NextGen Policy (NextGen Climate America)

It promotes left-of-center legislature on housing, election administration and voting access, criminal justice, education, mental health care, consumer protection, income inequality, and climate change. ¹

Background

NextGen Policy purports to fight against alleged “environmental, social, racial, and economic inequities” that exist in the state of California through legislative advocacy, “grassroots” partnerships, and democratic civic engagement. It pushes left-of-center policies on climate change, racial justice, and wealth redistribution. ¹

It is officially registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as “NextGen Climate America” but does business as NextGen Policy Center. ^{2 1}

In June 2024, the U.S Department of Labor approved a $6 million grant for NextGen Policy Center (under the IRS-registered name “NextGen Climate America”) to be paid over a four-year period of time for the purpose of “employment training.” ³

Activities

NextGen Policy advocates “closing the digital divide” by using taxpayer dollars to fund universal broadband access. It promotes “ending our dependence of fossil fuels” and switching to “clean energy” across the entire American economy. It promotes tightening consumer protection laws; expanding veterans, small business, mental health, health care, and affordable housing benefits programs; and enacting an “income equality” agenda. ⁴

NextGen is in favor of mass immigration and lenient immigration laws. It claims there are “historic inequities” regarding education, the disabled, and food access that must be addressed. It also alleges that the American criminal justice system is discriminatory. ⁴

It also implies that voting rights are not universally available to all Americans and that voting needs to be made easier so that all may participate. ⁴

Declaration for American Democracy

NextGen Policy is a member of the Declaration for American Democracy (DFAD), a coalition comprised of over 250 groups that support its proposed “Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.” The act, named after the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), would essentially federalize all elections, strengthen the Federal Election Commission (FEC), and remove many conventional election integrity measures. It would require states to allow early voting, mass vote by mail (not only for absentees), and lenient voter ID laws, emergency measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, as permanent aspects of every future election in the United States. It would additionally make Election Day a federal holiday, introduce automatic same-day voter registration, and establish “federal protections” to prevent state and local election officials from receiving “undue partisan influence and control.” ⁵

DFAD claims that the Freedom to Vote Act would ensure what it considers fair redistricting nationwide and promises allegedly nonpartisan election oversight from the FEC. Furthermore, it would require super PACs, 501(c)(4) groups, and other organizations to disclose all donors and would effectively shut down donor-advised funds. The aim of this would be to restrict campaign speech by overturning the First Amendment protections for associational and business speech confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. It also aims to set up a fund to finance ongoing innovations in democracy and election infrastructure. The fund would be replenished by penalty fees paid by states who commit infractions against new election laws. Each state would get a disbursement from the fund to finance “eligible democracy and election-related investments.” ⁵

Funding

In 2023, NextGen Policy reported a revenue of $5,830,528, expenses of $6,425,749, and total assets of $1,367,143. on its tax return. ⁶

NextGen Policy contributes grants to other left-of-center nonprofits and activist organizations. In 2020, it gave $221,497 to the Voter Participation Center for its vote by mail program, $35,000 to Social Good Fund for its Immigrant Defense Advocates Program, $225,000 to the Hopewell Fund, $35,000 to the Community Water Center, $25,000 to Freedom Through Education, $18,000 to the California Association of Nonprofits, $12,760 to United Latinos, $11,000 to Mi Familia Vota Education Fund, $10,000 to CA Mexico Studies Center for its DACA/Dreamer programs, $10,000 to Faith In Action, $10,000 to Latino Community Foundation, $7,500 CA Pan-Ethnic Health Network, and $6,000 to Affect Real Change. ⁷

In June 2024, the U.S Department of Labor approved a $6 million grant for NextGen Policy (under the IRS-registered name NextGen Climate America) to be paid over a four-year period for the purpose of “employment training.” ^{3 8}

Leadership

As of 2023, Arnold Sowell Jr. was the executive director of NextGen Policy. Sowell has worked as a staffer for several speakers of the California State Assembly, an undersecretary of the State and Consumer Services Agency, and a San Francisco mayor. He is a Sloan Foundation fellow. ⁹