Philanthropic and Political Consulting
AL Advising works with progressive philanthropists to create a portfolio of civic engagement, policy, and advocacy investments including 501c3, 501c4, candidate, and related political giving.
I was pleased to contribute to this CNN story, discussing the importance of women donors and the role Electing Women Bay Area has played in helping raise money for Democratic women.
This is it. Our willingness to donate again and again is the reason why Democrats are heavily favored to keep the House and are now favored to win the Senate -- something prognosticators would have laughed at a year ago. (It has the added bonus of pissing off Mitch McConnell.) And it’s a big part of why Joe Biden is competitive in states like Iowa, Ohio, and Texas. Trump has gone dark in crucial Midwestern battleground states amid reports that his campaign is nearly broke. So, dig deep.
And yes, there are targeted places where last-minute money still helps, primarily in down-ballot races. Some key US Senate races can also use additional funds.
One final note: we all hate money in politics and our crazy campaign finance system. We spent a record $5.7 billion on the 2018 elections. But we spent $9 billion on Halloween that year. So while COVID has made trick or treating all but impossible, put your candy budget to good use saving democracy.
I have no words for the fact that Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on Rosh Hashanah. “May her memory be a blessing” is so insufficient for the life she led. We need to take a moment to remember her and her legacy. But after that moment, we have to get to work. And there is a lot of work to do.
I see the consequences of her death in four parts:
We are in the home stretch, people! It’s GOTM time! Get Out The Money!
Make your giving decisions now — giving money in October is essentially useless, whether to a candidate or organization. Also budget for some recounts as well as the need for organizations to keep staff on through early 2021, whether to help pass the First 100 Days Agenda, work in state legislative sessions, or (spit three times, throw salt over shoulder) fight back against another Trump term.
Remember that there is no silver bullet. There’s not “one” organization that will get out the vote or “one” candidate likely flip the Senate. We are well-positioned to have many opportunities for victory. There is very little bad money; just good and better money, as you will see from my recommendations below. And for every c3 dollar you give, match it with c4 or candidate funds.
Read MoreAre you freaking out yet? We have 95 days until Election Day. And we’re about to enter silly season — VP speculation, the conventions, pollercoasters, and lots and lots of late money being thrown at anything that sounds feasible.
In addition to the usual giving recommendations, I also offer some advice on all of the above along with some resources to aid your sanity.
Read Moreaka How to help Joe Biden win….
As an alum of John Kerry’s presidential campaign, I know all too well how it feels to get overconfident in the face of a terrible incumbent. You just can’t believe anyone would vote for this idiot, right? But as Bush ran up the vote among Evangelical voters to help secure his win, Trump is spending millions in key battleground states to register non-college white men to vote. Make no mistake — this will be a close election. And Biden is most vulnerable to Trump’s 2:1 cash advantage from now through the convention in August. So it’s time to break out the checkbooks.
Look, Joe Biden wasn’t my first choice — or my second. But I trust him, I trust his (growing) team, and I trust the movement around him who will do everything they can to win and push him on key issues before and after the election.
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