NOI is defunct. For its successor, see Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL)
New Organizing Institute Education Fund (NOIEF) was the charitable arm of New Organizing Institute (NOI), a progressive nonprofit that trained digital organizers and campaigners for the Democratic Party. The organization, described by a Washington Post reporter as “the Democratic Party’s Hogwarts for digital wizardry,” trained 30,000 members in ten years before experiencing a mass staff walkout in 2015. 1 Shortly afterward, the Institute and its Education Fund were disbanded and its core program and most remaining members were folded into Wellstone Action, one of the largest left-of-center training campaigner training organizations.
In 2012, Whitney May, Tiana-Epps Johnson, and Donny Bridges founded Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), a left-of-center voter outreach group. All three would work for New Organizing Institute from 2012-2015 and then return to CTCL. In 2020, CTCL received a $250 million grant from Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg.
Leadership
New Organizing Institute Education Fund and New Organizing Institute were co-founded by Judith Freeman, a long-time strategist for the Democratic Party and allied organizations. In 2004, after attending college at the University of Chicago, Freeman worked for M+R Strategic Services and on then-Senator John Kerry’s (D-MA) presidential campaign. In 2005, Freeman began serving as a senior political strategist for the AFL-CIO labor union federation and co-founded New Organizing Institute. In 2008, Freeman worked as a digital field director for Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy. 2 From 2006-2013, Freeman served as executive director of NOIEF, until she was replaced by Ethan Roeder. Freeman remained as president of NOI and chair of both organizations’ boards. 34
In 2013, Ethan Roeder became the new executive director of NOIEF and the Institute. Roeder had served as a voter file manager and the national data manager Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. He then worked at NOI as director of data, technology, and election administration for three years until he returned to President Obama’s reelection campaign as director of data. 5
Activism
“Hogwarts” for Democrats and “The Left’s New Death Star”
For more information on NOI’s activism, see New Organizing Institute (Nonprofit)
In July 2014, a reporter for the Washington Post published a piece covering the New Organizing Institute (NOI), calling it “the Democratic Party’s Hogwarts for digital wizardry” and “the Left’s think tank for campaign know-how.” 6
The piece detailed how NOI trained activists, campaign staffers, and nonprofit employees in digital technology such as HTML coding, voter outreach via email lists and social media adverts, donor outreach and fundraising methods, tips for spreading online video content, and proper eye-catching online messaging. The article explained that the impetus behind the Institute’s formation was the desire of Democratic Party operatives for their field workers to be trained in the latest digital techniques perfected by the Obama presidential campaign during the 2012 election. By spreading the latest skills in coding, social media, and internet advertising to as many left-of-center activists as possible, NOI could diffuse digital learning through the progressive movement as those activists went on to different places in their careers, giving a lasting advantage to Democrats. 7
NOI’s “About” page (archived here) quoted a CNN article which called it “The Left’s New Death Star,” bragging that “even as Republicans made impressive strides in digital and data-driven campaigning in 2014, Democrats retain a culture of innovation and an army of campaign geeks that far outpaces their GOP foes . . . There is nothing like [NOI] on the Right.” 8
Dissolution and Staff Walkout (2015)
In February 2015, eight senior staff members and an unknown number of the “20 or so” lower level staffers of the New Organizing Institute (NOI) quit en masse. The day prior, senior staff members had presented an ultimatum to the New Organizing Institute board demanding the resignation of executive director Ethan Roeder due to alleged financial mismanagement which had left the organization on the verge of insolvency. The board, led by Judith Freeman, refused to remove Roeder. 9
After the walkout, Freeman vowed to continue the New Organizing Institute,10 but the Institute and the Education Fund would dissolve eight months later. In an October press release, Freeman announced that NOI’s core training program would be absorbed by Wellstone Action (now RePower). 11
Center for Tech and Civic Life
Among the senior staff members who quit the New Organizing Institute in February 2015 were Whitney May, Tiana Epps-Johnson, and Donny Bridges. 121314 In 2012, these three had founded the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a voter outreach organization which targets demographic groups which tend to support the Democratic Party. After establishing the organization, the three joined the Institute. May served as the group’s voter information project state liaison and election administration government liaison. Johnson served as the Institute’s election administration director. Bridges served as the Institute’s election administration research director. 15
