California Donor Table Fund is a donor collective in California that supports left-of-center race, criminal justice, LGBT, immigration, and environmental activism and political participation, including through voter registration programs. ^{1 2} It is a fiscally sponsored project of the left-of-center Tides Center. ¹

Activities

The California Donor Table Fund is a collection of donors and donor institutions that support left-of-center activism in California on LGBT issues, race, justice, criminal justice, immigration, and environmentalism. The California Donor Table Fund aggregates financial contributions from donors and donor groups to build a “permanent progressive movement in California.” This includes registering racial and ethnic minority, women, immigrant, and youth voters; developing left-of-center leaders; and advocating for left-of-center policies and research. ^{1 2}

Leadership

The executive director of the California Donor Tale Fund is Ludovic Blain. Blain was originally hired by the California Donor Table Fund in 2009 and has, according to the organization, collected over $50 million to fund race-based activism during his tenure as executive director. Blain is also the director of the Progressive Era PAC, a position he held at the organization’s founding in 2022. Additionally, Ludovic is simultaneously the director of the Progressive Era Project and the director of the Color of Democracy Fund, both positions he has held since 2009. Previously, Ludovic was the program manager of the Closing the Racial Wealth Cap Initiative of Insight Center, the director of StopDogWhistleRacism.com of the Center for Social Inclusion, a national campaign coordinator for the Marguerite Casey Foundation, an organization services director of the New Progressive Coalition, an associate director of the Democracy Program of Demos, a board member of the Fannie Lou Hammer Project, and a city council lobbyist of for the New York Public Interest Research Group. ^{3 4}

In a 2023 interview, Blain called gun control, abortion access, and gender-reassignment services for transgender people the “modern equivalent” of the battle over slavery. ⁵

The chief network officer of the California Donor Table Fund is Rebecca Hamburg. Hamburg has worked at California Donor Table since June 2021 and is simultaneously a strategic advisor at the State Leadership Project, a position she began in September 2023. Previously, Hamburg was the vice president of the Wiseburn Education Foundation, the COO of the Pico California Project, the west coast director of Alliance for Justice, a program director at the National Employment Lawyers Association, and an adjunct professor at the George Washington University Law School. ^{3 6}

Other employees at the California Donor Table Fund include senior political strategist Michael Daly and development and membership associate Danika Larsen. ³

Affiliated Organizations

The California Donor Table Fund is a fiscally sponsored project of the left-of-center Tides Center, the fiscal sponsorship arm of the separate nonprofit Tides Foundation. The California Donor Table can receive tax-exempt donations through the Tides Center. ¹

The Tides Center funds the California Donor Table through its Color of Democracy Project, an effort to increase voter participation in California, especially among demographics that lean left politically. ⁷

The California Donor Table is the 501(c)(4) lobbying and electoral advocacy affiliate of the California Donor Table Fund. The California Donor Table focuses on racial justice and directs funding to racial minority communities to influence elections and hold office holders accountable. The California Donor Table has the same leadership team as the California Donor Table Fund, including the same executive director, Ludovic Bain; network officer, Rebecca Hamburg; senior political strategist, Michael Daly; and development and membership associate, Danika Larsen. ^{8 9 3} “Staff.” California Donor Table. Accessed December 5, 2024. https://californiadonortable.org/staff/.[/note]

California Donor Table Fund is also affiliated with Progressive Era Project, a California public benefit corporation. ⁵

1. “California Donor Table Fund.” California Donor Table Fund. Accessed December 5, 2024. https://californiadonortablefund.org/.
2. “About.” California Donor Table Fund. Accessed December 5, 2024. https://californiadonortablefund.org/about/.
3. “Staff.” California Donor Table Fund. Accessed December 5, 2024. https://californiadonortablefund.org/about/staff/.
4. “Ludovic Blain (He/Him).” LinkedIn. Accessed December 5, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ludovicblain/details/experience/.
5. Uchida, Kyoko. “Ludovic Blain, Executive Director; Rebecca Hamburg, Chief Network Officer, California Donor Table: Addressing an underlying failure in philanthropy.” Philanthropy News Digest. October 12, 2023. Accessed December 5, 2024. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/features/newsmakers/ludovic-blain-executive-director-rebecca-hamburg-chief-network-officer-california-donor-table-addressing-an-underlying-failure-in-philanthropy.
6. “Rebecca Hamburg.” LinkedIn. Accessed December 5, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccamhamburg/details/experience/
7. “California Donor Table Fund.” Tides. Accessed December 5, 2024. https://www.tides.org/partner/california-donor-table-fund/.
8. “California Donor Table.” California Donor Table. Accessed December 5, 2024. https://californiadonortable.org/.
9. “About.” California Donor Table. Accessed December 5, 2024. https://californiadonortable.org/about/.