Last Monday’s How We Win with Smart Donations event featuring David Callahan of Blue Tent was so popular, the audience so engaged, and the information shared so important that we’re shifting gears to bring you the key takeaways from his presentation.

One key thing we learned was that although the Electoral College favors Republicans, Democrats have more financial firepower. In 2020, counties that backed President Biden accounted for 70% of the GDP.

Democrats are off to a good start. Since President Biden stepped down, Vice President Kamala Harris has raised over $500 million. In July alone, ActBlue reported that 4.2 million small-dollar donors contributed 10 million donations to over 15,000 Democratic and progressive organizations, with 45% of these donations coming from new supporters.

Of course, it’s natural to ask: Do my political donations really make a difference, especially this late in the race?

The answer is a YES. According to David Callahan, your contributions are more impactful now than ever. Here’s why:

1. In tight races, money makes an even bigger difference. Biden won the 2020 election by fewer than 44,000 votes. Democrats lost the House in 2022 by just 6,675 votes. Dollars are needed to get out those critical votes.

2. Progressive electoral infrastructure has advanced significantly. Thanks to refined strategies from extensive testing and analysis over recent election cycles, you can have more confidence than ever that your money is being well spent.

But with so many options, how do I ensure my donations have the greatest possible impact?

David Callahan provided some key Principles of Smart Donating:

1. Use Intermediaries. Leverage organizations that specialize in evaluating and directing donations effectively, such as Oath, Swing Left, and Focus For Democracy.

2. Prioritize Organizations over Candidates.  Unlike individual campaigns, organizations sustain the movement across election cycles, focusing on long-term strategies and mobilizing low-propensity voters. Depending on your preference, consider:

• Data-Driven Groups: Organizations, such as Galvanize Action and Working America, use methods like randomized controlled trials and detailed voter file evaluations to enhance their outreach and maximize impact.

• Movement-Based Groups: Grassroots organizations like Living United for Change Arizona concentrate on long-term power-building and issue-based mobilization

3. Block out the Noise  Don’t be swayed by friends, random texts, social media posts, or unsolicited emails. Decide how much you want to give, do your homework, or rely on the homework of organizations like Blue Tent, make the donation, and ignore the rest of it.

For a more complete understanding, watch the full recording of our event and check out Blue Tent’s Top 2024 Donation Recommendations.

Plus, don’t miss our upcoming How We Win events, where we’ll delve deeper into how to have a meaningful impact this election season:

• How We Win in Swing States this Tuesday, 9/3
  
• How We Win with Key Voting Blocs on 9/11
  
• How We Win with Conservation Voters on 9/17
  

This election is our moment, the moment when our generation of Americans is called upon to defend the American experiment. And it is your passion, your commitment, and your love of this great nation that is the ultimate answer to the question of how we win this November.

Dig deep, give wisely, and let’s make a difference together!