Democracy Alliance

Basic facts
Location:| Washington, D.C.
Affiliation:| Democratic
Top official:| Gara LaMarche, President
Founder(s):| Rob Stein
Year founded:| 2005
Website:| Official website

The Democracy Alliance (DA) is an invite-only network of progressive donors (known as partners), who pay annual dues and agree to give a set amount of money each year to DA-endorsed organizations.[1] DA spokeswoman Stephanie Mueller told Politico in 2014 that, "The Democracy Alliance was organized to provie a forum for people with a shared set of principles to coordinate their resources more efficiently and effectively to achieve their common goals."[2]

Following President Donald Trump's election in 2016, the DA added groups opposing the Trump administration and its congressional and state-level allies to its portfolio. The New York Times reported in October 2017 that the DA had "suspended its intensive vetting and approval process to recommend donations to a host of [anti-Trump] groups created since last fall's election."[3]

## Contents

* 1 Mission
* 2 History
* 3 Board members
* 4 Membership
* 5 Opposition to the Trump administration
* 6 DA-approved groups
* 6.1 2017
* 6.2 2015
* 6.2.1 Focus Issue Groups
* 6.2.2 National Partners & Cross-Issue Groups
* 6.2.3 Tools & Innovation
* 6.2.4 2020 State Funds
* 7 Other projects
* 7.1 Progressive Infrastructure Map
* 7.2 Secretary of State Project
* 8 Recent news
* 9 See also
* 10 External links
* 11 Footnotes

## Mission[edit]

As of February 2018, the DA's website offered the following summary of the group's mission:

“  |

We address the most pressing challenges of our day through investments in three connected areas: a just democracy, a fair economy and an environmentally sustainable future.[4][5]

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## History[edit]

George Soros, an investor and philanthropist, was one of the DA's first partners.

The Democracy Alliance was founded in 2005 by Democratic strategist Rob Stein, former chief of staff to Clinton administration Commerce Secretary Ron Brown. Stein traced the Republican Party's electoral successes in the early 2000s to a $300-million network of conservative donors and political groups.[6]

He proposed DA to Democratic donors, including George Soros and Tim Gill, as a liberal counterweight to the conservative network. According to The Washington Post, the inspiration for the group "was a belief that Democrats became the minority party in part because liberals do not have a well-funded network of policy shops, watchdog groups and training centers for activists equivalent to what has existed for years on the right."[1]

Stein told the Post in 2006 that, "It is not possible in the 21st century to promote a coherent belief system and maintain political influence without a robust, enduring local, state and national institutional infrastructure. Currently, the center-left is comparatively less strategic, coordinated and well financed than the conservative-right. These comparative disadvantages are debilitating."[1]

## Board members[edit]

As of February 2018, the website for the Democracy Alliance listed the following individuals as board members:[7]

* John Stocks, Chair
* Paul Egerman, Treasurer
* Weston Milliken, Secretary
* Farhad Ebrahimi
* David desJardins
* Sunita Leeds
* Keith Mestrich
* Shekar Narasimhan
* Fran Rodgers
* Susan Sandler
* Lee Saunders
* Joe Zimlich
* Rob Stein, Founder emeritus
* Gara LaMarche, President

## Membership[edit]

According to a list of membership benefits and participation options obtained by Politico in 2014, the yearly dues for DA partners that year were $30,000 for an individual and $60,000 for a family or institution. Individuals were expected to give $200,000 per year to DA-approved groups, and institutions and families were expected to give $1 million. The table below provides more information about the membership options and benefits available to DA partners as of 2014.[8]

Democracy Alliance membership options, 2014

Governing Partners  | Foundation Subscribers

* Benefits
* Attend semi-annual conferences
* Vote for and serve on the board of directors and advisory boards
* Nominate two organizations per year for inclusion on the Progressive Infrastructure Map
* Access a personal staff advisor and a partner- and subscriber-only website
* Fees:
* Annual dues
* Individual: $30,000
* Institution or family: $60,000
* Annual contributions
* Individual: $200,000
* Institution or family: $1,000,000

* Benefits
* Attend semi-annual conferences
* Receive investment recommendations, progress monitoring, and evaluation
* Access a personal staff advisor and a partner- and subscriber-only website
* Fees:
* Subscription: $20,000
* Conference registration: $5,000 per conference (for up to two attendees)

The DA does not publish the names of its partners, but a number of current and former members have been identified in media reports and leaked documents. The table below lists organizations and individuals who have been identified as current or former DA members.[1][3][6][9][10][11]

