Make It Work Action (MIWA) is a left-of-center advocacy and media campaign created by the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a left-of-center funding and fiscal sponsorship organization. Make It Work Campaign is MIWA’s education arm and a project of the left-of-center New Venture Fund. The Sixteen Thirty Fund and the New Venture Fund are both financed by Arabella Advisors, a liberal philanthropic consulting firm.

MIWA promotes a left-of-center economic agenda that focuses primarily on women. ¹ The organization has also been described as a women’s labor advocacy organization. ² MIWA is engaged in get-out-the-vote efforts, candidate ratings, and left-leaning public policy advocacy. ³

Background

The Make It Work campaign launched in 2014 as a three-year effort to build support for left-of-center candidates in the 2016 election. The MIWA website still reflects initiatives leading up 2016 election as of the fall of 2020. ⁴

Vivien Labaton and Tracy Sturdivant cofounded MIWA and worked as co-executive directors. ^{5  6 7}

MIWA claims that candidates can only win by supporting “working people and families” through left-of-center policy proposals. ⁸ MIWA focuses specifically on economic initiatives. ⁹ As part of its campaign, MIWA sponsors town hall events, creates social media campaigns, and participates in door-to-door canvassing. ¹⁰

Issue Advocacy

MIWA focuses on economic issues that impact women. ¹¹ MIWA advocates for increased government regulation of the economy to close the purported pay gap between men and women, mandate increased paid sick leave, and subsidize the cost of day care. ¹² MIWA also advocates for a $15 minimum wage. ¹³

MIWA strongly opposed Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and later opposed the Trump administration’s proposed paid family leave plan, claiming that it was insufficient. ¹⁴

1. Frumin, Aliyah and Carmon, Irin. “7 Lingering Concerns About Trump’s Family Leave Plan.” NBC News. September 14, 2016. Accessed October 3, 2020. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/7-lingering-concerns-about-trump-s-family-leave-plan-n648331
2. Cunha, Darlena. “Ivanka Trump’s BS Speech About Equal Pay Shows Lying Runs in the Family.” Vice. July 22, 2016. Accessed October 3, 2020. https://www.vice.com/en/article/9aeemy/ivanka-trumps-bs-speech-about-equal-pay-shows-lying-runs-in-family
3. Make It Work Action. Accessed October 3, 2020. http://www.makeitworkcampaign.org/about/make-it-work-action-fund/
4. Make It Work Action. Accessed October 3, 2020. http://www.makeitworkcampaign.org/about/make-it-work-action-fund/
5. Malloy, Daniel. “The Rancher Brokering the Senate’s Compromise on Women.” Ozy. April 19, 2017. https://www.ozy.com/news-and-politics/the-rancher-brokering-the-senates-compromise-on-women/76294/
6. Press Release. “Progressive Leaders Issue Joint Statement on Fighting President Trump and Conservatives’ Corporate, Billionaire-Driven Agenda.” February 28, 2017. Accessed October 3, 2020. https://sixaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/WOA-Joint-Prebuttal-Statement-to-Trump-Address-FINAL.pdf
7. Nguyen, Hoa. “Work-Family Advocates Size Up Their Chances in November.” Women’s News. August 4, 2016. Accessed October 3, 2020. https://womensenews.org/2016/08/work-family-advocates-size-up-their-chances-in-november/
8. Make It Work Action. Accessed October 3, 2020. http://www.makeitworkcampaign.org/about/make-it-work-action-fund/
9. Make It Work Action. Accessed October 3, 2020. http://www.makeitworkcampaign.org/about/make-it-work-action-fund/
10. Make It Work Action. Accessed October 3, 2020. http://www.makeitworkcampaign.org/about/make-it-work-action-fund/
11. Projects. Sixteen Thirty Fund. Accessed October 3, 2020. https://www.sixteenthirtyfund.org/project-directory/
12. Cunha, Darlena. “Ivanka Trump’s BS Speech About Equal Pay Shows Lying Runs in the Family.” Vice. July 22, 2016. Accessed October 3, 2020. https://www.vice.com/en/article/9aeemy/ivanka-trumps-bs-speech-about-equal-pay-shows-lying-runs-in-family
13. Parris, Jennifer. “Spotlight on … Make it Work.” 1 Million for Work Flexibility. June 15, 2017. Accessed October 3, 2020. https://www.workflexibility.org/spotlight-make-it-work/
14. Frumin, Aliyah and Carmon, Irin. “7 Lingering Concerns About Trump’s Family Leave Plan.” NBC News. September 14, 2016. Accessed October 3, 2020. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/7-lingering-concerns-about-trump-s-family-leave-plan-n648331