Our American Future Foundation (OAFF) is a left-of-center advocacy group that was incorporated in October 2022. 1
It acquired a fiscal sponsorship initiative administered by the American Mainstream Policy Leadership Institute (AMPLI) in early 2024, which was previously administered by New Politics Leadership Academy. It acts as a fellowship program to award stipends to aspiring Democratic congressional candidates. 2
Background
In November 2022, Our American Future Foundation received its incorporation letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) with an effective date of incorporation of October 27, 2022. 3
Our American Future Foundation purports to have an advocacy arm named Our American Future Action, although no group by this name exists in IRS records as of early 2024. 4
OAFF promotes “public awareness of climate change, reproductive freedom, and other progressive issues”; provides information on voter registration; mobilizes voter turnout; and promotes “interests of progressive voters through public advocacy.” 5
Activities
In early 2024, Our American Future Foundation reportedly acquired a fellowship that trained Democratic congressional candidates from the New Politics Leadership Academy. The fellowship supplied funds to aspiring candidates between elections to ensure they would have enough money to keep running. New Politics Leadership Academy also ran a 527 political action committee called New Politics, which worked on “recruiting, developing, and electing servant leaders who put community and country over self.” 6
In the words of New Politics executive director Amy Cherniack in 2020, the funds provided to the candidates were intended to help them pay “rent or groceries or their mortgage.” Unsuccessful Texas Democratic congressional candidate Gina Ortiz Jones received a $34,000 payment (in addition to rental property income) from the fellowship in 2019 before she ran again in 2020. 7
The fellowship previously operated with the American Mainstream Policy Leadership Institute (AMPLI), which was launched in October 2022. New Politics Leadership Academy was only associated with AMPLI for one month, according to New Politics spokesperson Gabe Ramos. That same month, OAFF was incorporated. 8
The fellowship was established in October 2022 as an ostensibly nonpartisan fiscal sponsorship, despite overwhelmingly, if not exclusively, supporting for Democratic candidates. The sponsorship reportedly awarded 10 paid fellowships to candidates who “lost elections but intend to remain public advocates for mainstream American policies” or “have not yet run for federal office but are considering doing so in the future,” according to a document acquired by the Washington Examiner. The document indicated that fellowships would begin in January 2023 and end in December 2023. It labeled the fellowships “investment[s] in exceptional leadership talent” and likened them to MacArthur fellowships. 9
It is not clear when OAFF acquired AMPLI, although the Examiner reported that it was certain OAFF acquired it. 10
Leadership
According to its determination letter from the IRS, Our American Future Foundation’s point of contact is a woman named Joan Kiser. 11
OAFF was reportedly incorporated by Ezra Reese, the political law chair for Elias Law Group, the law firm founded by Democratic attorney and campaign litigator Marc Elias. 12 The registered agent of the group is Brennan Bilberry, a former spokesman for the campaign of Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) and a partner at law firm Fairmark Partners. 13 14
Longtime Democratic operative Katie Nee began as the chief executive officer of both OAFF and its advocacy arm in January 2023. 15
References
- “Determination Letter – Our American Future Foundation.” Internal Revenue Service, November 21, 2022. Accessed February 4, 2024. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/.
- Kaminsky, Gabe. “Failed Democratic candidates pocket ‘fellowship’ cash from opaque progressive group to run in 2024.” Washington Examiner, January 24, 2024. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/2812270/opaque-progressive-group-fellowship-pay-failed-candidates/.
- “Determination Letter – Our American Future Foundation.” Internal Revenue Service, November 21, 2022. Accessed February 4, 2024. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/.
- “Katie Nee.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 4, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-nee-56717850/details/experience/.
- “Our American Future Foundation.” Justia Trademarks. Accessed February 4, 2024. https://trademarks.justia.com/978/13/our-american-future-97813598.html.
- Kaminsky, Gabe. “Failed Democratic candidates pocket ‘fellowship’ cash from opaque progressive group to run in 2024.” Washington Examiner, January 24, 2024. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/2812270/opaque-progressive-group-fellowship-pay-failed-candidates/.
- Kaminsky, Gabe. “Failed Democratic candidates pocket ‘fellowship’ cash from opaque progressive group to run in 2024.” Washington Examiner, January 24, 2024. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/2812270/opaque-progressive-group-fellowship-pay-failed-candidates/.
- Kaminsky, Gabe. “Failed Democratic candidates pocket ‘fellowship’ cash from opaque progressive group to run in 2024.” Washington Examiner, January 24, 2024. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/2812270/opaque-progressive-group-fellowship-pay-failed-candidates/.
- Kaminsky, Gabe. “Failed Democratic candidates pocket ‘fellowship’ cash from opaque progressive group to run in 2024.” Washington Examiner, January 24, 2024. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/2812270/opaque-progressive-group-fellowship-pay-failed-candidates/.
- Kaminsky, Gabe. “Failed Democratic candidates pocket ‘fellowship’ cash from opaque progressive group to run in 2024.” Washington Examiner, January 24, 2024. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/2812270/opaque-progressive-group-fellowship-pay-failed-candidates/.
- “Determination Letter – Our American Future Foundation.” Internal Revenue Service, November 21, 2022. Accessed February 4, 2024. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/.
- Kaminsky, Gabe. “Failed Democratic candidates pocket ‘fellowship’ cash from opaque progressive group to run in 2024.” Washington Examiner, January 24, 2024. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/2812270/opaque-progressive-group-fellowship-pay-failed-candidates/.
- Kaminsky, Gabe. “Failed Democratic candidates pocket ‘fellowship’ cash from opaque progressive group to run in 2024.” Washington Examiner, January 24, 2024. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/2812270/opaque-progressive-group-fellowship-pay-failed-candidates/.
- “Brennan Bilberry.” Fairmark Law. Accessed February 4, 2024. https://fairmarklaw.com/brennan-bilberry.
- “Katie Nee.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 4, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-nee-56717850/details/experience/.