The Fund for Virginia Organizing Project is a nonprofit organization that supports Virginia Organizing, a left-of-center activism organization that works to promote left-of-center policies in areas such as healthcare, taxation, immigration, and LGBT issues in the commonwealth of Virginia. ¹

Virginia Organizing

The Fund for Virginia Organizing Project provides funding to support the work of Virginia Organizing, which was formerly known as the Virginia Organizing Project. The Fund is run by the founder of Virginia Organizing, Joe Szakos. ²  Virginia Organizing is a left-of-center organization which claims that every person is “entitled” to a wage that would pay for housing, food, childcare and retirement. Virginia Organizing has supported a number of left-of-center policies, including increased funding for education, increased taxes on the wealthy,  wealth redistribution programs, and the elimination of the death penalty. The organization has activist chapters throughout the state. ³

Finances

In fiscal year 2018, the Fund for Virginia Organizing Project reported $43,644 in revenue, of which $35,256 was derived from investment income and only $28 came from grants and contributions. The organization had $70,537 in expenses after giving a grant for that same amount to Virginia Organizing. There was a notable drop in revenue from fiscal year 2017, when the organization had $461,008 in revenue, of which $430,133 came from grants and contributions. At the end of fiscal year 2018, the organization reported $1,286,327 in net assets. ⁴

In 2018, Virginia Organizing reported $6,824,117 in revenue of which $70,537 came from the Fund for Virginia Organizing Project. ⁵

Leadership

Joe Szakos is the executive director of the Fund for Virginia Organizing Project according to the latest tax filings available for the organization. Szakos was the founding executive director of Virginia Organizing in 1994 and previously did community organizing in Kentucky, Illinois, and Hungary. He has authored two books on community organizing with his wife, Kristin Layng Szakos. ⁶ He has contributed small amounts of money exclusively to the left-of-center funding PAC ActBlue⁷

The Virginia Organizing website states that Szakos retired from his position as executive director in 2017 and worked as an organizer in Lynchburg, Virginia until his retirement in 2020. ⁸ It is not clear if he has maintained his position as executive director of the Fund for Virginia Organizing Project since his retirement.

David Rubinstein is the secretary-treasurer of the Fund for Virginia Organizing Project. He was previously registered as a lobbyist for Virginia Organizing from May 2005 to April 2006. ⁹ Rubinstein has contributed large sums of money to left-of-center candidates and PACs, including former Secretary of State John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, the Democratic Party of Virginia, Obama for America, the Democratic National Committee (DNC), former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, and President Joe Biden’s campaign. ¹⁰

1. Virginia Organizing. “Who Is Virginia Organizing.” Accessed April 16, 2021. https://virginia-organizing.org/who-is-virginia-organizing/.
2. “Joe Szakos | Organizer.” Virginia-Organizing.org. Accessed April 15, 2021. https://virginia-organizing.org/joe-szakos/.
3. Virginia Organizing. “Who Is Virginia Organizing.” Accessed April 16, 2021. https://virginia-organizing.org/who-is-virginia-organizing/.
4. Fund for Virginia Organizing Project, IRS (Form 990), 2018, Part I and Schedule I Part II
5. Fund for Virginia Organizing Project, IRS (Form 990), 2018, Part I and Schedule I Part II
6. “Joe Szakos | Organizer.” Virginia-Organizing.org. Accessed April 15, 2021. https://virginia-organizing.org/joe-szakos/.
7. FEC.gov. “Joseph Szakos.” Accessed April 15, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Joe+Szakos&contributor_name=Joseph+Szakos&min_date=01%2F01%2F1990&max_date=12%2F31%2F2022
8. “Joe Szakos | Organizer.” Virginia-Organizing.org. Accessed April 15, 2021. https://virginia-organizing.org/joe-szakos/.
9. The Virginia Public Access Project. “David B. Rubenstein.” Accessed April 15, 2021. www.vpap.org/lobbying/lobbyist/73730-david-b-rubinstein/.
10. FEC.gov. “David Rubinstien.” Accessed April 16, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=David+Rubinstein&contributor_zip=22401&min_date=01%2F01%2F1990&max_date=12%2F31%2F2022.