How We Work

Blue Tent helps progressive and Democratic donors give with maximum impact to win elections and drive change.

We do this in several ways:

  • Analyzing the electoral and policy landscape to determine how donors should set priorities.

  • Identifying effective organizations that donors should consider supporting.

  • Explaining strategies for impact in key issue areas and highlighting potential groups to support in each area.

  • Assessing giving options for donors looking to have an impact in specific states and congressional districts.

How We Decide Which Organizations to Spotlight

We engage in extensive conversations with progressive and Democratic leaders across the U.S., including well-placed funders and coalition leaders, working to learn what different organizations are doing and who has a reputation for effectiveness. We use this information to decide which groups to look at more closely.

How We Assess Organizational Effectiveness

When assessing an organization, we speak to its leadership, examine its website and publications, scrutinize its claims of impact, dig into its finances, talk to peers in its space, and read press accounts of its work. While the effectiveness of electoral and policy groups is often difficult to measure with clear metrics, we seek to form a judgment about a group by answering a set of questions:

  • Does it have a persuasive theory of change and strategy for impact?

  • Can it substantiate its claims of impact?

  • Is it a top leader in its space—or have the potential to be?

  • Is it respected by leaders in peer organizations?

  • Does it attract support from top-tier foundations and funding intermediaries?

  • Does it have strong leadership and governance?

  • Is it diverse and culturally competent?

How We Assess Giving Options for Key Causes

In offering guidance on how donors can have an impact on specific causes, we map out the main strategies for change that progressives are pursuing in each area and spotlight leading organizations that donors should consider supporting. Our analysis is informed by wide-ranging conversations with the leaders and staff of progressive organizations, as well as by the research and reporting of our sister site, Inside Philanthropy.

How We Assess Giving Options in Specific States and Legislative Districts

We recommend that electoral donors focus most of their giving in states with competitive presidential and Senate elections, as well as contested congressional and state legislative districts. We identify these states and districts by following the lead of sites such as Cook Political Report and 538, as well as other analysts and the judgment of progressive groups that work in electoral politics. To identify groups to support in each state and district, we talk extensively to organizations working in these places, state donor tables, funding intermediaries and foundations, and other well-placed sources.

How We Direct Donations

Blue Tent enables donors to give directly to the organizations we recommend through ActBlue or by donation links provided by recipient groups. We are not a funding intermediary, nor do we receive any financial benefits from the recommendations we provide.

Blue Tent’s research is supported by memberships and donations. Join here. Donate here.

***

To learn about Blue Tent’s leadership, see our Team.