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.
I thought this was a really excellent article from Inside Philanthropy about the types of philanthropic LLCs and how transparent they are. So many new vehicles have popped up and this does a great job explaining the trade-offs.
Read MoreOur ELECTION TRACKER is here. We list the most competitive races and ballot measures by poll closing times. We also note when to expect results from specific states and which states will trend red or blue as votes get counted (ie, the red or blue mirage). Just click print or download to take it with you on Election Night! You can also view our entire candidate tracking database here.
The Washington Post and The New York Times have additional information on when and how votes will be counted. Once again, Daily Kos put out their famous poll closing times map along with a list of key races to watch.
If you are not on Twitter, Election Night is the reason to join and lurk. You can follow my Election Data Dorks list for outlets and prognosticators who follow and call races. The National Association of Secretaries of State also has a list of Chief Election Officials for links and live results. The AP Politics feed and, of course, Dave Wasserman’s famous “I’ve seen enough” tweets often call races before other outlets.
I change my mind every 15 minutes about whether I feel optimistic or pessimistic about the election. The bottom line is, we don’t know anything. We don’t know if turnout models are accurate and if there will be a MAGA surge or a youth surge. We don’t know what Latino turnout and vote preference will look like in Florida, South Texas, the Southwest, and more. We don’t know if post-Dobbs momentum will continue or if gas prices will spike again. We don’t know what the strong early vote numbers portend or if polls are accurate. Basically, if a race is consistently within five points, assume it’s in play and leave it all out on the field.
Scroll to the end for my Election Night watch list (key races by poll closing times) and other resources to dork out. And you can access my key races tracking database here.
Read MoreFor a supposedly slow month, August has been chock-full of news -- and most of it is good! Women, Democrats, and independents turned out in droves to defeat a constitutional amendment to allow an abortion ban in Kansas. Democratic voter registration is outpacing Republicans in key states post-Dobbs. Democrats over-performed in several special elections to the US House, including winning an upset race in NY-18 just last night (yay, Pat Ryan!). Inflation and gas prices are down; unemployment reached record lows in dozens of states. And Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, ushering in the largest investment ever in climate change abatement. Polls are moving in Democrats’ favor -- the generic ballot is even, President Biden’s approval rating is ticking up, and Democratic candidates in toss-up statewide races are inching ahead of their Republican opponents.
Lest we forget, polls are a snapshot in time and margins of error are real. And we have 75 days until the election -- a lifetime in politics. But we should take this wind at our backs and work like crazy to win up and down the ballot. Our rights, our democracy, and our planet depend on it.
People said we were hysterical, that they would never overreach. The Court wasn’t on the line in 2016. But we knew. We knew the Right had a forty-year plan to overturn Roe and the three Justices appointed by President Trump would make their plan a reality.
We knew -- and we planned. There’s not a lot we can do to prevent this decision and the huge state implications. But as a proud Board member of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains Action Fund and Planned Parenthood Federation Action Fund, the abortion rights movement has a plan and we’re executing it, albeit a few weeks earlier than we thought.
Below please find information on key state races as well as key organizations and how to get involved in the fight to save abortion access. With everything on the line, this is not a moment to care about tax deductions. Give hard money to candidates and c4 dollars to organizations.
You can refer to this handy map to review existing restrictions and where abortion is likely to be outlawed if/when Roe is overturned. Bans Off Our Bodies has comprehensive information as well.
Crooked Media (aka the Pod Save America folks) has a great website where you can learn where to give and how to volunteer: https://votesaveamerica.com/roe/
And finally: Save the Date! On May 14, we rally. Think Women’s March-style protests around the country. Find a rally near you.
Read MoreNow it’s time to show off your dorkiness with AL Advising’s Election Pool. We will ask you to predict the electoral college results, the most competitive Senate races, the number of seats Democrats will hold in the US House, and when the race will be called by the AP. The winner receives bragging rights and some election related swag. Entries must be received by 11:59pm Pacific on Monday, 11/2.