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There’s an uncomfortable and frustrating potential outcome looming in the 2022 midterms. Every notable House and Senate candidate the Democrats field could have extremely well-stocked war chests thanks to the largesse of energized donors, and it still might not be enough to overcome voter dissatisfaction and President Joe Biden’s low approval rating. In short, Democrats could spend record amounts of money and still lose badly. In the face of this scenario, what should donors do? How should they give when giving to candidates may not have much of an effect?
That’s where the Movement Voter Project comes in. MVP is a group whose mission is to disburse funds to other groups—local organizations on the ground in 49 states (excluding Wyoming) who are trying to build progressive power by organizing, registering voters and pushing for policy changes and electoral victories. MVP especially focuses on groups led by people of color who are working to organize their own communities, on the theory that increasing turnout among Democrats’ traditional base is how you win elections, not just in purple states like Arizona, but in red states where the party hopes one day to compete. It took years of hard activist work in Georgia—efforts that went largely unnoticed by the media—to turn the state into a place where Democrats could win statewide. The hope is that the same transformation happens in other states where MVP is funding groups. The priority given to communities of color and the long-term vision comprise pretty much exactly what a lot of progressives say is most important right now, and MVP is doing it. MVP also emphasizes getting money out the door quickly and doesn’t take a cut of donations for itself, so donors can be confident that their money isn’t sitting in an MVP account or paying for overhead. (Read our brief on MVP)
To identify worthwhile targets for giving, MVP works with a network of state advisors, longtime progressive organizers who are familiar with their individual states and who are qualified to vet and recommend groups. Then, on the other end of the process, MVP’s donor advisors work with donors, sometimes one on one, to determine how someone can give money to accomplish their particular goals, whether that’s giving to Black-led organizations or trying to turn Texas blue. (MVP also offers a variety of funds so donors can give to a preselected slate of groups based on their location or area of focus.)
Donating to MVP does require some trust. First, donors are trusting that MVP’s advisers are picking organizations that are effective. Second, there’s a long time horizon here: Investing in these groups probably may not make a huge impact in 2022, or maybe even 2024, but in 2028, there could be states in play for the Democrats that wouldn’t otherwise have been targets. You don’t get the immediate rush that comes with donating to a political campaign whose candidate emerges victorious.
Blue Tent is strongly recommending MVP because it plays a valuable role in the progressive ecosystem, one that is going to be even more sorely needed if 2022 goes as badly as it might.
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Disclosure: Jodi Jacobson, Senior Director of Foundation Relations & Philanthropic Advisor at MVP, is a part-time consultant to Blue Tent. She had no role in the selection or evaluation process that resulted in this blog post or the related organizational brief.