In February 2015, after leaving the Institute, the three rejoined CTCL. May became director of government services, Epps-Johnson became executive director, and Bridges became director of civic data. 161718
In 2020, CTCL would receive $250 million from Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg to increase voter registration and mail voting for the 2020 election. 19
Connections to Major Liberal Political Groups
Funders Committee for Civic Participation (FCCP)
For more information, see Funders Committee for Civic Participation
Democracy Alliance
For more information, see Democracy Alliance
Leadership
Co-Founders
New Organizing Institute and the New Organizing Institute Education Fund and were co-founded by Judith Freeman, a long-time strategist for the Democratic Party and allied organizations. From 2005-2015, Freeman served as president of New Organizing Institute. 20 21
In 2004, after attending college at the University of Chicago, Freeman worked for M+R Strategic Services and on then-Senator John Kerry’s (D-MA) 004 presidential campaign. In 2005, Freeman began serving as a senior political strategist for the AFL-CIO labor union federation and co-founded New Organizing Institute. In 2008, Freeman worked as a digital field director for Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy. 22
Zack Exley, NOI’s other co-founder, is a longtime radical political activist who previously worked with MoveOn.org and Britain’s Labour Party. Exley was NOI president from 2005 to 2010, when he left to become chief community officer (later chief revenue officer) for the Wikimedia Foundation. From 2009-2010 Exley was an Open Society Foundations fellow, receiving a grant from the George Soros-aligned foundation. 23 In 2016, he was an advisor on socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (D-VT) failed presidential campaign; from its collapse he co-founded Middle Seat, a digital marketing firm catering to far-left politicians and causes. Exley co-founded the left-wing political committees Justice Democrats and Brand New Congress, which aims to elect socialist and far-left Democrats. In 2018, he co-founded New Consensus, a nonprofit that promotes the extremist Green New Deal. 24
Exley co-authored the 2016 book Rules for Revolutionaries: How Big Organizing Can Change Everything with former CREDO super PAC president Becky Bond, a board member of NOI Education Fund until its collapse in 2015. 25 26
Executive Director
Starting in 2006, co-founder Judith Freeman served as executive director of NOIEF as well as the New Organizing Institute (NOI), until she stepped down in 2013. Freeman remained as president of NOI and chair of both organizations’ boards. 2728
In 2013, Ethan Roeder became the new executive director of NOI and the NOI Education Fund. Roeder previously worked as a voter file manager and the national data manager Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. He then worked at New Organizing Institute as director of data, technology, and election administration for three years until he returned to President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign as director of data for Obama for America (OFA; now Organizing for Action). 29
In September 2017, Roeder became director of campaigns for Forward Majority Action (not to be confused with Majority Forward), a major Democratic-aligned super PAC that spends heavily to flip Congressional and U.S. Senate seats to Democrats. 30
In 2015, NOI/NOI Education Fund’s final year of operations, Roeder earned $113,392 in total compensation from both organizations. 31
Board of Directors
In 2015, its final year of operation, NOI Education Fund’s board of directors included Robert “Biko” Baker, an associate lecturer on African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and left-wing activist involved in “data-driven voter turnout campaigns that dramatically increase the voter participation of young urban citizens”; and Becky Bond, co-founder of the far-left Real Justice PAC, which helps elect Democratic prosecutors, an advisor to Beto O’Rourke’s 2018 Texas Senate campaign and socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (D-VT) 2016 presidential campaign, former president of the left-wing CREDO super PAC, and author of the 2016 book Rules for Revolutionaries: How Big Organizing Can Change Everything. 32 33
Funding
NOI Education Fund was incorporated in 2010 and ceased operations in 2015. In June 2018, its tax-exempt status was automatically revoked by the IRS for failing to file an annual Form 990 report for three years in a row. 34
Relationship with NOI
NOI was NOI Education Fund’s 501(c)(4) affiliate. The two organizations shared office space and staff, who were paid for by NOI Education Fund while working for NOI.
