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The Indivisible Project (or Indivisible) is a left-of-center 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., and created in late 2016 as a response to the election of President Donald Trump. The Indivisible Project was established to provide liberals a practical guide about “Resisting the Trump Agenda.” [1] The organization signed a petition supporting the Green New Deal. [2]
The organization was founded by two left-wing activists with congressional experience and ties to the left-of-center economic policy advocacy group Prosperity Now.[3] According to a spokesperson within the organization, Indivisible’s goal for 2018 is to replace all elected officials who don’t reflect their views with “diverse, progressive, local leaders.”[4] Since 2016, Indivisible has sponsored events like ResistFest in Santa Cruz, “Cardboard Congressmen” demonstrations in Republican-controlled Congressional districts, and local “Resist Trump Tuesday” meetings.[5] Indivisible claims to represent over 5,800 groups and has a website that has been viewed over 18 million times.[6]
Founding
Established by left-wing activists Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg in December 2016, Indivisible was originally organized as a movement along the lines of the conservative Tea Party opposition to President Barack Obama’s administration. [7] To that end, Levin and Greenberg’s first project was a 26-page political organizing manual entitled “A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda.” The manual highlighted the best methods to “beat back” President Trump and defeat the new conservative majority in Congress.[8] Since that original document was distributed, the movement has evolved into an effort to disrupt civil discourse and “sustain a powerful progressive movement.”[9]
Affiliated Organizations
Indivisible’s most prominent allies include the Democratic Socialists of America, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), MoveOn.org, Planned Parenthood, the Working Families Party, Tides Foundation, among others.[10]
The Tides Foundation is a funding partner for the Indivisible Fund (now Indivisible Civics), the 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of the organization.[11] Founded in 1976, the Tides Foundation is a pass-through organization and a pillar of the Left.
Nevertheless, Indivisible claims not to be a part of the Democratic Party establishment. In 2017 the group publicly distanced itself from contributions made from groups that supported Hillary Clinton’s failed 2016 presidential bid. An Indivisible spokesperson claims that the group “wanted to make sure to everyone that we are maintaining our independence.”[12]
Kenneth Vogel, a reporter at the New York Times, attributed growth in Indivisible to funding from prominent liberals including “the tech entrepreneur Reid Hoffman, as well as foundations or coalitions tied to Democracy Alliance donors, including San Francisco mortgage billionaire Herbert Sandler, the New York real estate heiress Patricia Bauman and the oil heiress Leah Hunt-Hendrix.”[13]
Indivisible Civics
Indivisible Civics is the 501(c)(3) affiliate of the Indivisible Project.
Democracy Alliance
Also see Democracy Alliance (Other Group)
Indivisible has numerous links to the Democracy Alliance (DA), a network of high-profile, wealthy, and institutional donors on the political left. In March 2017, Politico reported on an NTK Network video released from a Democracy Alliance donor summit that reportedly shows Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg networking with DA members.[14]
In the past, officials with Indivisible have said that they “would ‘Gladly’ accept a check from Mr. [George] Soros or his foundation.”[15]
Present Activities
Indivisible may be best known for their effort to support the Women’s March in February 2017. [16] The group and its local affiliates also organize gatherings like ResistFest in Santa Cruz, “Cardboard Congressmen” town halls in Republican-controlled Congressional districts, and local “Resist Trump Tuesday” weekly meetings. [17]
These weekly meetings involve Indivisible chapters gathering together in state capitals to lobby legislators to oppose President Trump’s policies and promote liberal platforms. Sarah Dohl, Indivisible’s chief communications officer, has said, “It’s not a secret that we would like to move the Democratic Party further to the left.” [18]
Criticisms of Centralization
The indivisible Project has been criticized for raising “tens of millions of dollars from major donors” while claiming to operate through nearly 6,000 local chapters as a grassroots organization but has been reported to have less than 3,000 groups that do not follow shared goals. In 2019, 17.3 percent of its intake came from small donations, down from 35 percent in 2017. [19]
Critics state that the Indivisible Project has increasingly raised money as a grassroots organization but declined to organize its local chapters, spent the majority of its money on funding the national office, and spent an “extraordinarily” excessive amount on salaries. [20]
Financial Overview
Indivisible has published the nonprofit’s revenue from both its 501(c)(3) Indivisible Civics, and 501(c)(4) Indivisible Project for 2017.[21] In 2017, Indivisible raised “a total of $7.5 million,” with “$2.8 million” through the 501(c)(3) and “$4.7 million” through the 501(c)(4). Over the course of 2017, Indivisible was fiscally sponsored by the Tides Foundation and the Advocacy Fund (a Tides affiliate) until it “was granted 501(c)(4) status from the IRS” during the tax year.[22]
Of Indivisible’s 2017 revenue, 35 percent was raised through small dollar donations, and 65 percent was received through major gifts and foundation grants.[23] Of the $7.5 million raised, $3.4 million was spent on organization expenses.
Leadership
Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg, both former congressional staffers, are career political operatives. Greenberg worked as an assistant in Congress for former Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Virginia), and served as policy director for Perriello’s unsuccessful 2017 Virginia gubernatorial campaign.[24] Levin served as deputy policy director for Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), and more recently as associate director for federal policy for Prosperity Now, a left-leaning nonprofit that seeks to expand entitlements and welfare programs.
Angel Padilla, Indivisible Project’s policy director, previously worked as an analyst with the National Immigration Law Center (an organization funded by grants from Soros’ Open Society Foundations) and as an immigration policy consultant at UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza).[25]