Non-profit

MPower Change Action

Website:

mpowerchange.org

Formation:

2016

Type:

Islamic Political Advocacy Group

Project of:

NEO Philanthropy Action Fund

Founders:

Linda Sarsour

Mark Crain

Dustin Craun

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

MPower Change Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) project of NEO Philanthropy Action Fund. It is the sister affiliate of the 501(c)(3) organization MPower Change, an left-of-center advocacy group focusing on issues related to American Muslims.

Background

MPower Change Action Fund was founded in January 2016 in New York. Linda Sarsour, Mark Crain, Dustin Craun are the founders of the organization. MPower uses digital advocacy to recruit members of the Muslim community to engage in reformation of issues such as surveillance, immigration, healthcare, and civic engagement.

Funding

MPower Change Action Fund is a project of the fiscal sponsorship group NEO Philanthropy Action Fund, and as such is not an IRS-recognized nonprofit. Donations given to MPower Change Action Fund go to NEO Philanthropy Action Fund, its fiscal sponsor.

MPower Action Fund was a recipient to $50,000 from Groundswell Fund in 2017 through Groundswell’s Liberation Fund project. 1 In 2018, It is funded mainly through its sister organization MPower Change through NEO Philanthropy Action Fund. Several fundraising groups contribute to MPower Change’s works, such as ActBlue Charities, Crowdrise, and Proteus Fund. For Our Future Action Fund, a project under ActBlue Civics partnered with MPower Action Fund to assist in the launch of the “Calling all Muslims” campaign during the 2016 presidential election, a phone bank operation calling for Muslims to vote. 2

Activism

MPower Change conducts public gatherings in advocacy and protests in several cities to support or protest any legislation or government action that influences the Muslim community.

During the 2016 presidential election, MPower set up the #MyMuslimVote campaign that consisted of a phone bank to spread voter registration for the Muslim community. 3

MPower teamed up with Free Press, a pro-net neutrality advocacy organization to oppose the Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media merger. 4 MPower’s signature was included in a petition at a protest at the Federal Communications Commission. 5

A rally was held in July of 2018 at Microsoft CEO with several left-wing advocacy groups to protest the contract agreement that Microsoft had with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Alongside MPower Change were petitions given by Color of Change, Mijente, Free Press Action Fund, Daily Kos, Presente.org, CREDO Action, Jobs with Justice, and The Nation . 6

MPower Change has voiced opposition to President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 13769 that set up a barred entry to the U.S. of nationals of several Muslim-majority countries. Activists gathered at the Federal Building in San Francisco to protest the measure. 7 The group also protested after the U.S. Supreme Court heard the case Trump v. Hawaii. 8

References

  1. “Groundswell 2017 Liberation Fund Docket.” https://groundswellfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Groundswell-LiberationFund-2017Docket-FINAL-WEB.pdf.
  2. “Our Partners.” For Our Future Action Fund. Accessed May 31, 2019. http://forourfuturefund.org/testimonial/.
  3. “Our Partners.” For Our Future Action Fund. Accessed May 31, 2019. http://forourfuturefund.org/testimonial/.
  4. “Free Press Moves to Stop Disastrous Sinclair-Tribune Mega-Merger.” Free Press. Accessed June 04, 2019. https://www.freepress.net/news/press-releases/free-press-moves-stop-disastrous-sinclair-tribune-mega-merger.
  5. “Anti-Sinclair Activists Rally in Front of the FCC.” Free Press. Accessed May 30, 2019. https://www.freepress.net/our-response/advocacy-organizing/stories-field/anti-sinclair-activists-rally-front-fcc.
  6. “PHOTOS: Advocacy Groups Representing More Than 7 Million People Turn Up Pressure On Microsoft To Cancel Contract With ICE.” Fight for the Future. Accessed May 30, 2019. https://www.fightforthefuture.org/news/2018-07-26-photos-advocacy-groups-representing-more-than-7/.
  7. “Facebook.” Facebook Watch. Accessed May 31, 2019. https://www.facebook.com/MPowerChange/videos/229761961287499/?video_source=permalink.
  8. Change, MPower. “Muslims and Their Allies out in Full Force in DC to Say #NoMuslimBanEver Pic.twitter.com/OFaQTq0RXa.” Twitter. October 18, 2017. Accessed May 31, 2019. https://twitter.com/MPower_Change/status/920792565804388353.

Directors, Employees & Supporters

  1. Mohammad Khan
    Campaign Director
  2. Linda Sarsour
    Co-Founder

Associated Organizations

  1. MPower Change (Non-profit)
  See an error? Let us know!