In 2014, NOI Education Fund paid NOI $647,285 in employee salaries, $803,021 in reimbursements for “expenses” (details are not provided), and $60,130 for the “sharing of facilities, equipment, mailing lists,” or other expenses. 35
In 2013, NOI Education Fund paid NOI $783,766 in employee salaries, $351,170 in reimbursements for “expenses” (details are not provided), and $72,928 for the “sharing of facilities, equipment, mailing lists,” or other expenses. 36
Financial Overview
Between 2010 and January 2015, NOI Education Fund reported total revenues of nearly $26 million and total expenditures of nearly $26 million (including grants paid totaling $12 million): 37
| NOI Ed. Fund Financial Overview | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total Revenues | Total Expenditures | Grants Paid | Net Assets |
| 2014 | $4,554,889 | $5,323,554 | $1,694,186 | $12,018 |
| 2013 | $5,898,535 | $5,306,432 | $2,623,094 | $780,684 |
| 2012 | $7,089,297 | $7,609,156 | $4,194,335 | $226,689 |
| 2011 | $5,395,791 | $5,143,664 | $2,047,925 | $746,548 |
| 2010 | $3,029,825 | $2,535,404 | $1,392,670 | $494,421 |
| Total: | $25,968,337 | $25,918,210 | $11,952,210 | |
Donors to NOI Education Fund
Between 2008 and 2015, NOI Education Fund received over $16 million in grants, mostly from left-of-center foundations and pass-through funders: 38
| Grantor | Amount | Year | Grant Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | $2,520,000 | 2011 | Specific project |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | $700,000 | 2012 | Specific project |
| Ford Foundation | $600,000 | 2013 | General support for its unique grassroots program to train people to engage in and organize civic activities empowered by technology |
| Ford Foundation | $600,000 | 2012 | Core support for the civic engagement program to train organizers and provide the tools necessary to build and manage effective non partisan voter engagement efforts |
| Ford Foundation | $550,000 | 2013 | Core support for color of change to strengthen the voice of black America and create positive change surrounding critical political and social issues and for its criminal justice and voting rights initiatives |
| Ford Foundation | $500,000 | 2014 | General support for community organizing and civic engagement work and for a project in partnership with the analyst institute to conduct research experimentation and learning in the civic engagement field |
| Ford Foundation | $400,000 | 2012 | General support for its unique grassroots program to train people to engage in and organize civic activities empowered by technology |
| Ford Foundation | $400,000 | 2011 | General support for its unique grassroots program to train people to engage in and organize civic activities empowered by technology |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | $400,000 | 2013 | Specific project |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $285,000 | 2014 | For grant recipient's exempt purposes (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $250,000 | 2015 | |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $250,000 | 2012 | Environment and animals |
| Foundation To Promote Open Society | $250,000 | 2011 | To provide general support |
| Foundation To Promote Open Society | $250,000 | 2012 | To provide general support |
| Schmidt Family Foundation | $250,000 | 2011 | To support citizen engagement lab climate organizing campaign |
| Tides Foundation | $250,000 | 2012 | General support for colorofchange.org education fund (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr Fund | $200,000 | 2011 | For start up support for a new online advocacy project in Asian American Communities $200 000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $200,000 | 2013 | For grant recipient's exempt purposes |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $200,000 | 2013 | For grant recipient's exempt purposes |
| Foundation To Promote Open Society | $200,000 | 2013 | To provide general support (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Ford Foundation | $200,000 | 2015 | General support for community organizing civic engagement and leadership development |
| Women Donors Network | $200,000 | 2012 | Operating support for 'Ultra Violet' |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $150,000 | 2012 | General Support |
| Stephen M Silberstein Foundation | $150,000 | 2013 | Produce the best leaders and strongest movements of our generation (SUM OF US) |
| Energy Foundation | $150,000 | 2011 | To engage new allies on climate and energy issues |
| Unbound Philanthropy | $125,000 | 2012 | Provide training and technical assistance to united we dream network's affiliates |
| Joyce Foundation | $107,500 | 2011 | To provide training and technical assistance to public engagement grantees in the education and gun violence programs with a goal of expanding their capacity to use new media tools to organize around policy reform. |
| Open Society Foundations | $100,000 | 2010 | To provide general support |
| Open Society Foundations | $100,000 | 2009 | To provide general support |
| Ford Foundation | $100,000 | 2013 | To convene research and identify future digital organizing strategies for social change |
| Tides Foundation | $100,000 | 2012 | 2012 civic engagement efforts in Virginia North Carolina Florida and Michigan (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Tides Foundation | $100,000 | 2009 | Charitable non-lobbying work |