* Adam Abram, Insurance and real estate
* Fred Baron, Trial lawyer
* Anne Bartley, Heiress and step-daughter of Winthrop Rockefeller
* Patricia Bauman, Real estate investor and Bauman Foundation head
* Noel Beasley, Chairman of Amalgamated Bank and president of Workers United
* Paul Boskind, CEO of Deer Oaks Mental Health Associates and theatre producer
* Ann S. Bowers, Founding trustee of the Noyce Foundation and widow of Intel co-founder Robert Noyce
* Mark Buell and Susie Tompkins Buell, Businessman and co-founder of Esprit, respectively
* Marcy Carsey, Co-owner of independent studio Carsey-Werner Productions
* Larry Cohen, President of the Communications Workers of America
* Christopher Findlater, CEO of Cheyenne Exploration Co.
* David A. Friedman, Philanthropist
* Chris Gabrieli, Venture capitalist and 2002 Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
* Tim Gill, Software engineer and co-founder of Quark software
* Amy Goldman Fowler, Author, horticulturalist, and real estate heiress
* Jim Gollin, Fund manager
* Colin Greer, President of New World Foundation
* Mary Kay Henry, President of the Service Employees International Union
* Leah Hunt-Hendrix, Oil heiress
* Heeten Kalan, Senior program officer at New World Foundation
* George Kohl, Senior director of Communications Workers of America
* Peter B. Lewis, Former chairman and CEO of Progressive Insurance
* Rob McKay, Taco Bell heir
* Keith Mestrich, President of Amalgamated Bank
* Weston Milliken, Management consultant
* Philip Munger, New School professor and son of Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman Charles Munger
* Alan Patricof, Co-founder of the private equity firm Apax Partners
* Andrew Rappaport, Silicon Valley venture capitalist
* Rob Reiner, Actor and director
* Michelle Ringuette, Assistant to AFT president Randi Weingarten
* William J. Roberts, Executive at Atlantic Philanthropies
* Simon Rosenberg, Founder and president of New Democrat Network
* Paul Rudd, Owner of Adaptive Analytics LLC
* Cynthia Ryan, Activist and philanthropist
* Herbert M. Sandler, Co-founder and co-CEO of Golden West Financial Corporation and World Savings Bank
* Guy Saperstein (former partner), Trial lawyer
* Bernard L. Schwartz, Retired chief executive of Loral Space & Communications Inc.
* Rick Segal, CEO of Seavest, Inc.
* Service Employees International Union, Labor union
* Bren Simon, Real estate developer
* Ryan Smith, Unknown
* George Soros, Currency speculator and business magnate
* Jonathan Soros, Hedge fund manager, philanthropist, and son of George Soros
* Rob Stein, Former chief of staff for Clinton Commerce Secretary Ron Brown
* Tom Steyer, Hedge fund manager and environmentalist
* John Stocks, DA board chair and executive director of the National Education Association
* Stephen Susman, Trial lawyer
* Donald Sussman, Financier
* Emily Sussman, Lawyer and daughter of Donald Sussman
* Ted Trimpa, Lawyer and former tobacco lobbyist
* Henry van Ameringen, Founder of the H. van Ameringen Foundation and son of International Flavors & Fragrances founder Arnold Louis van Ameringen
* Randi Weingarten, President of American Federation of Teachers
* Dirk Wiggins, Founder of Code for Progress and former outreach director for the Florida Democratic Party
* Albert C. Yates, Former president of Colorado State University

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## Opposition to the Trump administration[edit]

See also: Opposition to the Trump administration

* From November 13 to 16, 2016, the DA hosted a meeting of donors, partners, and supporters to discuss the 2016 election and develop strategies for future coalition building and elections.[12] During the meeting, DA members outlined their intent to oppose Trump's policy initiatives through local- and state-level intersectional organizing. According to the conference agenda, DA members discussed "what it means to use an 'intersectional' approach for active resistance. ... Our investment in the states and marginalized communities is now more crucial than ever to hold conservatives accountable, keep the progressive community united, and bring the working class together again."[13]
* At the DA's national donor summit in March 2017, DA President Gara LaMarche remarked on the organization's approach to opposing the Trump policy agenda, saying that resisting the Trump administration was about "the essential character of our country." LaMarche added:[14]

“  | We must take the fight to the states, and put our dollars where they are most needed. To paint the future in places where we have some power, like Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, and California, so that when we win back power in other places there is a roadmap for a better America. To keep and expand our gains in Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Mexico and North Carolina. To take back Ohio and Michigan and Florida and Wisconsin. To keep our eyes on the prizes of Arizona, Georgia and my beloved Texas, and down the line, southern states with now un-registered Black and Immigrant voters, and prairie and western states where proud progressive populist traditions can be reawakened.[5] | ”

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* The DA held a fall investment conference from November 15 to 18, 2017. The conference agenda included sessions on the "Next Fights of the Resistance and the 2018 Midterms," "Aligning New and Traditional Resistance Energy to Win," and "Moving Beyond #Resistance-Learning from the Past, Mobilizing for the Future."[15]

## DA-approved groups[edit]

### 2017[edit]

Following President Donald Trump's election in 2016, the DA shifted its emphasis to groups opposing the Trump administration and its allies. It distributed an updated list of approved groups, referred to as the "Resistance Map" and including both previous DA grantees and new anti-Trump groups, to DA partners in July 2017.[3] Click "show" on the box below to view the full list of groups included on the Resistance Map, the categories into which they were grouped, and the DA issue areas on which they worked, as presented in a document obtained by The New York Times.[16]

