Philanthropic and Political Consulting
AL Advising works with progressive philanthropists to create a portfolio of civic engagement, policy, and advocacy investments including 501c3, 501c4, candidate, and related political giving.
Are you freaking out yet? We have 95 days until Election Day. And we’re about to enter silly season — VP speculation, the conventions, pollercoasters, and lots and lots of late money being thrown at anything that sounds feasible.
In addition to the usual giving recommendations, I also offer some advice on all of the above along with some resources to aid your sanity.
Read Moreaka How to help Joe Biden win….
As an alum of John Kerry’s presidential campaign, I know all too well how it feels to get overconfident in the face of a terrible incumbent. You just can’t believe anyone would vote for this idiot, right? But as Bush ran up the vote among Evangelical voters to help secure his win, Trump is spending millions in key battleground states to register non-college white men to vote. Make no mistake — this will be a close election. And Biden is most vulnerable to Trump’s 2:1 cash advantage from now through the convention in August. So it’s time to break out the checkbooks.
Look, Joe Biden wasn’t my first choice — or my second. But I trust him, I trust his (growing) team, and I trust the movement around him who will do everything they can to win and push him on key issues before and after the election.
Read MoreThe presidential election is a bit of a mess, huh? President Trump has been, er, not convicted (let’s not say acquitted) and appears to be hatching more crimes in retribution. He is raising record amounts of money and targeting Democratic base voters with digital ads.
Then there are the Democrats. The good news is, voters are voting! And those votes being counted. (Definitely. Correctly. Maybe.) After the remaining early states vote, we may have more clarity and will definitely have a better sense after the vast majority of voters cast a ballot in March. That gives us enough time to come together and focus our energy on Trump. Yes, no one may reach a majority of delegates. But we will likely have a delegate leader or clear front-runner and then the deal-making begins.
If you are passionate about specific candidates, even if they are not considered viable by the conventional wisdom prognosticators, give more.
In the meantime, it’s time to drill down on flipping the US Senate and picking up additional seats to strengthen our majority in the US House.
Read MoreThis is a great overview from Inside Philanthropy on how donors can use 501c3 donations to turnout the vote, protect or suppress the vote, build infrastructure, and more.
I am quoted in this article from Vox / ReCode discussing next gen wealth and their changing giving habits.
“That’s what every political fundraiser’s dream always is,” said Alexandra Acker-Lyons, an adviser to many younger Silicon Valley political donors.
An article from Axios states, “Philanthropists are increasingly looking to steer or supplant government.”
The big picture: Philanthropists don't want to give a man a fish; instead they want to take credit for building a proof-of-concept that will persuade governments around the world to invest in large-scale programs of fishing pedagogy.
Why it matters: Politicians are accountable to the electorate. Charitable foundations and the billionaires who fund them, on the other hand, are accountable to no one. As Reich says, their actions therefore deserve more scrutiny than gratitude.