Time to Stretch

If you’re looking for where to donate to make the most impact on the 2024 elections and beyond, Movement Voter Project is how to do it.

Did you stretch today?

I'm not talking about stretching to improve your flexibility and your posture.

I'm talking about the kind of stretches to improve your future—and to add whatever weight you can to stopping the steamroller of fascism that's bearing down on us.

Because right now, we're in the home stretch of this election. Victory is in sight. And—dare I say it?—we could even be thinking about achieving some stretch goals.

To make the most of this opportunity, now's the time for everyone who wants to save democracy to help Democrats up and down the ballot be first across the finish line.

Could you consider "a genuine stretch"?

After listening to the latest episode of my favorite 2024 podcast—aka LOLGOP's "How Are You Feeling About Democracy?"—I immediately got in touch with his latest guest, Zo Tobi, Director of Communications at Movement Voter Project (MVP) to ask him to do a Q&A by email.

I wanted to offer an extra platform for Zo to share the urgency of challenging everyone to dig deep in the final weeks (we're in the last seven weeks!!!) of this campaign to make sure we don't fail where it matters most—in turning out Democratic voters wherever we possibly can.

Giving big to Movement Voter Project (MVP)—today—makes sense because it's "a one-stop shop for strategically investing in local organizations that win elections and transform policy." It helps Democratic and progressive donors channel donations into the local organizing groups that tip key races AND build political power for the long term.

Here's the Q&A in which Zo will ask—and hopefully convince—you to make "a genuine stretch" to make this year's election night one of celebration not regret.

Q&A with MVP's Zo Tobi

What’s the best possible—realistically achievable—outcome for Democrats this November?

The best scenario for Democrats this November is a federal governing trifecta—winning the White House, saving the Senate, and reclaiming the House—and gaining power at the state level. 

I can't overstate how impactful and how attainable this would be. If we all donate, vote, and organize like our democracy depends on it and we win a federal trifecta, it would allow us to pass some of the most progressive legislation of our lifetimes; appoint hundreds of judges; possibly replace one of the right-wing Justices on the Supreme Court; and enact structural democracy reforms that could bring about the beginnings of a twenty-first-century Progressive Era. You can see our longer rundown here.

What would be the most regrettable outcome for Democrats?

The most regrettable outcome for Democrats would be what we call the "MAGApocalypse" scenario. In this version of the very close future, we take our eyes off the prize, come up a day late and a dollar short, and wake up the morning after the election having lost the Presidency, Senate, and House each by a hair. 

In this scenario, we're stuck with an even more unhinged and unchecked Trump Presidency, emboldened by a loyalist MAGA Congress and ultraconservative Supreme Court—all the way through 2028.

Here's the thing: The difference between the best and worst scenario is potentially just a few thousand votes. That's how close this election is! Aggregate polling in every battleground state is within the margin of error. That's why political strategist Michael Podhorzer and others call this "the margin of effort"—it's up to us whether we spend the next four years in the best or worst possible electoral scenario.

What is the Movement Voter Project doing to help the Democrats achieve everything possible this November?

Our approach is simple: Fund the ground game.

A lot of us are used to giving to candidates each election—especially the ones who spam our inboxes!—but the missing piece of the puzzle is local organizing.

There are hundreds of local voter engagement groups across this country that do the hard work of organizing in their communities, building power from the bottom up, day in and day out, year after year—and these are the very groups that are best equipped to turn out the progressive voters whom candidate campaigns and the Democratic Party are most likely to miss.

Local organizers know their neighbors, they know the issues that matter most to their communities, and they are the most trusted messengers for the voters who are the least impressed and motivated by political candidates and parties.

How can people help you have the biggest impact in 2024 and beyond? 

If you’re looking for where to donate to make the most impact on the 2024 elections and beyond, you can contribute to MVP here. 

MVP’s goal is to invest $100 million this cycle in the local grassroots groups that are turning out the hardest-to-reach voters who can tip the scales in the places that matter most.

So far we've moved about $60 million, so we have $40 million to go. If this sounds like a lot, it is—but remember, the Harris-Walz campaign raised over $615 million in just six weeks! Each of us individually is a drop in the bucket, but where do you think a Blue Wave comes from? Millions of drops, flowing together.

The good thing about giving through MVP is this: Your money keeps making an impact long after Election Day. Win or lose, there's not a single dollar wasted. If we win a Blue Wave, we’re going to need these local organizing groups on the ground, giving the Harris-Walz administration and a Democratic Congress the political cover they need to pass the most ambitious legislation possible. And if we lose, we’re going to need these groups to defend democracy, protect our communities, and prepare to win power back in the years to come.

My advice to donors is to find your “No-Regret Number.” We each have a giving amount that represents doing everything in our power to stop MAGA and ensure a Blue Wave. Ask yourself: “What amount would be a genuine stretch?” Now, imagine waking up on November 6th, the day after the election, knowing that we’ve lost by a narrow margin. Would you regret not giving more? If “no,” great. If “yes,” consider increasing the amount. 

What about people who want to really make a difference in one or more specific battleground states? What organizations do you recommend they support?

I’m going to be very forthright in what I’m about to say: If what you want most is to maximize your impact on the November elections, I advise against trying to “play the market” oneself. Instead, I really do recommend simply giving through MVP, which strategically aggregates and channels thousands of donors’ funds toward the hundreds of groups organizing on the ground to win this election.

You can see our 2024 investment strategy here. But here are the basic two reasons for my advice:

Reason #1: To win governing power, we need to invest in a wider electoral map. There are literally hundreds of federal and down-ballot races this year. There are dozens of local organizations in all the key battleground states. Who has the time (and expertise) to analyze trends, find the key races, research the best groups, and constantly recalibrate funding for maximum political impact? Almost nobody. That’s the role MVP plays.

MVP’s grantmaking is led by a team of State Advisors, who are political experts and experienced organizers, carrying long-standing, trust-based relationships with leaders on the ground in every key state. They are constantly monitoring the polls, assessing conditions on the ground, and tweaking our investment strategy. This is why a lot of our supporters refer to us as, essentially, a “mutual fund” for political giving.

For example, the U.S. Senate race in the usually blue state of Maryland is now surprisingly and uncomfortably close. If we lose that seat, we lose the Senate. Thanks to MVP’s State Advising Team, we are monitoring that race closely and investing accordingly. This is the kind of strategic political chess we need to be playing.

Reason #2: We need to invest in a diversified “ecosystem” of groups in each state, not just the big-name players. Instead of just funding a few groups per state, MVP invests in a diversified “ecosystem” of emerging, growing, and established groups working together in key states to build lasting power.

Our founder, Billy Wimsatt, puts it well: “If you want to win the championship, you don’t just support a single player—you invest in the whole team.” 

This allows us to fund a diverse set of organizations that have optimized their targeting, strategy, and messaging to persuade and mobilize different sets of voters—young voters, BIPOC voters, LGBTQ+ voters, immigrant voters, rural voters, and more. 

Organizations that are of, for, and led by each unique constituency can conduct micro-targeted outreach, share highly tailored communications, and deploy culturally relevant programs.

So in a state like Georgia or North Carolina where the margin of victory could very well be a few thousand votes, I’d be speaking reductively and doing you a disservice if I simply said, “Your best bet is to give to group X!”

The truth is, our best bet is to give to the movement—and that’s what MVP is here for. 

For readers who prefer a deeper dive, check out our Guide to Strategic Giving. Or if you really want to nerd out on the evidence and research backing the approach of investing in local organizing, check out our Evidence & Research page.

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