Resistance Map groups, 2017

Category  | Group  | Issue
Organizing/Advocacy
Center for Community Change | Multi-Issue
Center for Popular Democracy | Multi-Issue
Color of Change | Multi-Issue
Coworker.org | Multi-Issue
Faith in Public Life | Multi-Issue
Health Care for America Now | Equitable and Just Nation
Mijente | Equitable and Just Nation
Millions of Jobs | Inclusive Economy
MoveOn.Org | Multi-Issue
National Domestic Workers Alliance | Multi-Issue
Organizing for Action | Multi-Issue
People's Action | Multi-Issue
People's Defense | Multi-Issue
PICO National Network | Multi-Issue
Planned Parenthood | Equitable and Just Nation
#RESIST | Multi-Issue
SafetyNet Defense Fund | Equitable and Just Nation
United We Dream | Equitable and Just Nation
Working America | Multi-Issue
Working Families | Multi-Issue
Litigation/Advocacy
ACLU | Multi-Issue
Advancement Project | Fair Democracy
Brennan Center for Justice | Fair Democracy
Demos | Fair Democracy
National Immigration Law Center | Equitable and Just Nation
Rapid Response
Emergent Fund | Multi-Issue
Women Effect Fund | Equitable and Just Nation
Corporate and Government Ethics
American Oversight | Fair Democracy
Backers of Hate | Fair Democracy
CREW | Fair Democracy
Map the Power | Fair Democracy
Swamp Watch | Fair Democracy
United to Protect Democracy | Fair Democracy
Advocacy
Americans for Financial Reform | Inclusive Economy
Center for American Progress | Fair Democracy
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities | Multi-Issue
National Employment Law Project | Inclusive Economy
Electoralizing the Groundswell
America Votes | \-
Catalist | \-
Flippable | \-
#KnockEveryDoor | \-
The Resistance Calendar | Multi-Issue
Resistance Summer | \-
Sister District | \-
Swing Left | \-
Political Bundling
GiveGreen | Safe and Sustainable Planet
Pressuring Elected Officials
Daily Action | Multi-Issue
Daily Grab Back | Multi-Issue
5Calls.org | Multi-Issue
Indivisible | Multi-Issue
People Power | Multi-Issue
#ReadyToResist | Multi-Issue
#ResistTrumpTuesdays | Multi-Issue
Stand Up America | Multi-Issue
TownHall Project | Multi-Issue
Wall of Us | Multi-Issue
Messaging/Media Monitoring
Media Matters for America | Multi-Issue
Priorities USA | Multi-Issue
Progress Now | Multi-Issue
Protecting Direct Democracy
Ballot Initiative Strategy Center | Fair Democracy
Backend Services
Action Network | \-
Amplify | \-
Innovation & Accelerators
Higher Ground Labs | \-
New Left Accelerator | \-
New Media Ventures | Multi-Issue
Mass Mobilization
March for Science | Safe and Sustainable Planet
People's Climate March | Safe and Sustainable Planet
Women's March DC | Multi-Issue
Storytelling
Pantsuit Nation | Multi-Issue
PushBlack | Multi-Issue
Volunteer Matching
Prolog | \-

### 2015[edit]

"A 2020 Vision for the Democracy Alliance: Funding Recommendations," a document obtained by Politico in 2015, outlined the DA's goals for the following five years, including an annual partner spending goal of $30-50 million. It also listed the 39 approved groups in the DA's core portfolio. The groups were divided into four categories:[17]

* Focus Issue Groups, such as Americans for Financial Reform and LeadingGreen, work on a specific issue area;
* Cross-Issue and National Partner Organizations work across multiple issue areas and coordinate policy and electoral activities across the country;
* Innovation and Tools groups, such as the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center and the electoral data firm Catalist, work on political strategy and technical innovation;
* The 2020 State Funds, specialized nonprofit organizations spearheaded by the DA, prioritize policy and electoral strategy at the state level.

The following sections list the groups in the core portfolio by category. Click "show" on the box in each section to see a full list of the organizations in each category.