| Tides Foundation | $100,000 | 2012 | Support civic engagement research work in Milwaukee (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Tides Foundation | $100,000 | 2010 | To support organizational development for emerging organizations in Michigan Arizona North Carolina Arkansas and Ohio |
| Unbound Philanthropy | $100,000 | 2012 | Presente or a project of citizen engagement lab |
| Tides Foundation | $95,000 | 2010 | General support for citizen engagement laboratory (CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT LABORATORY) |
| San Francisco Foundation | $87,500 | 2012 | Citizen participation |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | $85,000 | 2014 | Arts and culture |
| Tides Foundation | $85,000 | 2013 | 2012 independent voter registration report project |
| Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr Fund | $75,000 | 2012 | For the citizen engagement lab education fund to support online advocacy and organizing for civic participation in Latino communities $75 000 (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr Fund | $75,000 | 2011 | For Citizen Engagement Laboratory; To support Presente Org's online advocacy in Latino communities; To support immigration reform and civic participation $75 000 |
| Surdna Foundation Inc | $75,000 | 2011 | General support |
| Arca Foundation | $75,000 | 2011 | (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Arca Foundation | $75,000 | 2012 | To support the economic justice program |
| Joyce Foundation | $75,000 | 2013 | To support two new media trainings for Joyce grantees in Chicago. |
| Nathan Cummings Foundation | $75,000 | 2011 | High impact video series |
| Unbound Philanthropy | $75,000 | 2011 | Presente org - rapid response organizing project |
| Wallace Global Fund II | $75,000 | 2012 | General support for SumOfUs' corporate accountability human rights and environment campaigns |
| Unbound Philanthropy | $70,000 | 2011 | Culture strike project |
| Unbound Philanthropy | $70,000 | 2012 | Culture strike's work in promoting a cultural strategy around immigration reform |
| Tides Foundation | $65,847 | 2012 | Citizen engagement laboratory's police accountability communications and new media project (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Tides Foundation | $62,000 | 2012 | Voter registration technology support project (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Wallace Global Fund II | $60,000 | 2013 | General support for the color of change |
| Bauman Family Foundation | $50,000 | 2013 | Color of change revenue project |
| Bauman Family Foundation | $50,000 | 2014 | Colorofchange.org |
| Compton Foundation Inc | $50,000 | 2012 | Reproductive justice |
| NoVo Foundation | $50,000 | 2012 | Project support ultra violet |
| NoVo Foundation | $50,000 | 2014 | Project support civic legal corp. |
| NoVo Foundation | $50,000 | 2013 | Project support civic legal corps legal fellowship training program and community center |
| NoVo Foundation | $50,000 | 2015 | Project support CIVIC legal corps |
| Proteus Fund | $50,000 | 2010 | For P Street Project's work to undermine the credibility of the Google-Verizon Internet policy framework and educate policy makers on the framework's potential harms |
| Robert W Deutsch Foundation | $50,000 | 2013 | General purpose |
| Robert W Deutsch Foundation | $50,000 | 2012 | General purposes |
| Sandler Foundation | $50,000 | 2011 | For the citizen engagement laboratory |
| Arca Foundation | $50,000 | 2012 | To support citizen engagement laboratory's economic Justice work |
| Arca Foundation | $50,000 | 2010 | |
| Arca Foundation | $50,000 | 2013 | To support color of change org education fund's economic justice project |
| Dobkin Family Foundation | $50,000 | 2014 | General purpose fund (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Marisla Foundation | $50,000 | 2010 | Citizen engagement laboratory |
| Tides Foundation | $50,000 | 2013 | 2012 independent voter registration report project |
| Tides Foundation | $45,358 | 2010 | Youth engagement planning for 2012 |
| Tides Foundation | $45,000 | 2012 | Citizen engagement laboratory's voter registration programs in Michigan Wisconsin Virginia North Carolina and Florida (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Rappaport Family Foundation | $41,500 | 2012 | Project-specific grant in support of 'new organizing university-millennial project community college student engagement program' |
| Hull Family Foundation | $41,000 | 2009 | |
| Bauman Family Foundation | $40,000 | 2015 | General support |
| Gill Foundation | $40,000 | 2013 | Program support for Color of change org |
| Hull Family Foundation | $40,000 | 2010 | General operating |
| Rappaport Family Foundation | $40,000 | 2012 | Organizing leadership online. |
| Rappaport Family Foundation | $40,000 | 2013 | For project specific support of community college initiative |
| Arca Foundation | $40,000 | 2011 | (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Brainerd Foundation | $40,000 | 2013 | Environmental preservation |
| Ford Foundation | $40,000 | 2013 | New organizing institute education fund is requesting travel and travel-related support on behalf of get equal education fund with this travel grant get equal plans to hold convenings and other opportunities |
| Leonard And Sophie Davis Fund | $40,000 | 2014 | Support for social service programs or educational programs |
| Marisla Foundation | $40,000 | 2012 | Citizens engagement laboratory climate initiative |
