Moving Incentives: Would You Move if a Community Paid You To?

Graphic design featuring a smiling woman surrounded by moving boxes

MakeMyMove is the ultimate moving incentive matchmaker

Created in partnership with MakeMyMove

The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic marked a pivotal moment for the entire world. It’s crucial to acknowledge the severe hardship and grief that the pandemic caused. It’s also important to recognize how it forced the world to adapt and reimagine how work could be done.


Workplaces that had never even considered allowing their employees to work from home were now forced to figure it out. Employees who hadn’t seriously thought about working freelance or starting their own businesses were now doing exactly that. Remote work unlocked a new level of freedom for millions of Americans and people around the world.

The ability for people to live in places that truly align with their lifestyles and preferences has given rise not only to the flexibility to experiment with living in different communities but also to the rise of the digital nomad.

In 2021, the number of digital nomads, those who don’t live in any one place full-time, grew by 42%. It’s estimated that 15.5 million Americans are living this lifestyle, and the growth is steadily increasing. In 2022, an estimated 16.9 million Americans went nomad, resulting in an increase of 131% since the pre-pandemic years.

It’s no wonder then that, with this level of flexibility, communities across the U.S. are competing to attract remote workers through incentives like money, vouchers, and working spaces.

Get Paid to Move: The Rise of Travel Incentives

Government incentives to attract new business to states and local communities are nothing new. Governments have been doling out tax dollars to corporations for decades. Because of the rise in remote work, governments have only recently started targeting incentive dollars toward individuals.

This makes total sense. After all, it’s people who make the world go round and keep the economy flush with activity. However, doing your own research to figure out what cities were offering incentives was time-consuming and difficult. Enter MakeMyMove, the first and only marketing platform designed to help communities recruit new residents.

By making the process as easy and straightforward as possible, MakeMyMove has helped thousands of remote workers find towns that align with their lifestyle preferences while also putting places that some might not have otherwise considered on their radars. Muncie, Indiana anyone?

Technology Harnessed

The purpose of MakeMyMove is twofold: to help communities harness the potential of remote workers and to help remote workers find their happy place. As remote work becomes even more available and popular than it already is, many Americans are looking to relocate to places that offer a better or different quality of life. A lot of people are realizing that when a 9 to 5 doesn’t tie you to a place, there’s no reason not to seek a community that’s better aligned with their preferences.

MakeMyMove makes that transition as easy as possible, helping both remote workers and communities in an easy, seamless way.

Most people agree that moving is one of the most stressful life events. Few people actually look forward to packing, coordinating, shipping (if needed), dealing with movers, begging friends for help, or bribing them with pizza and beer, and the list goes on. Even the nomad is faced with tough decisions.

MakeMyMove simplifies the decision to relocate because it removes some of the stress that comes from the risk of financial loss. The process for remote workers looking for their happy place is as straightforward as it gets. The first step is browsing the “Offers” and “Communities” tab on the website to check out all available options and incentives. People can also complete their profiles and receive notifications with the best options for them.

Once users find a community they’re interested in, they can either express interest by hitting the heart button or apply for relocation incentives if they’re sure that’s the option for them. This is a helpful step because it lets communities know the interests of potential new residents.

If users are selected by the relocation program they choose, they’re notified and receive instructions about the next steps. The only thing left to do after that is accept the offer, reserve a spot, and confirm their move with the MakeMyMove team, which provides assistance every step of the way. It’s all pretty easy peasy.

The Future Is in Your Hands

Tens of millions of people in the U.S. are now free to move wherever they want, empowered by remote work. This has led to the development of diverse, vibrant, and economically strong communities across the country. Why not try West Memphis or Bloomington? After all, life is short, and home is always where you make it.

hands holding up yellow protest signs that say Hands Off Our Bodies
Photo Credit: Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash

Originally published in Common Dreams. Reprinted with permission.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.

Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.

A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.

In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.

In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.

Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).

This Viral Video Game Is Changing the Face of Voter Outreach

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.