Electoral Groups
To help Democratic donors give with maximum impact to win elections, we use research and in-depth reporting to evaluate left-of-center electoral organizations. We seek to answer key questions donors are likely to ask and share our findings in briefing papers that include specific guidance to donors. We strongly recommend the most effective organizations that are having the greatest impact. We recommend organizations that are effective, but are not top leaders in their space or need to improve. We suggest donors consider organizations that play an important role, but need to do a lot of work to reach their potential. (Explore our methodology.)
Strongly Recommend
Rural Democracy Initiative: What Donors Need to Know
Blue Tent strongly recommends donating to RDI, the leading organization investing in progressive organizing in rural areas and laying out a policy agenda for parts of the country that are too often neglected. Read more
Swing Left: What Donors Need to Know
Swing Left helps donors of all sizes give to the most important elections up and down the ballot, from state legislative seats to presidential races. Blue Tent highly recommends this innovative group. Read more
Movement Voter Project: What Donors Need to Know
The Movement Voter Project acts as a funding conduit for hundreds of grassroots organizations all over the country. It's great for donors who want to build progressive power over the long run. Read more
The Fairness Project: What Donors Need To Know
In less than a decade of existence, no organization has been more impactful in advancing progressive goals on a shoestring budget than the Fairness Project, which is why we strongly recommend this group Read more
Sister District Project: What Donors Need to Know
We like Sister District's highly disciplined approach to supporting candidates in a few dozen state legislative seats around the country every cycle and its commitment to learning and transparency. Read more
Run For Something: What Donors Need to Know
RFS encourages progressives under 40 years old to run for local and state offices and helps them win. It occupies a key position in the progressive electoral ecosystem. Read more
National Domestic Workers Alliance and Care In Action: What Donors Need to Know
NDWA and its electoral arm have become a powerful force for change, organizing a mostly invisible workforce and achieving impact in both the policy and political spheres. Read more
Recommend
BlackPAC: What Donors Need to Know
BlackPAC emerged as an important player in mobilizing Black voters in 2020. What are its strategies and its track record of success? How does it spend the money it raises? Read more
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee: What Donors Need to Know
The DLCC tries to win seats at the state legislature level. These races are less expensive and can be a better place for smaller donors to put their money. Read more
The States Project: What Donors Need to Know
While winning power in state legislatures has become more important than ever for Democrats, it's hard for individual donors to figure out which candidates to support. The States Project offers a powerful solution. Read more
Working Families Party: What Donors Need to Know
WFP works to build progressive electoral power and shape public policy by using the strategies of a movement-based political party, operating within the strictures of America's two-party system. Read more
Consider
American Bridge 21st Century PAC: What Donors Need to Know
American Bridge is the left's leading opposition research group. Because we have doubts about the effectiveness of negative attacks, we advise donors to only consider this group. Read more
Emily’s List/Women Vote!: What Donors Need to Know
Emily’s List supports women running for office, working to elect pro-choice women candidates to Congress, governorships, and state legislative positions around the country. Read more
Future Forward PAC: What Donors Need to Know
While FF PAC moved a lot of money in 2020, the group isn't transparent about its operations or plans and Blue Tent doesn't recommend it to donors at this time. Read more
House Majority PAC: What Donors Need to Know
HMP helps coordinate millions of dollars in donations and ad buys each election cycle, with most of these funds coming from Democratic mega-donors. Smaller donors should put their money elsewhere. Read more
Indivisible: What Donors Need to Know
Despite early successes of this prominent voice of the "resistance," we find Indivisible’s actual track record on both issue advocacy and elections to be mixed. Read more
Priorities USA: What Donors Need to Know
While Priorities is more accessible and transparent than other super PACs, it's mainly backed by super-wealthy donors and we don't recommend that most donors prioritize this organization. Read more
Senate Majority PAC: What Donors Need to Know
SMP is an establishment Democratic money machine that raises vast amounts of cash—but often spends those resources on ineffective ads and has a mixed track record. Read more
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: What Donors Need to Know
The DCCC works to win the House of Representatives every two years. But our analysis suggests that donors may have better options than giving to this pillar of the Democratic Party. Read more
The Democratic National Committee: What Donors Need to Know
The DNC is the central hub of the Democratic Party. While Blue Tent recommends giving to the committee, we also believe that there are other organizations that are a better fit for most donors. Read more
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee: What Donors Need to Know
The Senate is so important that donors should at least consider giving to the DSCC. But smaller donors will get more bang for their buck by giving to Senate campaigns directly or focusing on down-ballot races. Read more