23. May 2024 · Comments Off on Move On – May 23, 2024 · Categories: Affinity, Announcements

Dear MoveOn member,

A couple of days ago, I wrote to let you know that MoveOn’s fundraising has been at an all-time low for a presidential election cycle, which, frankly, wasn’t an easy thing to say.

I also know that highlighting the current lack of momentum to defeat Donald Trump and reelect President Joe Biden risks causing some members and activists to tune out even more.

But the stakes are too high to keep quiet about the current situation. The very future of our democracy hangs in the balance. And if I don’t admit when things are difficult and ask for help while there is still time to turn things around, then MoveOn’s ability to meet this extraordinary moment is bound to get even worse.

If MoveOn’s fundraising continues to slump, I will have to propose major cuts that would seriously curtail our election work, increasing the risk of a Trump presidency, MAGA Congress, and a new age of fascism in America.

Which is why I am asking for your help again. Please make the most generous monthly donation you can afford—$5 a month or what works for you—to help power our program all the way through to Election Day.

Yes, I’ll chip in monthly.

No, I’m sorry, I can’t make a monthly donation.

MoveOn members stepped up and gave generously after my last email, and we are all so grateful to those who gave, especially when times are tough.

And so far, I have been able to hold off on recommending major cuts to our $32 million election program. That’s a good thing, because it’s one of the most strategic, innovative, and robust election programs in our 25-year history.

But there is still more work to do. And the fact is, if fundraising stays how it has been for the majority of this year, cuts to our election work will be inevitable.

Each and every monthly donation—YOUR monthly donation—makes a difference. Please chip in $5 a month to help power our election program all the way through to Election Day.

Yes, I’ll chip in monthly.

No, I’m sorry, I can’t make a monthly donation.

I’m not just worried about MoveOn, Kendall: News broke this week that Trump’s latest campaign fundraising far surpassed the Biden campaign.1

With MoveOn’s fundraising down, AND the Biden campaign’s fundraising down, the risk of a Trump presidency and MAGA Congress continues to rise. Polling shows that things are close—and right now, Trump has a narrow lead in key battleground states.2 Which means reaching voters there is crucial. This can be turned around, but that will require focus, effort, and money.

For our entire 25-year history, MoveOn has always been powered by our members, not billionaires and corporate interests, and we need your help today more than ever, Kendall.

Please chip in the most generous amount you can—$5 a month or what works for you— to power our election work.

Yes, I’ll chip in monthly.

No, I’m sorry, I can’t make a monthly donation.

MoveOn’s work to engage, persuade, and ultimately turn out voters is distinct from the Biden campaign’s work. MoveOn is focused on the “surge voters” that campaigns often overlook. These are young voters and voters of color who do not consistently vote. And we have a track record of innovative strategies that reach these exact voters and succeed at turning them out, cycle after cycle. Due to the decline in grassroots donations, that track record is now at risk.

We are laser-focused on breaking through the noise and connecting directly with the cohort of voters that pollsters have identified as key to President Biden’s victory and stopping MAGA control of the U.S. House and Senate. We tested these programs in 2020 and 2022 and now have data showing that they helped to turn out hundreds of thousands of voters who might otherwise have stayed home.

But, as a grassroots, member-funded organization, we can do that again only if enough MoveOn members support our work.

Will you start a $5 monthly donation today—or the most generous amount you can—to fuel our election program?

Yes, I’ll chip in monthly.

No, I’m sorry, I can’t make a monthly donation.

Your generous gift today will help us avoid cuts to our work. I wouldn’t ask again if it weren’t important.

Thanks for all you do.

–Cheryl Zando, COO

Sources:

1. “Trump tops Biden in April fundraising, but Biden keeps cash advantage,” The Washington Post, May 20, 2024
Trump tops Biden in April fundraising, but Biden keeps cash advantage

2. “Top Battlegrounds – RCP Average,” RealClearPolitics, accessed May 22, 2024
Top Battlegrounds – RCP Average

Want to support MoveOn’s work? Voters just defied history and stopped a MAGA wave of extremism at the polls. But there is more work to do to end the filibuster, codify abortion rights into law, and defend our freedoms, our families, and our futures. We can accomplish all this and more, but only if we work together. 

Will you chip in monthly to power our critical work? 

Yes, I’ll chip in $5 a month.

No, I’m sorry, I can’t make a monthly donation.


MOVEON POLITICAL ACTION, https://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. MoveOn Political Action – PO Box 96142, Washington, D.C. 20090-6142.