| Tides Foundation | $40,000 | 2012 | General support for SumOfUs (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Wallace Global Fund II | $40,000 | 2013 | Project support to protect end expand democratic systems |
| Wallace Global Fund II | $40,000 | 2012 | General support for color of change |
| Tides Foundation | $39,869 | 2014 | Berim's general support (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Tides Foundation | $38,000 | 2012 | Facebook mobilization experiment (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Unbound Philanthropy | $35,000 | 2012 | Api online organizing |
| Tides Foundation | $33,955 | 2014 | Food democracy now general support (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Enlyst Fund | $30,000 | 2012 | General support (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Hull Family Foundation | $30,000 | 2013 | General and unrestricted (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Hull Family Foundation | $30,000 | 2015 | For voices Idaho operations and program costs |
| Jewish Community Federation Of San Francisco The Peninsula Marin And Sonoma | $30,000 | 2012 | Gen/program |
| Mitchell Kapor Foundation Dba Kapor Center For Social Impact | $30,000 | 2010 | Support for education |
| Orange County Community Foundation | $30,000 | 2014 | Human services |
| Proteus Fund | $30,000 | 2010 | To work to identify net neutrality champions in Congress pressure key legislators and gather information from Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) members to inform a shared lobbying strategy |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors | $30,000 | 2014 | General Support |
| Tides Foundation | $30,000 | 2011 | General support for citizenship engagement laboratory (CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT LABORATORY) |
| Tides Foundation | $30,000 | 2011 | General support for citizenship engagement laboratory (CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT LABORATORY) |
| Tides Foundation | $30,000 | 2013 | Fellows program |
| Tides Foundation | $30,000 | 2010 | General support for citizen engagement laboratory (CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT LABORATORY) |
| Ford Foundation | $29,371 | 2013 | The new organizing institute completed a quantitative analysis of cumulative work of the organizations that comprise the black civic engagement initiative and the national Latino civic engagement |
| San Francisco Foundation | $27,500 | 2013 | W24 (citizen participation) |
| Tides Foundation | $25,738 | 2012 | General support for food democracy now! (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Schwab Charitable Fund | $25,208 | 2015 | Support for education |
| Bauman Family Foundation | $25,000 | 2013 | Color of change |
| California Community Foundation | $25,000 | 2012 | Civic engagement |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $25,000 | 2012 | General Support |
| Hull Family Foundation | $25,000 | 2012 | General and unrestricted |
| Jewish Federation Of Cleveland | $25,000 | 2011 | General support |
| Ploughshares Fund | $25,000 | 2014 | To organize a July 2014 event that brings constituents veterans and diverse Iranian voices to Washington to meet with members of congress to discuss option for limiting Iran's nuclear capability to civilian use (BERIM) |
| Robert R Mccormick Foundation | $25,000 | 2013 | For one year of support for the Chicago votes education fund (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Seattle Foundation | $25,000 | 2011 | To support the citizen engagement lab (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Seattle Foundation | $25,000 | 2010 | To Support the Citizen Engagement Lab |
| Arca Foundation | $25,000 | 2014 | Grant for support of 'berim.org' |
| Arca Foundation | $25,000 | 2012 | To support sumofus for the purposes of internet education and advocacy on issues of human rights poverty eradication and consumer rights |
| The Chorus | $25,000 | 2012 | Program/project support (EDUCATION FUND) |
| The Chorus | $25,000 | 2013 | General operating support |
| The Chorus | $25,000 | 2013 | General operating support |
| Dobkin Family Foundation | $25,000 | 2014 | General purpose fund (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Sagner Family Foundation | $25,000 | 2008 | Leadership programs for youth |
| Sagner Family Foundation | $25,000 | 2009 | Leadership programs for youth |
| Schooner Foundation | $25,000 | 2014 | General support |
| Schooner Foundation | $25,000 | 2013 | General support |
| Tides Foundation | $25,000 | 2012 | GetEQUAL education fund's efforts to register and mobilize young LGBTQ and immigrant youth in collaboration with united we dream (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Tides Foundation | $25,000 | 2012 | General support (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Tides Foundation | $25,000 | 2014 | Berim's general support (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Tides Foundation | $25,000 | 2012 | To support experiments and testing for direct online voter registration in collaboration with rock the vote (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Tides Foundation | $25,000 | 2011 | General support |
| Tides Foundation | $25,000 | 2010 | Citizen engagement laboratory's video the vote project (CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT LABORATORY) |
| Tides Foundation | $25,000 | 2013 | Business federation civic fund's national voter registration day (BUSINESS FEDERATION - CIVIC FUND) |
| Tides Center | $24,555 | 2010 | Equality Across America - CEL/GetEQUAL |
