New Media Ventures

Swing Left is creating a long-lasting culture of grassroots involvement in winning elections for the left by making it as simple as possible for everyone to have an influence on the elections that determine the balance of power in our nation.

Prism is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that centers on the people, places, and issues currently underreported by the national media.

Pulso is a Miami-based non-profit media start-up founded in 2018, focused on enhancing the political influence of the projected 32 million Latinx voters in the United States. The company creates an organizing platform designed to foster meaningful digital relationships with its subscribers. By sharing news, history, and cultural narratives curated by Latinos for Latinos, Pulso aims to engage and empower the Latinx community, ensuring their voices are heard and their stories are told.

In response to the sustained and increasingly visible violence against Black communities in the U.S. and globally, a collective of more than 50 organizations representing thousands of Black people from across the country have come together with renewed energy and purpose to articulate a common vision and agenda. Their resistance and rebellion are not new, but like other times in history have come to a critical mass, and the bravery of those in Ferguson and across the country captured the attention of the world. A year ago, over 2,000 of us gathered in Cleveland to reflect on the state of their movement for liberation and celebrate their people, both those who have fallen and those who have survived. It was there that they began the process of uniting to articulate a shared vision of the world they want to live in. Cleveland reaffirmed what they already knew. Neither their grievances nor their solutions are limited to the police killing of their people. State violence takes many forms – it includes the systemic underinvestment in their communities, the caging of their people, predatory state and corporate practices targeting their neighborhoods, government policies that result in the poisoning of their water and the theft of their land, failing schools that criminalize rather than educate their children, economic practices that extract their labor, and wars on their Trans and Queer family that deny them their humanity. On the last day of the conference hundreds gathered to have strategy conversations about what liberation would look like and the policies, organizing and resources that would be needed to get us there. During those conversations they received a mandate – it was time to articulate their vision and unite behind it. In response to this mandate, the Movement for Black Lives Policy Table engaged in a year long process of convening local and national groups to create a United Front. The result of their collective efforts is this platform. In addition to the groups in the United Front, they have also engaged their people. They have received feedback from hundreds of people through surveys, national calls, organizational membership, engaged dozens of other organizations, researchers, and other individuals for their insights and expertise to begin developing a framework for shared policy priorities. It does not include every policy Black people should be working on, but elevates those for which there was shared energy and action in this political moment. Their hope is that this is both an articulation of their collective aspirations as well as a document that provides tangible resources for groups and individuals doing the work. They recognize that some of the demands in this document will not happen today. But they also recognize that they are necessary for their liberation. For each of the 30+ policies in the document, they have policy briefs that describe the steps that must be taken to get us closer to their liberation. These briefs include information about whether legislation can happen at the local, state or federal level, information about groups already working on related projects, and resources including model legislation and talking points. They want this platform to be both a visionary agenda for their people and a resource for us. They take as a departure point the reality that by every metric – from the hue of its prison population to its investment choices – the U.S. is a country that does not support, protect or preserve Black life. And so they seek not reform but transformation. As this platform launches in the context of the Democratic National Convention, they also recognize that neither mainstream political party has their interests at heart. They know all too well that the reforms that have passed at the local and state level do not address the root causes of the killing, dehumanization, and torture of their people. Instead, many increase police budgets and diagnosis the problem as one of “implicit bias” or “bad apples.” At best these are band aids on gaping bullet wounds, and at worse they are interventions that simply increase corporate and state power and make it easier for the state to devalue and destroy their communities. Their history has taught us that they must create their own agenda, they must implement it, and they must hold elected leaders accountable to following through. In a long tradition of Black covenants for Freedom, from the African National Congress Freedom Charter to the Black RadicalFreedom Agenda, they offer this document as an articulation of their aspirations in this moment. They are Black people from all walks of life – young, elder, queer, cis, trans, differently abled. They have come together in the rich tradition of their ancestors to imagine new ways forward for their liberation. They are dreamers and doers knowing that their work draws on the best of their history but must go beyond it to forge a fierce, free and beautiful future together that they can only imagine into reality. The M4BL Policy Table will focus on supporting the development and implementation of visionary and uncompromising local, national, and international policy objectives aimed at ending state-sanctioned violence against Black communities. The table will do this by: - Coordinating, supporting, and elevating local policies that divest in policing, invests in strong communities, and ensure community control - Work to change the national narrative around policing & incarceration, serving as a hub for innovate and visionary thinking inspired by the need to challenge existing federal policy, laws and regulations, struggle to find alignment with regards to national demands, and collaborate on the development of transformative national policies - Use upcoming international opportunities and human rights mechanisms to expose the systemic human rights violations inflicted on black communities, the linkages between people of African descent in the US with other Black people around the world, make connections with oppressed people globally, and chip away at American exceptionalism

Contest Every Race is a coalition based in the United States that focuses on recruiting candidates for local elected offices, including state legislatures, city councils, school boards, and precinct committee positions. The organization aims to enhance the ability of Democrats and progressive allies to identify and support first-time candidates. By collaborating with diverse partners across various communities, Contest Every Race conducts targeted campaigns to attract potential candidates and offers comprehensive resources to facilitate their filing and campaign efforts. This initiative seeks to ensure that local elections are competitive and that more individuals are empowered to participate in the democratic process.

