Galvanize Action is an advocacy group that targets ideologically moderate white women in rural, small town, and suburban America to support left-of-center candidates. The organization claims that it uses the “intersection of data science, behavioral psychology, and neuroscience” to persuade white women in battleground states to become reliable voters for left-leaning candidates. ¹

In 2022, the organization partnered in launching a public relations campaign to defend critical race theory. ²

Galvanize Action is a project of the Sixteen Thirty Fund, an issue advocacy group that is managed by the left-of-center philanthropic consultancy Arabella Advisors. ³

Background

Galvanize Action says it is the only organization that focuses on motivating moderate white women in battleground states to “reliably vote for progress.” The project is fiscally sponsored by the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a political advocacy group managed as part of the liberal “dark money” network associated with Arabella Advisors. ⁴

Prior to the 2022 midterm election, Galvanize Action claimed it identified more than 11 million “persuadable white women.” ⁵

During the 2022 cycle, Galvanize Action worked to move women voters to Democratic candidates in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Texas, and Nevada. Galvanize Action ran about 400 online ads in the 2022 election cycle. ⁶

Jackie Payne, who formerly had stints at Planned Parenthood and the National Organization of Women, founded Galvanize USA in 2018, and in 2019 she founded Galvanize Action. ^{7 8}

Galvanize USA is a project of the Arabella Advisors-managed Hopewell Fund. Galvanize USA holds training programs for left-of-center women to learn to engage in civic life. Staff of Galvanize USA work part-time for Galvanize Action. ⁹

Strategy

Galvanize Action says that white women are the largest voting bloc in the country and will be for the foreseeable future. ¹⁰ It claims that by 2040, only 30 percent of the population will control 68 of the 100 Senate seats, and that 30 percent will largely be white and rural. The organization argues that for liberals this means targeting the white women in those rural areas will be important for winning elections. ¹¹

The group says it works at the “intersection of data science, behavioral psychology, and neuroscience” to find women in battleground states that “want progress but aren’t yet reliably voting that way.” ¹²

Galvanize Action’s modeling approach includes data from “voter files and polls” with other sources “to categorize people based on their values, personality traits, and beliefs.” ¹³

Galvanize Action says its focus is on moderate women but has targeted “traditionalist conservatives” or “primarily middle-aged, highly-religious voters” that typically supported Republicans but broke away because of former President Donald Trump. ¹⁴

The group says it has more than 250 statistically significant messages that moved voters by up to 44 percentage points on topics including critical race theory, climate change, abortion, the economy, immigration, democracy, and healthcare.” ¹⁵

In the summer of 2022, Galvanize Action partnered with the Swing Blue Alliance for a public relations campaign to change the public perception about critical race theory, with an aim at persuadable white women voters. ¹⁶

Leadership

Jackie Payne is the founder and executive director of Galvanize Action. She was previously the director of government relations for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the nation’s largest abortion provider. She was also a legal aid lawyer and policy attorney for the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund. ¹⁷

Emily Cavanaugh is the chief operating officer of Galvanize Action. She previously worked for Planned Parenthood Federation of America and for the NoVo Foundation’s Move to End Violence program. ¹⁸

Kelly Starr is the chief communications officer for Galvanize Action. She has been a member of the adjunct faculty of Antioch University and has been published in Sage Publications’ Homicide Studies Journal. ¹⁹

Kristin Wheeler is the chief strategy officer for Galvanize Action. She previously worked for the National Park Service and Greenpeace USA. ²⁰

1. Schoffstall, Joe. “Liberal dark money group using ‘behavioral psychology’ to get women to vote Democrat in battleground states.” Fox News. October 20, 2022. Accessed January 21, 2023.  https://www.foxnews.com/politics/liberal-dark-money-group-using-behavioral-psychology-women-vote-democrat-battleground-states
2. Press Release. “Swing Blue and Galvanize Action Aim to Change the National Narrative Around CRT.” Swing Blue Alliance. June 8, 2022. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://swingbluealliance.org/galvanize-action-changing-narrative-around-crt/
3.  “Galvanize Action.” LinkedIn. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/company/galvanize-action/
4. “Galvanize Action.” LinkedIn. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/company/galvanize-action/
5.  Schoffstall, Joe. “Liberal dark money group using ‘behavioral psychology’ to get women to vote Democrat in battleground states.” Fox News. October 20, 2022. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/liberal-dark-money-group-using-behavioral-psychology-women-vote-democrat-battleground-states
6. Schoffstall, Joe. “Liberal dark money group using ‘behavioral psychology’ to get women to vote Democrat in battleground states.” Fox News. October 20, 2022. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/liberal-dark-money-group-using-behavioral-psychology-women-vote-democrat-battleground-states
7. “Our Story.” Galvanize USA. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.galvanizeusa.org/about/our-story/
8. “Our Story.” Galvanize Action. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.galvanizeaction.org/about/our-story/
9.  “Galvanize USA.” Idealist. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.idealist.org/en/nonprofit/785a13cbf80f413c8febba7353c467c9-galvanize-usa-seattle
10. “Mission and Vision.” Galvanize Action. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.galvanizeaction.org/about/mission-vision/
11. “Our Story.” Galvanize Action. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.galvanizeaction.org/about/our-story/
12. Schoffstall, Joe. “Liberal dark money group using ‘behavioral psychology’ to get women to vote Democrat in battleground states.” Fox News. October 20, 2022. Accessed January 21, 2023.  https://www.foxnews.com/politics/liberal-dark-money-group-using-behavioral-psychology-women-vote-democrat-battleground-states
13. Schoffstall, Joe. “Liberal dark money group using ‘behavioral psychology’ to get women to vote Democrat in battleground states.” Fox News. October 20, 2022. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/liberal-dark-money-group-using-behavioral-psychology-women-vote-democrat-battleground-states
14. Schoffstall, Joe. “Liberal dark money group using ‘behavioral psychology’ to get women to vote Democrat in battleground states.” Fox News. October 20, 2022. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/liberal-dark-money-group-using-behavioral-psychology-women-vote-democrat-battleground-states
15.  Schoffstall, Joe. “Liberal dark money group using ‘behavioral psychology’ to get women to vote Democrat in battleground states.” Fox News. October 20, 2022. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/liberal-dark-money-group-using-behavioral-psychology-women-vote-democrat-battleground-states
16. Press Release. “Swing Blue and Galvanize Action Aim to Change the National Narrative Around CRT.” Swing Blue Alliance. June 8, 2022. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://swingbluealliance.org/galvanize-action-changing-narrative-around-crt/
17. “Our Story.” Galvanize Action. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.galvanizeaction.org/about/our-story/
18. “Staff and Advisors.” Galvanize Action. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.galvanizeaction.org/about/staff-advisors/
19. “Staff and Advisors.” Galvanize Action. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.galvanizeaction.org/about/staff-advisors/
20. “Staff and Advisors.” Galvanize Action. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.galvanizeaction.org/about/staff-advisors/