| Tides Foundation | $24,223 | 2014 | Food democracy now general support (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Hull Family Foundation | $23,000 | 2011 | General and unrestricted (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Jewish Community Federation Of San Francisco The Peninsula Marin And Sonoma | $22,000 | 2013 | Support for education (EDUCATION FUND) |
| General Service Foundation | $20,000 | 2014 | Sum of US and roc-united: taking on the other NRA and empowering low-wage workers |
| General Service Foundation | $20,000 | 2012 | Sum of US's environment labor rights and human rights program that seeks to hold corporations accountable for the consequences of their actions through collective new media and offline actions |
| Gill Foundation | $20,000 | 2012 | Program support for colorofchange.org's tea party watch campaign |
| Gill Foundation | $20,000 | 2013 | Program support for Color of change org |
| Hull Family Foundation | $20,000 | 2014 | General and unrestricted |
| Hull Family Foundation | $20,000 | 2012 | Sum of us program |
| Mitchell Kapor Foundation Dba Kapor Center For Social Impact | $20,000 | 2011 | Civic participation |
| Natural Health Research Foundation | $20,000 | 2014 | General Support |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | $20,000 | 2012 | Support for education (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Tides Foundation | $20,000 | 2012 | SumOfUs environmental work (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Tides Foundation | $20,000 | 2011 | General support for citizenship engagement laboratory (CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT LABORATORY) |
| Hull Family Foundation | $18,000 | 2012 | Citizen engagement lab |
| Hull Family Foundation | $18,000 | 2012 | Citizen engagement lab program |
| Arcus Foundation | $15,000 | 2014 | To support GetEQUAL education fund's listening sessions in targeted communities to lift up pressing needs of the most underserved LGBTQ populations and inform GetEQUAL's field organizing mandate |
| Ben and Jerry's Foundation Inc | $15,000 | 2014 | 350 Vermont - tar sands free northeast kingdom |
| Citybridge Foundation | $15,000 | 2011 | One city grant |
| Enlyst Fund | $15,000 | 2011 | General support |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $15,000 | 2014 | For grant recipient's exempt purposes (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $15,000 | 2014 | For grant recipient's exempt purposes (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $15,000 | 2013 | For grant recipient's exempt purposes |
| Hull Family Foundation | $15,000 | 2013 | Bus federation civic fund (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Hull Family Foundation | $15,000 | 2013 | Sum of us program (EDUCATION FUND - SUM OF US) |
| Hull Family Foundation | $15,000 | 2011 | Citizen engagement lab project (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Natural Health Research Foundation | $15,000 | 2013 | General Support |
| San Francisco Foundation | $15,000 | 2014 | Citizen participation |
| Swanee Hunt Family Foundation | $15,000 | 2011 | Arts and community support |
| Swanee Hunt Family Foundation | $15,000 | 2013 | Prime movers program |
| Schooner Foundation | $15,000 | 2009 | General support |
| Women's Foundation Of Colorado | $15,000 | 2014 | Direct service grant from a donor advised fund |
| Tides Foundation | $15,000 | 2011 | General support |
| Ploughshares Fund | $14,950 | 2014 | To organize a February 2014 fly-in that brings constituents and prominent Iranian activists to Washington to meet with member of congress to discuss diplomacy with Iran (BERIM) |
| Liberty Hill Foundation | $12,340 | 2012 | Citizen engagement lab's education fund |
| Patagonia Org | $12,000 | 2014 | To support environmental projects (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Liberty Hill Foundation | $10,900 | 2011 | Citizen engagement lab |
| Arcus Foundation | $10,000 | 2013 | To support rusa LGBT in its work to assist the Russian-speaking LGBTQ community in the us and to develop the capacity of the organization |
| Enlyst Fund | $10,000 | 2014 | General support |
| Enlyst Fund | $10,000 | 2013 | General support |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $10,000 | 2014 | For grant recipient's exempt purposes (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $10,000 | 2015 | |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $10,000 | 2012 | General Support |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $10,000 | 2012 | Support for education |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $10,000 | 2012 | Support for education |
| Foundation For The Carolinas | $10,000 | 2012 | General Support (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Harris and Frances Block Foundation | $10,000 | 2014 | 350 org vt |
| Hull Family Foundation | $10,000 | 2015 | General and unrestricted |
| Hull Family Foundation | $10,000 | 2012 | Citizen engagement lab program - presente program |
| Hull Family Foundation | $10,000 | 2012 | Citizen engagement lab program - ultraviolet program |
| Hull Family Foundation | $10,000 | 2012 | Color of change program |
| Natural Health Research Foundation | $10,000 | 2015 | General Support |
| Neda Noban Foundation | $10,000 | 2012 | Ultra violet |
| New World Foundation | $10,000 | 2013 | In support of food democracy now (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Patagonia Org | $10,000 | 2015 | To support environmental projects |