Upsolve is a nonprofit organization based in New York City that assists low-income Americans in navigating the bankruptcy process. Founded in June 2016 by Jonathan Petts and Rohan Pavuluri, Upsolve offers a free online tool that guides users through a series of questions to generate the necessary Chapter 7 bankruptcy forms. Following this, the organization's lawyers review the completed forms to ensure accuracy and compliance. By automating the bankruptcy filing process, Upsolve aims to provide essential financial guidance and support to those facing sudden financial hardships, helping them achieve a fresh start.

OpenField is a mobile-first community organizing tool that empowers organizations, political campaigns, nonprofits, and advocacy groups to enhance their outreach efforts. The platform facilitates various forms of engagement, including traditional canvassing, deep canvassing, phone banking, and voter registration. Its unique Intelligent Auto Turf Cutter allows users to quickly create walkable canvassing areas across cities, while the natural language notes capture and analytics feature transforms individual responses into actionable insights. As the only tool offering these capabilities, OpenField is designed to be highly scalable, suitable for both local initiatives and national campaigns. The application is user-friendly, enabling most individuals to become proficient in its use within minutes and without formal training. Founded by Arianna Trujillo-Wesler and Emily Del Beccaro, OpenField has gained recognition for its innovative approach, winning the Best Software as a Service award at the 2021 Campaigns & Elections CampaignTech Awards. Trujillo-Wesler, an expert in community organizing and political technology, and Del Beccaro, a veteran in national data management, bring significant experience to the company's mission of building community power.

Supermajority is a membership based organization dedicated to making women the most revered voting bloc in the country. They train volunteers, organize communities, and turn out voters.

mRelief is a Chicago-based software development company comprised entirely of women, focused on enhancing the delivery of social services through technology. The company specializes in eligibility determination for public benefits, utilizing adaptive questionnaires accessible online and via text messaging. mRelief collaborates with the City of Chicago to create tools that assist low-income parents in determining their eligibility for early childhood programs. Additionally, mRelief has developed the Public Template, a universal tool currently in private beta, which allows program providers to create their own eligibility screeners, manage data, and customize response pages. The platform is designed to help individuals navigate the application process for food stamps, offering features such as eligibility screening, application assistance, and document management, thereby facilitating access to essential social safety net programs for low-income families.

Spread the Vote is an organization dedicated to helping individuals obtain government-issued photo identification, which is essential for voting in states with voter ID laws. It focuses on providing nonpartisan voter education and assists eligible voters by obtaining necessary documents, covering fees, and offering advocacy and transportation services to facilitate the acquisition of IDs, voter registration, and access to polling places. Additionally, Spread the Vote engages in grassroots lobbying efforts, encouraging community members to advocate against voter suppression by contacting their representatives. Through its volunteer chapters, the organization not only supports the electoral process but also helps individuals access critical services year-round.

The Movement Cooperative provides the best available data, technology, and resources to the progressive community and to increase its collective power and impact.

Mobilize is an event management and volunteer recruitment platform designed for mission-driven organizations and their supporters. The platform facilitates the recruitment of volunteers, provides organizers with timely updates, and enables the sharing of events with partners. By optimizing social recruitment and leveraging cross-promotions, Mobilize effectively connects activists, progressive organizations, and democratic campaigns, helping them to mobilize resources and achieve their goals.

SaverLife is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California, dedicated to helping millions of Americans improve their financial health through effective savings. The organization utilizes engaging technologies and strategic partnerships to provide working individuals with the tools and motivation necessary to take control of their financial futures. SaverLife offers user-centric savings programs, analytical insights, and policy initiatives, all designed to empower working families to achieve prosperity by fostering a culture of saving. Through its innovative platform, SaverLife aims to inspire, inform, and reward individuals on their journey toward financial stability.

Run for Something is an organization dedicated to recruiting and supporting young, diverse progressives who are running for local office for the first time. It focuses on building a progressive infrastructure at the state and local levels by connecting these first-time candidates with the resources and support they need. The organization aims to empower youth to pursue political positions such as state legislatures, mayorships, and city council seats, fostering a new generation of leaders committed to progressive values. Through its platform, Run for Something provides crucial assistance to help these candidates navigate the electoral process and succeed in their campaigns.

Jolt Action is a Texas-based multi-issue organization focused on empowering the Latino community by enhancing its collective voice, power, and influence. The organization provides essential services such as voter registration and mobilization, aiming to increase political participation among Latinos. Additionally, Jolt Action fosters an online community that encourages engagement and collaboration within the Latino population. By promoting cultural initiatives that unite artists and musicians, the organization seeks to reflect and amplify the movement for equality and dignity, ensuring that the voices of Latinos are heard and valued in society.

