The Capacity Shop is an organization that helps left-of-center activist groups improve their organizational systems, coordinate efforts across different legal entities, and conduct outreach activities. It is an affiliated charity of New Left Accelerator (NLA) and fiscally sponsored by Social Good Labs. ^{1 2}  The Capacity Shop was founded by Democratic political consultant Deborah Barron following the 2016 presidential election. ^{3 4}

The Capacity Shop and NLA also sponsor the Base Power Learning Community (Learning Community), which brings together intermediaries to coordinate efforts across different legal entities. ⁵ In 2022, Learning Community stated that philanthropy has an opportunity to move away from what it considers white supremacy and risk-averse giving, opening to opportunities for “transformative change.” ⁶

Leadership

As of February 2024, Deborah Barron is the executive director of The Capacity Shop. Previously, Barron worked as a consultant for Democratic Party candidates and campaigns, including former U.S. Representative Lynn Wolsey (D-CA) and the unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign of Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME). In 2016, Barron left her law practice to join the New Left Accelerator, which is affiliated with The Capacity Shop. ⁷

Jen Cheyne is The Capacity Shop’s director of operations. Previously, she worked for President Barack Obama’s presidential campaign Organizing for America and as director of the left-of-center Citizen Engagement Laboratory, where she oversaw a fiscal sponsorship program that included Vote.org, 18MillionRising, and MPower Change. ⁸

Activities and Funding

The Capacity Shop has provided technical assistance to more than 85 left-of-center groups, many of which were founded after the 2016 presidential election. The organization offers one-on-one appointments to founders of new organizations seeking strategic advice, resources, and referrals. Its services may include referrals of accountants, attorneys, and consultants; networking with other left-of-center organizations; sharing models and templates that have been successful for other organizations; and other recommendations. ⁹

As of February 2024, The Capacity Shop has supported left-of-center groups including Flippable, Indivisible Project, Swing Left, Lawyers for Good Government, Vote.org, Women Lawyers on Guard, Action Together Network, Movement Cooperative, Ragtag, Sister District Project, Leadership Conference Education Fund’s Access Democracy, Town Hall Project, Voter Circle, Data for Progress, Empowered to Run, The Resurgent Left, Action Group Network, Amplify, Civic Lab, Creative Collective, Action Alliance, MobLab, The New Conversation Initiative, Rally, Register 2 Vote, Jolt Action, Rise UP, SNAP PAC, Analysis Group, and Dialogue. ¹⁰

In 2019, The Capacity Shop worked with Democracy Alliance and RoadMap Consulting to create a roadmap of capacity-building resources to help left-of-center organizations prepare for the 2020 election and beyond. The organization interviewed more than 70 leading left-of-center activists to create a resource guide that includes how to address topics like leadership development, grassroots digital advocacy, management and human resources, board development, and the critical race theory-influenced concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion. ¹¹

Representatives from Center for Creative Leadership, Organizing Empowerment Project, BlackOUT Collective, Re:Power, United for Respect, Community Change Action, The Management Center, BoardSource, Center for Popular Democracy, Center for Empowered Politics, AAPI Force, National Council of Nonprofits, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, Faith in Action, Community Change Action, People’s Action, and  Color of Change participated in the research. ¹²

Base Power Learning Community

The Capacity Shop and New Left Accelerator (NLA) sponsor the Base Power Learning Community (Learning Community), which is a grouping of left-of-center organizations that brings together intermediaries to coordinate efforts across different legal entities. The Learning Community offers webinars, planning resources, and tools to help these groups work across legal entities, engage members, share data, run campaigns, and raise money to support their objectives. Trainers in these modules include representatives from Sematonic Strategies, Alliance for Justice’s Bolder Advocacy program, Put People First PA, and Progressive Multiplier. ^{13 14 15 16 17 18}

In 2022, The Capacity Shop and NLA conducted a survey of the philanthropic sector to identify ways in which they can accelerate left-of-center philanthropy and multi-entity organizations towards the critical race theory-influenced concepts of racial justice, social justice, and economic justice. The report claims that philanthropy has an opportunity to move away from white supremacy and risk-averse giving, opening to opportunities for “transformative change.” ¹⁹

