Swing Left
Swing Left works to channel donations and volunteer energy to help Democrats win key federal and state elections. It seeks to build “a lasting culture of grassroots participation” by making it easy for ordinary citizens to have an impact on electoral outcomes. Through its local chapters, volunteer opportunities and its tools to facilitate targeted political giving, Swing Left has played an important role in helping Democrats win elections since its founding in 2017.
Why This Work is Important
Democrats have a lot of energy and money in need of direction. Since the election of Donald Trump in 2016, Democratic voters have been active in politics at unprecedented levels. Unfortunately, most elections in the United States are not competitive, leaving millions of liberals with little outlet for their newfound political energy, as volunteering their time or giving their money for candidates in their own backyards often feels like a meaningless endeavor. Organizations like Swing Left have played a critical role in channeling the enthusiasm of base voter enthusiasm to help win competitive elections.
Donating and volunteering can be complicated. Most ordinary Democrats know very little about which electoral races are most important and where their money or time can be used most effectively. Intermediary organizations such as Swing Left are an essential part of progressive infrastructure, facilitating more giving and volunteering than might otherwise occur.
Why Donors Should Consider Swing Left
Swing Left has a strong record of impact. Swing Left reports that since its founding, it has raised $48 million to help Democrats win, while its tens of thousands of volunteers made 14 million calls, wrote 27 million letters (with its partner Vote Forward), and knocked on 5 million doors. While the impact of any single electoral group can be hard to ascertain, Swing Left’s efforts have been highly targeted and strategic. For example, in 2022, it heavily focused its work on just three states — Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — with its volunteers knocking on over 300,000 doors. Democrats scored historic victories in each state. Swing Left’s volunteers and donors were also active in the successful push to flip the Wisconsin Supreme Court in spring 2023.
Swing Left is innovative and tech-savvy. Swing Left has built a strong set of resources to engage people as both donors and volunteers. Its Blueprint tool enables donors to create customized giving plans based on recommendations from Swing Left’s researchers concerning where their money can have the most impact. Swing Left also makes it easy to join a local organizing group, find events and connect to volunteer opportunities like canvassing or phone banking.
Conclusion
Swing Left has proven itself an extremely useful conduit for Democrats, especially those in blue states, to get involved in important elections. The group has made volunteering and giving far easier for people who might be uncertain about which candidates or groups to support. Since its founding in 2017, Swing Left has established itself as a vital part of the progressive infrastructure. Donors can use Swing Left’s tools and links to direct their giving — and/or donate to support the organization’s work to build up its grassroots infrastructure using the button below.