BallotReady is an online, non-partisan voter guide for local elections that aggregates content from candidate websites, League of Women Voters questionnaires, news articles, campaign finance records, and legislative roll calls to provide nonpartisan background information on every candidate and referendum on a voter's ballot. The platform enables users to compare all candidates on their ballot, obtain essential information needed in the voting booth, and save selected candidates to a mobile device for offline review. It supports civic engagement by offering data services and digital tools that help voters understand their entire ballot and make informed choices.

Sister District Project, Inc. is a nonprofit organization based in Walnut, California, dedicated to supporting Democratic candidates in state elections. The organization operates a network of local teams that connect volunteers from predominantly Democratic areas to assist in various campaign activities. These activities include voter mobilization efforts such as get out the vote initiatives, phone banking, text messaging, and canvassing, as well as logistical support for events and district campaign committees. Additionally, Sister District provides professional training and strategic guidance to candidates and campaign staff, enhancing their ability to run effective electoral campaigns and secure victories in key legislative seats.

Online SOS is a nonprofit that serves and supports people experiencing online harassment. Online harassment goes beyond cyber-bullying to include stalking, threats of violence, hacking, impersonation, and nonconsensual pornography, among other forms. They provide free, direct services for those experiencing any type of online harassment. They are a team of mental health, business, and tech professionals who are concerned about the state of online spaces. They have seen threats of violence get lodged often anonymously and without consequences. The same way there are social norms in real life, they see communities are in the process of building digital ones. Their founders created Online SOS based on their conviction around the importance of addressing online abuse and harassment, based on their personal experiences.

Townhall Project empowers constituents across the country to have face-to-face conversations with their elected representatives. Town Hall Project is dedicated to the conviction that democracy is stronger, fairer, and better when Americans and their elected representatives regularly meet face-to-face.

Stay Woke is an organization and digital accelerator that engages learners, builders, and activists in the work of equity and justice. They intend to deliver wealth, health, and spiritual news to inspire you to make wiser choices about living.

Notifica is a software company that connects immigrants at risk of deportation with their support networks when needed. With the uncertainties that immigrants live in the United States now, Notifica delivers a way for people who might be in danger to connect and protect each other.

Mijente Inc. is a Chicago-based organization founded in 2015 that focuses on social justice for Latinx and Chicanx communities. It serves as a hub for activism, combining digital platforms with offline organizing to inspire engagement and action among its users. Mijente organizes the Lánzate conference, which addresses crucial issues such as criminal justice, immigration, education, LGBTQ rights, race and ethnicity, labor, and climate change. Additionally, the organization provides tools for users to launch online campaigns through its action hub, facilitating grassroots mobilization and fostering a new political home for Latinx activism.

Amplify is a free, non-profit app that empowers the resistance by helping teams take action together. It is a mobile app for grassroots groups that gets members in the habit of taking their group’s recommended actions and cheering each other on

Indivisible Project is a nonprofit organization founded in 2016 and based in the United States, dedicated to fostering grassroots activism aimed at promoting progressive leadership and policies. It provides a comprehensive guide designed to assist local groups in navigating congressional advocacy, elucidating legislative processes, and mobilizing communities to effect meaningful change. With thousands of local Indivisible groups participating, the organization focuses on empowering citizens to engage in the democratic process and actively work towards rebuilding democracy while countering the Trump agenda. Through its resources and support, Indivisible seeks to create a unified movement for progressive change at the national level.

Ragtag facilitates responsible tech volunteerism in progressive organizing. They connect technologists with grassroots organizers, providing training and resources to foster effective collaboration.

WITNESS is an international organization that trains and supports people using video in their fight for human rights. The organization trains and supports activists and citizens around the world to use video safely, ethically, and effectively expose human rights abuse and fight for human rights change. It identifies critical situations and teach those affected by them the basics of video production, safe and ethical filming techniques, and advocacy strategies. Some of the topics covered by the organization include gender-based violence, Middle East and North Africa Transitions, child soldiers, human trafficking, elder abuse, climate change, internally displaced persons, and more. WITNESS was founded by Richard Branson, Michael Posner, and Peter Gabriel in 1992.

PushBlack is a nonprofit media platform dedicated to celebrating Black history. It reaches over 3 million subscribers with inspiring stories and uses this historical context to mobilize its audience for social action, particularly voting.

MPower Change is a Muslim‑led nonprofit that uses digital organizing, campaigning, and storytelling to strengthen grassroots power among American Muslims and promote social, spiritual, racial, and economic justice for all. Launched online in December 2015, it quickly partnered with major online activism groups such as MoveOn and ColorOfChange and with leading Muslim organizations including the Council on American‑Islamic Relations and the Islamic Society of North America.

Planet Protector Academy is a non-profit organization that educates children about environmental protection through interactive media, live theatre, and hands-on activities. Since 1997 it has reached over 900,000 young children in 62 Canadian cities, delivering programs that blend comedy, arts, games, video, and at-home missions to spark kindness, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. Its educational initiatives include one-hour modules and online learning designed to instill positive environmental values and empower children to apply what they learn in daily life.