#### Focus Issue Groups[edit]

Organization  | About

|

Advancement Project | "Advancement Project is a next generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, we exist to fulfill America's promise of a caring, inclusive and just democracy. We use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high impact policy change."[18]
American Constitution Society | "The American Constitution Society (ACS) believes that law should be a force to improve the lives of all people. ACS works for positive change by shaping debate on vitally important legal and constitutional issues through development and promotion of high-impact ideas to opinion leaders and the media; by building networks of lawyers, law students, judges and policymakers dedicated to those ideas; and by countering the activist conservative legal movement that has sought to erode our enduring constitutional values. By bringing together powerful, relevant ideas and passionate, talented people, ACS makes a difference in the constitutional, legal and public policy debates that shape our democracy."[19]
Americans for Financial Reform | "Americans for Financial Reform is a nonpartisan and nonprofit coalition of more than 200 civil rights, consumer, labor, business, investor, faith-based, and civic and community groups. Formed in the wake of the 2008 crisis, we are working to lay the foundation for a strong, stable, and ethical financial system – one that serves the economy and the nation as a whole. AFR has been called "the leading voice for Wall Street accountability" in Washington (by Zach Carter of the Huffington Post)."[20]
Brennan Center for Justice | "The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that seeks to improve our systems of democracy and justice. We work to hold our political institutions and laws accountable to the twin American ideals of democracy and equal justice for all. The Center’s work ranges from voting rights to campaign finance reform, from ending mass incarceration to preserving Constitutional protection in the fight against terrorism. Part think tank, part advocacy group, part cutting-edge communications hub, we start with rigorous research. We craft innovative policies. And we fight for them - in Congress and the states, the courts, and in the court of public opinion."[21]
Constitutional Accountability Center | "Constitutional Accountability Center (CAC) is a think tank, law firm, and action center dedicated to fulfilling the progressive promise of our Constitution’s text and history. We work in our courts, through our government, and with legal scholars to preserve the rights and freedoms of all Americans and to protect our judiciary from politics and special interests. CAC launched on June 3, 2008."[22]
Economic Policy Institute | "The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank created in 1986 to include the needs of low- and middle-income workers in economic policy discussions. EPI believes every working person deserves a good job with fair pay, affordable health care, and retirement security. To achieve this goal, EPI conducts research and analysis on the economic status of working America. EPI proposes public policies that protect and improve the economic conditions of low- and middle-income workers and assesses policies with respect to how they affect those workers."[23]
LeadingGreen | "The threat of global climate change has never been more obvious, or more urgent. Life as we know it hangs in the balance and time is running out. But the debate has stalled in Washington. Well-funded forces of inaction have their thumbs on the scales: big oil and coal companies lobby, billionaires build fake grassroots, and Tea Party extremists deny, deny, deny. The world needs a mighty lever that can counter the extremists, change the debate, and create effective champions for real, sustained progress. LeadingGreen is the powerful new alliance that unites top influencers in the environmental community to boost their engagement and their leverage on climate priorities. Founded by two of the most formidable groups in Washington, LeadingGreen combines the political savvy of League of Conservation Voters with the policymaking prowess of the National Resources Defense Council Action Fund."[24]
National Employment Law Project | "For more than 45 years, NELP has sought to ensure that America upholds for all workers her promise of opportunity and economic security through work. NELP fights for policies to create good jobs, expand access to work, and strengthen protections and support for low-wage workers and the unemployed. We publish research that illuminates workers’ issues; promote policies that improve workers’ lives; lend deep legal and policy expertise to important cases and campaigns; and partner with allies to advance crucial reforms."[25]
Progressive Majority | "Progressive Majority's mission is to elect progressive champions. We accomplish this by identifying and recruiting the best progressive leaders to run for office; coaching and supporting their candidacies by providing strategic message, campaign, and technical support; prioritizing the recruitment and election of candidates of color; and bringing new people into the political process at all levels."[26]
Roosevelt Institute | "The Roosevelt Institute is a nonprofit organization devoted to carrying forward the legacy and values of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt by developing progressive ideas and bold leadership in the service of restoring America’s promise of opportunity for all."[27]
Victory 2021 | "Issue One helped lead investment in and development of the first-ever multi-year battle plan that maps out precisely where (and how) we can prevail in the coming years. The "Victory 2021" plan provides focus for a diverse coalition and gives marching orders to those working toward reform. Additionally, the plan provides an opportunity for donors to gain access to information about the good work being done within the money-in-politics reform community, where organizations and leaders are collaborating and aligning their activities, and where investments are needed, all directed towards efforts that will build momentum toward ultimate success."[28]