As of February 2024, Learning Community’s partners include Progressive Multiplier Fund, Bolder Advocacy, Information Ecology, Center for Empowered Politics, United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives, and Movement Tech Help Desk. ²⁰

Funding

The Capacity Shop is fiscally sponsored by left-of-center organization Social Good Labs. ^{21 22} The Capacity Shop also receives funding from individual contributions and grants. ²³ Individual contributions to groups are routed through ActBlue Charities, a passthrough organization that facilitates donations to left-of-center nonprofit organizations. ²⁴

1. “Support The Capacity Shop.” The Capacity Shop. Accessed February 8, 2024. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/capacityshop.
2. “Home.” New Left Accelerator. Accessed February 10, 2024. https://www.newleftaccelerator.org/our-vision.
3. “Technical Assistance.” The Capacity Shop. Accessed February 10, 2024. https://www.thecapacityshop.org/technical-assistance.
4. Barron, Deborah. “It’s Time for Philanthropy to Be as Bold as Leaders on the Front Lines of Social Change.” Inside Philanthropy. April 27, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2024. https://www.newleftaccelerator.org/our-vision.
5. “Base Power Learning Community.” The Capacity Shop. Accessed February 10, 2024. https://www.thecapacityshop.org/basepower.
6. “Unlocking Progressive Power-Building.” New Left Accelerator. Accessed February 9, 2024. https://beyondc3.org/.
7. “Our Team.” The Capacity Shop. Accessed February 10, 2024. https://www.thecapacityshop.org/who-we-are.
8. “Our Team.” The Capacity Shop. Accessed February 10, 2024. https://www.thecapacityshop.org/who-we-are.
9. “Technical Assistance.” The Capacity Shop. Accessed February 10, 2024. https://www.thecapacityshop.org/technical-assistance.
10. “Technical Assistance.” The Capacity Shop. Accessed February 10, 2024. https://www.thecapacityshop.org/technical-assistance.
11.  “Resources.” The Capacity Shop. Accessed February 10, 2024. https://www.thecapacityshop.org/resources.
12. “Resources.” The Capacity Shop. Accessed February 10, 2024. https://www.thecapacityshop.org/resources.
13. “Base Power Learning Community.” The Capacity Shop. Accessed February 10, 2024. https://www.thecapacityshop.org/basepower.
14. “Base Building and Multi-entity Membership Models.” The Capacity Shop. Accessed February 8, 2024. https://www.thecapacityshop.org/base-power-1.
15. “501(c)(3) and (c)(4) Membership Programs: Navigate the Law.” The Capacity Shop. Accessed February 8, 2024. https://www.thecapacityshop.org/base-power-2.
16. “Membership and Data: Data for Building Power.” The Capacity Shop. Accessed February 8, 2024. https://www.thecapacityshop.org/base-power-5.
17. “The Base Power Learning Series.” Base Power Learning Community. Accessed February 8, 2024. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/593c289e59cc68640652d19c/t/628d6b40cbd2175c058a7276/1653435200696/BasePower_WebinarResource.pdf.
18. “Resourcing the Base” (c)(3)/(c)(4) Fundraising and Dues.” The Capacity Shop. Accessed August 8, 2024. https://www.thecapacityshop.org/base-power-4.
19. “Unlocking Progressive Power-Building.” New Left Accelerator. Accessed February 9, 2024. https://beyondc3.org/.
20. “Base Power Learning Community.” Accessed February 8, 2024. https://www.thecapacityshop.org/basepower.
21. “Support The Capacity Shop.” The Capacity Shop. Accessed February 8, 2024. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/capacityshop.
22. “Home.” New Left Accelerator. Accessed February 8, 2024. https://www.newleftaccelerator.org/.
23. “Support The Capacity Shop.” The Capacity Shop. Accessed February 8, 2024. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/capacityshop.
24.  “Support The Capacity Shop.” The Capacity Shop. Accessed February 8, 2024. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/capacityshop.