build content rooted in lived experience—from parenting and faith to small business ownership and starting a family—and how those experiences intersect with economic policy.  The conversation will highlight how creators translate complex issues like childcare, workforce participation, and the cost of building a family into relatable, high-impact content, while also addressing common misconceptions about working with creators.

Attendees will gain insights into:

• The power of authentic storytelling, and the role of creators as trusted messengers
• The current media landscape, and where long-term investments in conservative-aligned creator ecosystems have outpaced other efforts
• Why traditional demographic targeting falls short, and how interest-based, culturally relevant engagement—particularly through creators and peer voices—can more powerfully shape attitudes and beliefs

Speakers [Bios]

• Taylor Jo Isenberg, Executive Director, Economic Security Project
• Ayanna Gay, Fellow, Economic Security Project (Texas)
• Nick Cutsumpas, Fellow, Economic Security Project | Founder, Farmer Nick LLC (Detroit)

Related Resources:

• Economic Security Project
  • The Affordability Framework
  • A defining year for affordability—and a chance to reshape our economy
  • Futures Cohort Writes a New Story of the Economy
• Webinar Archive: The PN-3 Squeeze: Reaching Young & Anxious Families Where They Are, National Collaborative for Infants and Toddlers, March 2026

What does it take to effectively engage candidates for public office to ensure they are prioritizing young children and families?

This question is especially important with 36 states facing gubernatorial races this year. There is a critical opportunity to ensure that candidates understand—and prioritize—the needs of young children and families.

In this session, Choose Children - a statewide coalition of child advocates, community-based organizations, First 5 commissions and foundations in California committed to early childhood investment - will share their approach to engaging gubernatorial and local candidates in California through nonpartisan education and advocacy, offering a model that can be adapted in other local, state, and regional contexts.

Participants will gain insight into:

• Strategies that underpin this work, including narrative development, coalition building, and effective collaboration with candidates and funders.
• How coordinated efforts can elevate early childhood issues within campaign environments while remaining firmly within C3 nonpartisan guardrails.
• How philanthropic partners can thoughtfully invest in candidate education efforts and navigate common.

The session will feature dynamic visuals, including campaign materials and a short sizzle reel, to bring the work to life. Attendees will leave with practical insights on candidate engagement efforts that center young children and families.

Speakers [Bios]

• Mayra Alvarez, President, The Children's Partnership
• Christine Thorsteinson, Senior Director, Community Impact and Policy, Silicon Valley Community Foundation

Related Resources:

• Choose Children 2026 Governor's Race Kick Off Press Conference (includes polling date, video clips and more)

The rights and well-being of children, families, and marginalized communities are being challenged across the country. From shifts in federal funding to state and national actions that threaten basic rights, the stakes are high. Litigation remains one of the most powerful tools to defend these rights and shape systems that support children and families.

In this session, Couch Family Foundation and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation will be joined by ACLU New Hampshire and the national ACLU’s Racial Justice Program to explore how litigation is being used to safeguard the rights of children, families, and communities of color.

Participants will learn from real-world examples, including the successful challenge to New Hampshire’s “Banned Concepts” law, which was permanently enjoined as unconstitutionally vague, creating a pathway for similar challenges in other states. The session will also highlight recent litigation efforts, including the birthright citizenship case and challenges to federal actions limiting diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in public education.

Together, speakers will examine how litigation connects to broader strategies, including advocacy and organizing, to advance civil rights and protect democratic freedoms.

Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of:

• How funder partnerships can support litigation efforts, including lessons from collaboration in New Hampshire
• How litigation complements advocacy, organizing, and other strategies to protect children, families, and communities
• How race, gender, and early childhood intersect in legal challenges, including issues such as birthright citizenship
• How coordinated strategies across local, state, and national levels can advance equity and uphold civil liberties

Speakers [Bios]

• Devon Chaffee, Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Hampshire 
• Christina D’Allesandro, Initiative Lead Early Childhood and Families, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation 
• Sarah Hinger, Deputy Director, Racial Justice and Equity Program, ACLU 
• Sarah Robinson, Program Partner, Movement & Coalition Building, Couch Family Foundation