#### National Partners & Cross-Issue Groups[edit]

Organization  | About

|

America Votes | "America Votes serves as the central coordination hub of the progressive community both nationally and in states across the country. Working with over 400 state and national partner organizations, as well as a robust range of data and targeting tools, America Votes leads collaborative efforts to advance progressive policies, expand access to the ballot, coordinate issue advocacy and election campaigns, and protect every American's right to vote."[29]
Center for American Progress | "The Center for American Progress is an independent nonpartisan policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans, through bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action. Our aim is not just to change the conversation, but to change the country."[30]
Center for Community Change | "Only social movements can create social change. That’s why, Center for Community Change, and its sister, Center for Community Change Action, work to build social movements. The Center’s mission is to build the power and capacity of low-income people, especially low-income people of color, to change their communities and public policies for the better. Right now, we’re empowering the people most affected by injustice to lead movements to improve the policies that affect their lives. Our focus areas include jobs and wages, immigration, retirement security, affordable housing, racial justice and barriers to employment for formerly incarcerated individuals."[31]
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities | "We are a nonpartisan research and policy institute. We pursue federal and state policies designed both to reduce poverty and inequality and to restore fiscal responsibility in equitable and effective ways. We apply our deep expertise in budget and tax issues and in programs and policies that help low-income people, in order to help inform debates and achieve better policy outcomes."[32]
Center for Popular Democracy | "The Center for Popular Democracy works to create equity, opportunity and a dynamic democracy in partnership with high-impact base-building organizations, organizing alliances, and progressive unions. CPD strengthens our collective capacity to envision and win an innovative pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial and economic justice agenda."[33]
Color of Change | "ColorOfChange.org exists to strengthen Black America's political voice. Our goal is to empower our members - Black Americans and our allies - to make government more responsive to the concerns of Black Americans and to bring about positive political and social change for everyone. Using the Internet, we enable our members to speak in unison, with an amplified political voice. We keep them informed about the most pressing issues for Black people in America and give them ways to act. We lobby elected representatives using email, the telephone, and face-to-face meetings."[34]
Demos | "Demos is a public policy organization working for an America where we all have an equal say in our democracy and an equal chance in our economy. Our name means “the people.” It is the root word of democracy, and it reminds us that in America, the true source of our greatness is the diversity of our people. Our nation’s highest challenge is to create a democracy that truly empowers people of all backgrounds, so that we all have a say in setting the policies that shape opportunity and provide for our common future. To help America meet that challenge, Demos is working to reduce both political and economic inequality, deploying original research, advocacy, litigation, and strategic communications to create the America the people deserve."[35]
Media Matters for America | "Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media. Launched in May 2004, Media Matters for America put in place, for the first time, the means to systematically monitor a cross section of print, broadcast, cable, radio, and Internet media outlets for conservative misinformation - news or commentary that is not accurate, reliable, or credible and that forwards the conservative agenda - every day, in real time."[36]
National People's Action | "National People's Action (NPA) is a network of grassroots organizations with a fierce reputation for direct action from across the country that work to advance a national economic and racial justice agenda. NPA has over 200 organizers working to unite everyday people in cities, towns, and rural communities throughout the United States through direct-action, house meetings and community organizing."[37]
New Organizing Institute | "NOI is the nationwide leader in data and digital trainings for progressive campaigners and organizers. No one else does what we do. NOI was founded on the belief that well-trained organizers who can harness new technology and information can change the way we organize and win campaigns. While this seems like an obvious conclusion today, this concept was groundbreaking when we started back in 2005, and has changed politics forever. In 2014, NOI trained 2,778 organizers in nine states and the District of Columbia, with 76 trainees graduating from our signature Data and Digital BootCamp programs."[38]
Organizing for Action | "Organizing for Action is a movement of millions of Americans, coming together to fight for real, lasting change. With more than 250 local chapters around the country, OFA volunteers are building this organization from the ground up, community by community, one conversation at a time - whether that’s on a front porch or on Facebook. We're committed to finding and training the next generation of great progressive organizers, because at the end of the day, we aren't the first to fight for progressive change, and we won’t be the last."[39]
PICO | "PICO is a national network of faith-based community organizations working to create innovative solutions to problems facing urban, suburban and rural communities. Since 1972 PICO has successfully worked to increase access to health care, improve public schools, make neighborhoods safer, build affordable housing, redevelop communities and revitalize democracy."[40]
ProgressNow | "Since 2003, ProgressNow has been developing our network of state partner organizations to fill a unique and critical role in the progressive infrastructure of key states. ProgressNow State Partners serve as non-stop, multi-issue advocacy organizations. Year-round, we promote progressive ideas and causes with creative earned media strategies, targeted email campaigns, and cutting-edge new media. Working with our allies, we have significantly improved the communications effort of the entire progressive community in our states. Today, we've built an email list that exceeds 4 million people. We've generated thousands of news stories in local, state, and national press. And we've pushed the use of social technologies and new media, not only through our own organizations, but in partnership with our allies."[41]
State Voices | "State Voices champions democracy because we believe America will thrive when all citizens can and do participate equally. We envision a country where 100% of eligible voters successfully cast a ballot on Election Day, and where every person exercises their power to impact the decisions that shape our nation. By doing so, decisions will be made that benefit all, not just some, Americans. The State Voices network supports creative ways to mobilize and empower people across the country so their voices are heard and their participation assured in the public sphere, particularly those who make up the emerging majority. We call this "civic engagement" – actively engaging Americans in the decision and policy-making processes that impact their lives, their communities, their states and their country."[42]
Working America | "Together, and in solidarity with working people across the country, we fight for our common interests - good jobs, affordable health care, education, retirement security, corporate accountability and real democracy. We want to ensure our kids have a quality education, our grandparents don’t have to decide between paying for their monthly medication or paying for food and that we will have a secure retirement when our working days have ended. Since 2003, we’ve been organizing in neighborhoods across the country. We talk with our friends and neighbors to learn their needs and priorities and get them engaged on the issues that matter most. And we provide tools, research, information and assistance that can help make working people’s lives better."[43]
Working Families Party/Organization | "Working Families is a growing progressive political organization that fights for an economy that works for all of us, and a democracy in which every voice matters. We believe that our children’s life chances must not be determined at birth, and that America must be a nation that allows all its people to thrive."[44]