| Stonewall Community Foundation | $10,000 | 2013 | Scouts for equality (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Sunflower Foundation | $10,000 | 2012 | To support their 2013 fellowship program to train people primarily women and minorities in progressive online advocacy and civic engagement |
| Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation | $10,000 | 2012 | Ultraviolet group |
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | $10,000 | 2014 | General support (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Calamus Foundation | $10,000 | 2013 | General operations |
| US Charitable Gift Trust | $10,000 | 2013 | Support for education |
| Tides Foundation | $10,000 | 2014 | General support (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Tides Foundation | $10,000 | 2012 | Citizen engagement laboratory's general support (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Universal Health Care Foundation Of Connecticut | $10,000 | 2013 | General operations |
| Patagonia Org | $9,000 | 2015 | To support environmental projects |
| Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids | $8,500 | 2013 | General Support |
| Arcus Foundation | $8,100 | 2013 | To support the co-director of get equal education fund in their participation in the arcus LGBT leadership initiative (ALLI) which will provide resources to help identify key partnerships build effective alliances and develop professiona |
| Hull Family Foundation | $7,500 | 2013 | Idaho civic engagement project (EDUCATION FUND - SUM OF US) |
| Needmor Fund | $7,500 | 2012 | Program support |
| Liberty Hill Foundation | $6,800 | 2013 | Scouts for equality (5000); getequal ed fund's DC activities (1 800) (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids | $6,000 | 2014 | Unrestricted general |
| Rappaport Family Foundation | $6,000 | 2013 | General support |
| Gerry-Corbett Foundation | $5,000 | 2014 | General Support |
| Hull Family Foundation | $5,000 | 2013 | Bus federation civic fund (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Hull Family Foundation | $5,000 | 2014 | Chicago votes education fund |
| Jana Foundation | $5,000 | 2013 | General Support (EDUCATION FUND) |
| Jana Foundation | $5,000 | 2016 | General Support |
| Pivotal Foundation | $5,000 | 2013 | General Support |
| Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation | $5,000 | 2012 | Ultraviolet group |
| Byrnes Family Foundation | $5,000 | 2012 | General support |
| Educational Foundation Of America | $5,000 | 2014 | General and unrestricted |
| Germanacos Family Foundation | $5,000 | 2014 | In support of extend |
| Jacquelyn And Gregory Zehner Foundation | $5,000 | 2012 | General purposes |
| Sagner Family Foundation | $5,000 | 2015 | For its charitable purposes |
| Schott Foundation For Public Education | $5,000 | 2012 | Board discretionary grant |
| Laura Berick Foundation | $250 | 2014 | Unrestricted |
| Total: | $16,349,964 |
NOI Education Fund’s largest and most notable donors over this period included:
- Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program ($3,620,000), a donor-advised fund provider
- Ford Foundation ($3,419,371), one of the largest foundations in the United States and a prolific donor to left-of-center causes
- Tides Foundation and Tides Center ($1,694,545), major pass-through funders and fiscal sponsors of left-wing causes (see the Tides Nexus)
- Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund ($1,445,000), a donor-advised fund provider
- Foundation to Promote Open Society and Open Society Foundations ($900,000), the main private foundations funded by billionaire donor George Soros
- Unbound Philanthropy ($475,000), a donor affinity group that funds liberal immigration policy groups and is closely associated with George Soros
- Arca Foundation ($390,000), major liberal foundation associated with the R.J. Reynolds family tobacco fortune (formerly the Nancy Susan Reynolds Foundation)
- Hull Family Foundation ($367,500), left-wing foundation associated with millionaire investor Blair Hull
- Schmidt Family Foundation ($250,000), private foundation of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt
- Wallace Global Fund ($215,000), major left-wing foundation controlled by the family of former U.S. Vice President Henry Wallace
- NoVo Foundation ($200,000), the private foundation of Peter Buffett, son of investor and left-of-center mega-donor Warren Buffett
- Joyce Foundation ($182,500), a Chicago-base foundation that finances advocacy for gun control, environmental causes, and liberal education policy
References
- Fung, Brian. “Inside the Democratic Party’s Hogwarts for Digital Wizardry,” April 24, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2014/07/08/inside-the-democratic-partys-hogwarts-for-digital-wizardry/.
- “Judith Freeman.” LinkedIn. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/judithfreeman/.
- “New Organizing Institute Education Fund Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/562633160/2015_10_EO%2F56-2633160_990_201501.
- McMorris-Santoro, Evan. “Liberal Organizing Group Implodes In One Tumultuous Afternoon.” Buzzfeed News. February 10, 2015. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/evanmcsan/new-organizing-institute-implodes.
- “Ethan Roeder.” LinkedIn. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanroeder/.
- Fung, Brian. “Inside the Democratic Party’s Hogwarts for Digital Wizardry,” April 24, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2014/07/08/inside-the-democratic-partys-hogwarts-for-digital-wizardry/.
