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We Are Here: The Theme for the 2026 BRIDGE Collective Summit

This is not an easy moment to do justice work in Texas.

Immigrant communities are living under the threat of mass deportation. Voting rights are under sustained attack. Federal funding that nonprofits depend on is disappearing—cut, frozen, or clawed back with little warning. And the organizations doing the hardest, most necessary work are being asked to do more with less, under conditions that are purposefully designed to wear people down.

That’s exactly why we’re gathering.

This September, BRIDGE will host its third annual Collective Summit. Our theme came from paying attention to what the organizations in our Collective have actually been doing—quietly, persistently, without fanfare—in the middle of all of it: showing up for our communities, saying “We Are Here.”

For the 40 organizations in the BRIDGE Collective, showing up has never been a strategy. It’s just what they do. Through every election, every legislative session, every policy threat, every moment when the people they serve needed someone in their corner—they’ve been there. Gathering together for our Summit is a chance to say that out loud, and mean it, together.

We Are Here is a declaration. A breath. A promise to the communities this work is for. And an open invitation to funders, allies, and anyone with the strategic acumen to know that a more just Texas is worth fighting for: Come be here with us.

The Summit brings together BRIDGE alumni, partner organizations, and funders who understand the vital importance of Texas. It’s an invitation-only gathering, built to go deep rather than wide with real conversations, real relationships, and an honest look at what this moment is asking of all of us.

Here’s how you can be part of it:

Stay with us. Follow BRIDGE on social media and subscribe to our newsletter. If you are interested in joining, reach out to alina@bridgemovements.org.

Support the Summit. This gathering doesn’t happen without people who believe that movement infrastructure matters. If you’re able, a gift to BRIDGE goes directly toward making this possible.

We are here. Not because this is easy, but because it’s the work we are here to do. Come build with us, there’s a place for you here.

Picture of H. Drew Galloway, Founder & Executive Director

H. Drew Galloway, Founder & Executive Director

H. Drew Galloway catalyzes change, infusing grassroots growth with strategic direction at BRIDGE. Formerly leading MOVE Texas, his expertise lies in voter engagement and nurturing progressive leadership across Texas.

Welcome BRIDGE’s new Programs Director, Cole Still!

I’ve spent my career alongside people building things that matter—in nonprofits, higher education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, and community development. And I’ve learned that the most capable leaders are often carrying more than anyone sees.
My background is in helping ambitious ideas become programs, partnerships, and strategies that actually sustain themselves—work that’s generated more than $1M in new revenue for the organizations I’ve supported. I’m proud of that. But the numbers aren’t what matters most to me. The people are.

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August 28, 2026

Democracy Doesn’t Happen Every November: Why Year-Round Organizing Matters

Every election cycle, communities get flooded with reminders to register, vote, and participate. Then those efforts disappear almost as quickly as they showed up.

Democracy doesn’t start on Election Day, and it doesn’t end there either.

Strong civic participation is built through relationships, trust, and consistent engagement. The organizations that create lasting change aren’t the ones who mobilize communities every two or four years — they’re the ones who show up every month, listening to residents, developing leaders, and creating real pathways for people to participate in civic life long before a ballot shows up in front of them.

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August 3, 2026

Discipline Is the Difference Between Vision and Impact

In one of his most enduring messages on leadership, President Barack Obama makes a simple but demanding point: real progress doesn’t come from bursts of inspiration—it comes from discipline. The ability to stay focused, to do the work consistently, and to align your actions with your long-term goals is what separates intention from impact.
For nonprofit founders and organizational leaders, this isn’t just personal advice but an operating principle. The challenges facing our communities are too complex, and the stakes too high, for scattered effort or reactive leadership. Discipline shows up in how we prioritize, how we structure teams, and how we execute, day in and day out.
At BRIDGE, we know that strategic and operational discipline are what it takes to allow a network of organizations to move as one. Together with partners like Texas Future Project, Texas for All, Texas Youth Power Alliance, The Pipeline Initiative, Everybody Votes, and many others across the state, BRIDGE and our 40 alumni organizations are building people power.

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May 18, 2026