#### Tools & Innovation[edit]

Organization  | About

|

Ballot Initiative Strategy Center | "Ballot-measure campaigns affect everything progressives fight for. Yet, for forty years, well-funded regressive and corporate interests have dominated ballot measures to the detriment of working families, public education, women, the LGBT community, communities of color, immigrants and the poor. The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center is changing that. BISC strengthens democracy by building a national progressive strategy for ballot measures. In ten years, BISC envisions a future where progressives change the game and use ballot measures as a political and civic engagement tool for victory."[45]
Catalist | "We provide progressive organizations with the data and services needed to better identify, understand, and communicate with the people they need to persuade and mobilize."[46]
Citizen Engagement Laboratory | "CEL was created in 2008 by Ian Inaba, James Rucker, and Daniel Souweine as a home for social entrepreneurs like themselves and a launching pad for new ideas and people powered projects that seek to change the world by leveraging the power of the internet. Since then, CEL has worked with dozens of startups, entrepreneurs, and philanthropic partners to expand the impact and reach of people powered change."[47]
New Media Ventures | "We are the first national network of angel investors supporting media and tech startups that disrupt politics and catalyze progressive change. We look for scalable, revenue-generating, tech startups that create long-term political impact beyond any one election cycle."[48]
Committee on States | "COS is a national organization that works to create, nurture, and sustain a community of state-based progressive funders and institutional partners throughout the country. COS is focused on creating successful state-based political networks to advance progressive causes and produce lasting change within individual states."[49]
State Innovation Exchange | "Elected officials and staff across the country are writing legislation that will shape our future. At SiX, we provide trusted, expert resources to inform and enhance that work. Together, we're building the legislative wing of the progressive movement. SiX aims to encourage cross-pollination among states, providing a platform for the best ideas to spread and grow. We're an ally in tough fights, and we provide cover in places where our resources make the biggest impact. With a SiX account, users can access a legislative library, follow the activity of key legislators, and track issues as they evolve in each of the states. It's an unprecedented set of tools designed to ensure the best thinking on current issues is used to advance progressive legislation in all 50 states."[50]
Wellstone Action | "We believe that politics shouldn't be about money and power games - it should be about the improvement of people's lives. That's the kind of politics Paul Wellstone embodied: one where we all do better when we all do better. And with a radical, resurgent conservative movement on the rise, it's the kind of politics we need now more than ever. We believe that electoral politics, public policy, and grassroots organizing can be woven together to create progressive change. We call it the Wellstone Triangle, and it anchors everything we do. We believe that to set this triangle in motion, and sustain change over the long haul, we need to develop a critical mass of diverse leaders with the motivation and expertise to win back our values. So that’s what we do."[51]

#### 2020 State Funds[edit]

Organization  | About[49]

|

Climate Change Fund | To expand public engagement to enact state and national climate policies. Affiliated 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations directed by Kathryn Greenberg.
Democracy Fund | To make voting easier and defend the right to vote. Affiliated 501(c)(3) and (c)(4) organizations directed by Julie Kohler.
Inclusive Economy Fund | To support campaigns that change the public's sense of what is possible in policy and politics. Affiliated 501(c)(3) and (c)(4) organizations directed by Zoe Hudson.
New America Majority Fund | To build political power and organizational capacity. Affiliated 501(c)(3) and (c)(4) organizations directed by Eduardo Morales.
State Engagement Initiative | To support state based electoral strategy. A 501(c)(4) organization directed by Frank Smith.

## Other projects[edit]

### Progressive Infrastructure Map[edit]

As of 2014, DA partners could nominate two organizations each year for inclusion on the DA's Progressive Infrastructure Map. According to a confidential investment portfolio issued to partners in the spring of 2014, the Progressive Infrastructure Map included the following 172 organizations:[52]

Click to view all 172 groups

|  |  |

* 350.org
* Advancement Project
* The Agenda Project
* Alliance for Justice
* AlterNet
* America Votes
* American Bridge 21st Century
* American Constitution Society
* American Independent News Network
* American Sustainable Business Council
* Americans for Responsible Solutions
* Americans United for Change
* Analyst Institute
* The Atlas Project
* Auburn Seminary
* Ballot Initiative Strategy Center
* Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice
* Black Civic Engagement Fund
* BlueGreen Alliance
* Brave New Films
* Brennan Center for Justice
* The Bus Federation
* Campaign for America's Future
* Catalist
* Catholics United
* Center for American Progress
* Center for Community Change
* Center for Economic and Policy Research
* Center for Media and Democracy
* Center for Political Accountability
* Center for Popular Democracy
* Center for Responsible Lending
* Center for Social Inclusion
* Center for Story-based Strategy
* Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
* Citizen Engagement Laboratory
* Climate Reality Project
* Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
* Code for Progress
* Color of Change

