Right now, our friends at Every Voice are running a “Fix Our Democracy Now” week of action, and we’re proud to be a participating organization. Every Voice is pushing for elected officials to pass legislation that would reform campaign finance law, protect voting rights, and end partisan gerrymandering. We’re excited to support these reforms because our government will only be truly democratic when everyone can run for office regardless of their economic background, vote without having to jump through discriminatory hoops, and know they are fairly represented.
We know this because we’ve been fighting the corrupting influence of big money in politics ever since our founding in 2004. We started building grassroots fundraising software way back then because we saw there was a huge barrier to entry for people who wanted to get involved with the political process: both potential candidates and supporters felt like they couldn’t make a difference if they didn’t have millions of dollars to burn. This prevented diverse, smart people with good ideas from running for office and left room for candidates controlled by mega-donors to cruise to victory. And especially after Citizens United, conservative mega-donors like the Koch brothers not only bankroll entire campaigns but also pay for dark money groups that lobby for voter ID laws and fund court cases that contest district lines.
Luckily, thousands of groups have now realized how small-dollar contributions fuel widespread civic engagement. When people can easily chip in $5 or $10 to a candidate or cause, they become invested in the outcome and are more likely to volunteer, ask friends and family to donate, and give again themselves. And the conversations these donations spark are what get more people to the polls. We even hear from donors that being able to give a few dollars online is sometimes the only way they can support a cause. This is how small-dollar donations add up to democratic people power that conservative mega-donors can’t beat.
What’s more, we’re seeing an unprecedented amount of participation across ActBlue right now. Since Trump’s election, more and more folks have realized the power of grassroots donations and are donating for the first time, fundraising for their favorite candidates, or choosing to run for office with the support of their own small-dollar donors instead of big money. More than a quarter of all people who gave via ActBlue in Q2 2018 were first-time donors, and grassroots donors have raised nearly $1 BILLION using our platform so far this election cycle. It’s clear Americans are more engaged in our democracy than ever before and want the playing field to be leveled — now.
These reforms couldn’t come at a more important time for our country. The Koch brothers are spending $400 million on the midterms, Sheldon and Miriam Adelson recently gave $30 million to a GOP super PAC, and the list goes on. That’s why everyone who believes in our democracy needs to fight for reform now. Small-dollar donors are countering the impact of these mega-donors by raising more money, talking to their communities, and turning out voters, but we need to get Democrats elected so they can enact reforms before Trump and his enablers do more damage.
Momentum is on our side right now, but we’re going to have to put in a lot more work before Election Day. To learn how you can take action to Fix Our Democracy Now, visit www.fixdemocracynow.com. And if you’re interested in fundraising for your favorite campaign, reach out to us at info@actblue.com for help getting started!