- Fung, Brian. “Inside the Democratic Party’s Hogwarts for Digital Wizardry,” April 24, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2014/07/08/inside-the-democratic-partys-hogwarts-for-digital-wizardry/.
- “What We Do.” New Organizing Institute. Jan. 4, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20150802061723/http://neworganizing.com/about/what-we-do/
- McMorris-Santoro, Evan. “Liberal Organizing Group Implodes In One Tumultuous Afternoon.” Buzzfeed News. February 10, 2015. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/evanmcsan/new-organizing-institute-implodes.
- McMorris-Santoro, Evan. “Liberal Organizing Group Implodes In One Tumultuous Afternoon.” Buzzfeed News. February 10, 2015. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/evanmcsan/new-organizing-institute-implodes.
- “Wellstone to continue NOI’s work developing the next generation of progressive digital and data strategy.” Wellstone. October 9, 2015. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://www.wellstone.org/noi.
- “Whitney May.” LinkedIn. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-maybe/.
- “Tiana Epps-Johnson.” LinkedIn. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/tianaej/.
- “Donny Bridges.” LinkedIn. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/donny-bridges-4880bb7/.
- “Skoll Awardee.” Skoll. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://skoll.org/organization/center-for-tech-and-civic-life/.
- “Whitney May.” LinkedIn. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-maybe/.
- “Tiana Epps-Johnson.” LinkedIn. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/tianaej/.
- “Donny Bridges.” LinkedIn. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/donny-bridges-4880bb7/.
- Schleifer, Theodore. “Mark Zuckerberg’s $300 million donation to protect elections must overcome Facebook’s past.” Vox. September 21, 2020. Accessed September 12, 2020. https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/9/1/21417022/mark-zuckerberg-elections-300-million-facebook-center-for-tech-and-civic-life.
- “New Organizing Institute Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/562538200/2015_10_EO%2F56-2538200_990O_201501.
- McMorris-Santoro, Evan. “Liberal Organizing Group Implodes In One Tumultuous Afternoon.” Buzzfeed News. February 10, 2015. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/evanmcsan/new-organizing-institute-implodes.
- “Judith Freeman.” LinkedIn. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/judithfreeman/.
- “Zack Exley: Open Society Foundations Fellowship.” Open Society Foundations. March 2009-March 2010. Accessed Jan. 5, 2021. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/open-society-fellowship?fellow=zack-exley
- “Zack Exley Profile.” LinkedIn. Accessed Jan. 5, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackexley/
- “Becky Bond LinkedIn Profile.” LinkedIn. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-bond-ab81774/
- “Zack Exley Profile.” LinkedIn. Accessed Jan. 5, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackexley/
- “New Organizing Institute Education Fund Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/562633160/2015_10_EO%2F56-2633160_990_201501.
- McMorris-Santoro, Evan. “Liberal Organizing Group Implodes In One Tumultuous Afternoon.” Buzzfeed News. February 10, 2015. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/evanmcsan/new-organizing-institute-implodes.
- “Ethan Roeder.” LinkedIn. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanroeder/.
- “Ethan Roeder.” LinkedIn. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanroeder/.
- Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). New Organizing Institute Education Fund. 2014 (covers through Jan. 2015). Part VII.
- “Becky Bond LinkedIn Profile.” LinkedIn. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-bond-ab81774/
- “Robert “Biko” Baker.” University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://uwm.edu/african-diaspora-studies/people/baker-robert-biko/
- Exemption revoked June 15, 2018. See IRS Exempt Organizations Search: https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/detailsPage?ein=562633160&name=NEW%20ORGANIZING%20INSTITUTE%20EDUCATION%20FUND&city=WASHINGTON&state=DC&countryAbbr=US&dba=&type=DETERMINATIONLETTERS,%20REVOCATION&orgTags=DETERMINATIONLETTERS&orgTags=REVOCATION
- Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). New Organizing Institute Education Fund. 2014 (covers through Jan. 2015). Schedule R (Transactions with Related Organizations). PDF page 58: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/562633160/2015_10_EO%2F56-2633160_990_201501
- Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). New Organizing Institute Education Fund. 2014 (covers through Jan. 2015). Schedule R (Transactions with Related Organizations). PDF page 48: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/562633160/2014_12_EO%2F56-2633160_990_201401
- Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). New Organizing Institute Education Fund. 2011-2015. Part I: Lines 8, 12, 22.
Note: NOI Education Fund’s Form 990s run from January 31st through February 1, so years are reported for the actual period covered in the Form 990, not necessarily the date on the upper-right of the document.
- Data provided by FoundationSearch. Donors to New Organizing Institute Education Fund. Search conducted January 4, 2021. www.FoundationSearch.org