* Common Cause
* Common Purpose Project
* Constitutional Accountability Center
* Corporate Action Network
* Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
* Democracy for America
* Democracy Initiative
* Democracy Now
* Democracy: A Journal of Ideas
* Demos
* Drug Policy Alliance
* Economic Innovation Institute
* Economic Policy Institute
* Emerge America
* EMILY's List
* Energy Action Coalition
* Enroll America
* Environment America
* Fair Elections Legal Network
* Fair Share Alliance
* Faith in Public Life
* The Foundation for the Future
* Free Press
* Free Speech for People
* Free Speech TV
* Freedom to Marry
* Friends of Democracy
* Fund for the Republic
* Gamaliel Foundation
* Gamechanger Networks
* Generational Alliance
* GetEQUAL
* Green Corps
* Green For All
* Head Count Inc.
* Hip Hop Caucus
* House Majority PAC
* Human Rights Campaign
* I Vote
* Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights
* Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy
* J Street
* Justice at Stake
* Know Your Care
* Latino Engagement Fund
* Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
* Leadership Center for the Common Good

* Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
* League of Conservation Voters
* League of Young Voters
* Main Street Alliance
* Majority PAC
* The Management Center
* MapLight
* Mayors Against Illegal Guns
* The Media Consortium
* Media Matters for America
* Mi Familia Vota
* Midwest Academy
* MomsRising
* Mother Jones
* Movement Advancement Project
* NAACP
* NARAL Pro-Choice America
* The Nation
* National Council of La Raza
* National Democratic Redistricting Trust
* National Domestic Workers Alliance
* National Employment Law Project
* The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
* National Immigration Forum
* National People's Action
* National Popular Vote
* National Security Network
* New America Media
* New American Leaders Project
* New Leaders Council
* New Media Ventures
* New Organizing Institute
* NextGen Climate Action
* NRDC
* The Opportunity Agenda
* Organizing for Action
* People for the American Way
* PICO National Network
* Planned Parenthood
* Priorities USA Action
* Progressive Campaign Change Committee
* Progressive Congress
* Progressive Majority
* Progressive States Network
* ProgressNow
* Project New America

* Project Vote
* Public Campaign
* Public Citizen
* Race Forward
* Rainforest Action Network
* Rebuild the Dream
* ROC United
* Rock the Vote
* Roosevelt Institute
* Scholars Strategy Network
* Sierra Club
* Small Business Majority
* Sojourners
* Southern Poverty Law Center
* Southern Progress Fund
* State Engagement Initiatives
* State Voices
* Student PIRGs
* Sunlight Foundation
* The Texas Future Project
* Third Way
* Truman National Security Project
* UltraViolet
* United for a Fair Economy
* United Republic
* U.S. PIRG
* USAction
* Voices for Progress
* Voter Participation Center
* VoteVets.org
* Voto Latino
* Washington Monthly
* Wellstone Action
* Women's Equality Center
* Working America
* Young Democrats of America
* Young Invincibles
* Youth Engagement Fund
* YP4 and YEO Network

### Secretary of State Project[edit]

See also: Secretary of State Project

The Secretary of State Project was launched in 2006 to support Democratic candidates for secretary of state. Its formation was motivated by what its founders viewed as partisan activity by Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris (R) in 2000 and Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell (R) in 2004. "We were tired of Republican manipulation of elections," said cofounder Michael Kieschnick. "It seemed like lots of decisions were made by people who were pretty clearly political operatives."[53]

During a panel discussion at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, DA announced that it had approved the Secretary of State Project as a grantee.[54]

The table below presents election results for candidates backed by the project in 2006 and 2008.

Secretary of State Project candidates, 2006 and 2008

State  | Election Year  | Candidate  | Margin of Victory
Iowa | 2006  | Michael Mauro | 7.4%
Minnesota | 2006  | Mark Ritchie | 4.9%
Nevada | 2006  | Ross Miller | 8.1%
New Mexico | 2006  | Mary Herrera | 8.4%
Ohio | 2006  | Jennifer Brunner | 14.6%
Colorado | 2006  | Ken Gordon | (defeated)
Michigan | 2006  | Carmella Sabaugh | -14.2% (defeated)
Missouri | 2008  | Robin Carnahan | 26.2%
Montana | 2008  | Linda McCulloch | 1.1%
Oregon | 2008  | Kate Brown | 5.2%
West Virginia | 2008  | Natalie Tennant | 30%

## Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Democracy Alliance Partners. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Democracy Alliance - Google News

## See also[edit]

Individual partners:

* Chad Griffin
* Peter B. Lewis
* Jared Polis
* Rob Reiner
* Herbert M. Sandler
* George Soros
* Tom Steyer
* Patricia A. Stryker

Institutional partners:

* AFL-CIO
* American Federation of Teachers
* SEIU

Projects funded:

* Brennan Center for Justice
* Catalist
* Center for American Progress
* Committee on States
* Demos
* Media Matters for America
* Organizing for Action
* Secretary of State Project

|
|

## External links[edit]

* Democracy Alliance website
* Documents:
* DA Membership Benefits and Participation Options
* Spring 2014 Investment Recommendations
* 2020 Vision Investment Portfolio - Overview
* 2020 Vision Investment Portfolio - Organization profiles

