Young Invincibles (YI) is a left-of-center youth advocacy, research, grantmaking, and lobbying organization based in Washington, D.C. ^[1] Co-founded in 2009 by Ari Matsuiak, a special assistant to the President during the Obama administration,^[2] YI supports left-of-center political positions such as Medicaid expansion,^[3] diverting funds from “exorbitant police budgets,”^[4] cancelling student debt,^[5] and the left wing Black Lives Matter movement. ^[6] YI operates both nationally and at the state level in Texas, Colorado, Illinois, California, and New York. ^[7]

In 2020, YI attacked former President Trump on COVID-19 relief response,^[8] consumer protections,^[9] the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett,^[10] the 2020 U.S. Census,^[11] and other issues.

YI has received large grants from major left-of-center organizations in the past, including $2,000,000 and $400,000 from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation;^{[12] [13]} more than $600,000 from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation;^[14]  $250,000 from the Kohlberg Foundation;^[15] $225,000 from the left-of-center California Endowment;^[16] $183,900 from the left-of-center New Venture Fund, a project of Arabella Advisors;^[17] $725,000 from the Kresge Foundation;^[18] $100,000 from the left wing Houston Endowment;^[19] and others. Since 2017, YI has distributed grants to several left-of-center nonprofits, including Community Catalyst, Center on Public Policy Priorities, Make the Road New York, Fair Elections Center, ^[20] Alliance for Youth Organizing, Democracy Works, Emgage Foundation Inc, Voto Latino, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Blueprint NC, , Student Organizing, ^[21] PIRG New Voters Project, Western Organization of Resource Councils Education Project,^[22] and others.

Rachel Fleischer is YI’s executive director. She previously led Planned Parenthood’s healthcare and advocacy efforts and managed Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s independent communications during the 2012 presidential campaign. ^[23]

History and Leadership

Young Invincibles was founded in 2009 by Ari Matsuiak, special assistant to the President and director of private sector engagement in the Obama Administration, and Aaron Smith in 2009. ^[24]

Rachel Fleischer is YI’s executive director. ^[25] She previously worked on healthcare and advocacy efforts for Planned Parenthood, managed Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s independent communications during the 2012 presidential campaign,^[26] and was a vice president at the left-of-center GMMB Consulting. ^[27]

Members of YI’s board of directors include Matsuiak and others who work at the left-of-center Kresge Foundation, UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza), and Protect Democracy. ^[28]

Activities and Funding

YI’s activism focuses on health care, higher education, workforce and finance, and civic engagement for young adults^[29] at the national level and at the state level in Texas, Colorado, Illinois, California, and New York. ^[30]

YI supports left-wing political positions such as Medicaid expansion,^[31] diverting funds from “exorbitant police budgets,”^[32] cancelling student debt,^[33] and the left wing Black Lives Matter movement. ^[34] YI attacked former President Trump in press releases on issues including COVID-19 relief response,^[35] consumer protections,^[36] the confirmation of Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett,^[37] and the 2020 U.S. Census. ^[38]

YI’s research arm, called the Data Lab, conducts quantitative research on issue including young adult unemployment, college search tools, so-called “equity attainment” at universities, and the availability of on-campus childcare. ^[39] Data Lab’s director, Matthew Eckel, has conducted research for left-of-center She the People and the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality. ^[40]

YI runs a Midwest Young Advocates Program to train individuals in advocacy work^[41] and is a change partner in the left-of-center New Deal for Youth organization. ^{[42] [43]}

Black Lives Matter and Critical Race Theory

YI offers resources and ways for their supporters to get involved with the left wing Black Lives Matter movement. ^[44] YI’s resource page recommends listening to and supporting left-of-center and left wing organizations including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, National Bail Fund Network, Campaign Zero, Black Visions MN, Reclaim the Block, Just Georgia, Unicorn Riot, North Star Health Collective, Communities United Against Police Brutality, and the National Black Justice Coalition. ^[45] In addition, YI shares suggested “anti-racist” reading lists and recommends the historically suspect 1619 Project to its supporters. ^[46]

Funding

In 2019, YI received $6,661,680 of gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees^[47] and reported total assets of $4,423,838. ^[48] YI received gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees in excess of $5 million in 2018 and $6 million in 2017, respectively. ^[49]

In 2021, YI received $200,000 from the Greater Texas Foundation;^[50]  $100,000 from the Grand Victorian Foundation;^[51] and $50,000 from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. ^[52]

In 2020, YI received $125,000 from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation;^[53] $46,428 from the left-of-center Truth Initiative Foundation. ^[54]

In 2019, YI received grants of $2,000,000 and $400,000 from the left-of-center Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation;^{[55] [56]} grants totaling $200,000 from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation;^{[57] [58]} and $200,000 from The Colorado Health Foundation. ^[59]

In 2018, YI received $725,000 from the left-of-center Kresge Foundation; ^[60]  $100,000 from the left wing Houston Endowment; ^[61] and $60,000 from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation;^[62]

In 2017, YI received a $400,000 grant from the Lumina Foundation;^[63] $250,000 of grants from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation;^{[64] [65]} $250,000 from the Kohlberg Foundation;^[66] $183,900 from the left-of-center New Venture Fund, a project of Arabella Advisors;^[67] and $125,000 from the Kresge Foundation. ^[68]

YI has also received grants of $225,000 from the left-of-center California Endowment in 2015;^[69] $50,000 from left-of-center Proteus Fund in 2015^[70] and 2016; ^[71] and $50,000 from the Annenberg Foundation in 2013. ^[72]

Activities

In 2019, YI issued grants to several left-of-center non-profits, including Community Catalyst, Center on Public Policy Priorities, Metro New York Health Care for All, Community Service Society of New York, immigration expansionist Make the Road New York, Medicare Rights Center, New Yorkers for Accessible Health Coverage, Public Policy and Education Fund of New York, Fair Elections Center, Scholars Strategy Network, Forward Montana Foundation, Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, Civic Nation, and others. ^[73]

In 2018, YI issued grants to left-of-center groups including Center on Public Policy Priorities, Veterans Education Success Inc, Project Pericles, Alliance for Youth Organizing, Democracy Works, Emgage Foundation Inc, Fair Elections Center, Civic Nation, Campus Compact, Voto Latino, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life, PIRG New Voters Project, Student Borrowers Services, Blueprint NC, Student Organizing, and others. ^[74]

In 2017, YI distributed grants to Blueprint NC, Center on Public Policy Priorities, Civic Nation, Democracy Works, Enroll America, Foundation for California Community Colleges, National Campus Leadership Council, PIRG New Voters Project, Andrew Goodman Foundation, Fair Elections Center, Virginia21, Voto Latino, and Western Organization of Resource Councils Education Project. ^[75]