Democracy Alliance Funding Reccommendations

A 2020 VISION FOR THE DEMOCRACY
ALLIANCE: FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS

Late last year, following wide engagement with the Partnership and with other leaders in the progressive
community, we adopted a 2020 Vision for the Democracy Alliance (DA). We now accompany that vision
with funding recommendations that can guide DA Partners and, we hope, other donors in making investments that will build an enduring progressive future.
We have a daunting responsibility. The last three election cycles have cemented conservative gains at the
state level that threaten economic opportunity and environmental safety, restrict democracy, and roll back
human rights. The Rights sustained assault on labor has diminished resources for the progressive movement
and thrust a key ally into a fight for survival. In this challenging climate, it is even more urgent that we work
together to identify a common strategy and coordinate our giving. The recommendations below reflect the
best thinking of the DA leadership on how to implement the framework outlined in the 2020 Vision plan.
The 2020 Vision portfolio is not primarily about which groups are on or off a list. It is about what we need
to do to win, and keep winning. The DA is an informed and engaged body of donors, each of whom will
always have giving preferences. But we also recognize that collaborative funds, in which a number of donors
come together to aggregate resources for focused work, can be an important tool in aligning organizations around geographic and issue-based strategies. In this portfolio, we give options to do give directly to
organizations and through funds.
Although the overall number of organizations recommended for DA support would stay about the same, we
recommend a small number of initiatives within the larger portfolio for special focus in the next two years.
These recommendations are designed to accrue progressive power in states by building infrastructure,
engaging progressive constituencies in key economic and climate campaigns and in efforts to protect and
expand democracy, win elections, and advance public policy.
This recommended investment strategy does not constitute a radical departure from the past indeed,
continuity is desirable, since the DAs investments of the past ten years have yielded great gains. But it does
shift and deepen our approach to recognize the heightened political salience of states, and the motivating
power of issues, especially regarding New American Majority voters.
The areas of emphasis the DA has chosen are interconnected. The proposed funding recommendations
include four kinds of organizations/efforts:

2020 State Funds Building on DAs long-standing investment in civic engagement of communities
of color, the 2020 Funds will prioritize investments in a select number of states to advance policy and
electoral victories concerning democracy, the economy, climate change, and in building the capacity of
New American Majority leaders and groups.
Cross-Issue and National Partner Organizations - Bolstering policy and communications work that links
issues and provides intellectual grounding for progressive positions; investing in the key national partners
with strong local affiliates in order to move seamlessly between electoral and policy activity.
Innovation and Tools - Helping to support programmatic and technical innovation, through early stage
financing and incubation; ensuring that the entire movement has access to specialized data and expertise
that strengthen our work.
Focus Issue Groups - Those whose work is critical in a one of the DAs areas of focus.
Private and confidential to Democracy Alliance.
2020 VISION INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO FOR THE DEMOCRACY ALLIANCE
Although the overall political landscape is daunting, states also offer tremendous possibility for progressive
power-building. As an alliance of donors across the country, the DA is uniquely positioned to nationalize
both conversation and action in the states. To achieve this goal, we propose an aligned set of collaborative
funds (economy, democracy, climate, State Engagement Initiative, and New American Majority) that aim
to advance progressive policy and electoral victories, shape political representation, and support the
mobilization of key progressive constituencies.
The funds will focus their work over the next two years in a common set of states that includes:
Challenge states that are essential to restoring progressive power both at the state and federal level;

Growth states that are trending a more progressive direction over time but currently out of reach; and
Governing states with progressive majorities that can be utilized to pass policies that can help large
numbers of people and serve as a model for other states or a progressive federal administration.
In recent years, the DA community has been able to marshal approximately $30 million a year for the organizations in our core portfolio. We need to sustain that and build on it. Raising an additional $20 million in the
next year, for example, would strengthen existing 2020 Funds on state electoral work and the New American
Majority and launch the economy, democracy, and climate funds; help national, state-focused efforts like SIX,
BISC and the Committee on States meet their growth goals; and give a significant boost to the funding of
the Victory 2021 plan on money in politics.
2020 VISION INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO

2020 STATE FUNDS
State Engagement Initiative
Economy
Climate
Democracy (Voting Rights)
New American Majority
NATIONAL PARTNERS
AND CROSS-ISSUE
ORGANIZATIONS
America Votes
Center for American
Progress
Center for Community
Change
TOOLS & INNOVATION

ORGANIZATIONS
Center on Budget and

Policy Priorities
Ballot Initiative Strategy

Center
Center on Popular
Democracy
Catalist
Color of Change
Citizen Engagement Lab
Demos
New Media Ventures
Media Matters for America
Committee on States
State Capacity Initiative
National Peoples Action
State Innovation Exchange

(SIX)
Organizing for Action
Wellstone Action
New Organizing Institute
PICO
ProgressNow
State Voices
Working America
Working Families Party/
Organization
Private and confidential to Democracy Alliance.
FOCUS ISSUE
ORGANIZATIONS
Advancement Project
American Constitution Society
Americans for Financial Reform
Brennan Center for Justice
Constitutional
Accountability Center
Economic Policy Institute
LeadingGreen (joint venture
of NRDC Action Fund and
League of Conservation Voters)
National Employment Law
Project
Progressive Majority
Roosevelt Institute
Victory 2021 Plan
(Issue One and Piper Fund)

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A 2020 VISION FOR THE DEMOCRACY

ALLIANCE: FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS

Private and confidential to Democracy Alliance.

2020 VISION INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO FOR THE DEMOCRACY ALLIANCE

2020 VISION INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO

TOOLS & INNOVATION

Center on Budget and

Ballot Initiative Strategy

Citizen Engagement Lab

New Media Ventures

Media Matters for America

National Peoples Action

State Innovation Exchange

Organizing for Action

New Organizing Institute

Private and confidential to Democracy Alliance.

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