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Washington Post, "A new alliance of Democrats spreads funding," July 17, 2006
2. ↑ Politico, "Inside the vast liberal conspiracy," June 23, 2014
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The New York Times, "The 'Resistance,' raising big money, upends liberal politics," October 7, 2017
4. ↑ Democracy Alliance, "About the DA," accessed February 9, 2018
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Human Events, "New liberal alliance hopes to replicate conservatives' success," August 26, 2005
7. ↑ Democracy Alliance, "Board of Directors," accessed February 9, 2018
8. ↑ Democracy Alliance, "Membership benefits and participation options," April 2014
9. ↑ Washington Free Beacon, "Democracy Alliance new members list," accessed February 9, 2018
10. ↑ Politico, "The left's secret club," April 24, 2014
11. ↑ The New York Times, "Liberal donors looking 6 years ahead," November 13, 2014
12. ↑ Politico, "Soros bands with donors to resist Trump, 'take back power,'" November 14, 2016
13. ↑ Politico, "Democracy Alliance 2016 Investment Conference agenda," accessed November 18, 2016
14. ↑ Democracy Alliance, "Democracy in the Balance: A Time to Resist and Restore," March 25, 2017
15. ↑ Democracy Alliance, "Fall Investment Conference agenda," accessed January 5, 2018
16. ↑ The New York Times, "Here's the Democracy Alliance's 'Resistance Map,'" October 7, 2017
17. ↑ Democracy Alliance, "A 2020 vision for the Democracy Alliance: Funding recommendations," accessed February 10, 2018
18. ↑ Advancement Project, "Official website," accessed July 15, 2015
19. ↑ American Constitution Society, "About ACS," accessed July 15, 2015
20. ↑ Americans for Financial Reform, "About AFR," accessed July 15, 2015
21. ↑ Brennan Center for Justice, "Our Mission," accessed July 15, 2015
22. ↑ Constitutional Accountability Center, "About," accessed July 16, 2015
23. ↑ Economic Policy Institute, "About," accessed July 16, 2015
24. ↑ NRDC Action Fund, "Leading Green," accessed July 16, 2015
25. ↑ National Employment Law Project, "About NELP," accessed July 16, 2015
26. ↑ Progressive Majority, "Official website," accessed July 16, 2015
27. ↑ Roosevelt Institute, "About the Institute," accessed July 16, 2015
28. ↑ Issue One, "Victory 2021," accessed July 16, 2015
29. ↑ America Votes, "About," accessed July 15, 2015
30. ↑ Center for American Progress, "About the Center for American Progress," accessed July 15, 2015
31. ↑ Center for Community Change, "Mission," accessed July 15, 2015
32. ↑ Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "About the Center," accessed July 15, 2015
33. ↑ Center for Popular Democracy, "Mission," accessed July 16, 2015
34. ↑ Color of Change, "What Is ColorOfChange.org?" accessed July 16, 2015
35. ↑ Demos, "About Demos," accessed July 16, 2015
36. ↑ Media Matters for America, "About Us," accessed July 16, 2015
37. ↑ National People's Action, "About Us," accessed July 16, 2015
38. ↑ New Organizing Institute, "What We Do," accessed July 16, 2015
39. ↑ Organizing for Action, "About OFA," accessed July 16, 2015
40. ↑ PICO National Network, "Our Mission," accessed July 16, 2015
41. ↑ ProgressNow, "About," accessed July 16, 2015
42. ↑ State Voices, "About Us," accessed July 16, 2015
43. ↑ Working America, "About Working America," accessed July 16, 2015
44. ↑ Working Families, "About Us," accessed July 16, 2015
45. ↑ Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, "Why We're Here," accessed July 16, 2015
46. ↑ Catalist, "Official website," accessed July 16, 2015
47. ↑ Citizen Engagement Laboratory, "About," accessed July 16, 2015
48. ↑ New Media Ventures, "Who We Are/Portfolio," accessed July 16, 2015
49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 Democracy Alliance, "2020 Vision Investment Portfolio," uploaded April, 2015
50. ↑ State Innovation Exchange, "About the State Innovation Exchange," accessed July 16, 2015
51. ↑ Wellstone, "We Believe," accessed July 16, 2015
52. ↑ Democracy Alliance, "Spring 2014: Democracy Alliance investment recommendations," Spring 2014
53. ↑ Politico, "Secretaries of state give Dem firewall," November 2, 2008
54. ↑ The American Spectator, "Soros eyes secretaries," December 4, 2009

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Democracy Alliance

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Advancement Project • America Votes • American Constitution Society • Americans for Financial Reform • Brennan Center for Justice • Catalist • Center for American Progress • Center for Community Change • Center for Popular Democracy • Center on Budget and Policy Priorities • Citizen Engagement Laboratory • ColorOfChange.org • Committee on States • Constitutional Accountability Center • Demos • Economic Policy Institute • Media Matters for America • National Employment Law Project • National People's Action • New Media Ventures • New Organizing Institute • Organizing for Action • PICO National Network • Progress Now • Progressive Majority • Roosevelt Institute • State Innovation Exchange • State Voices • Wellstone Action • Working America • Working Families Party

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