Concerned Citizens for Change is a left-of-center Democratic-aligned activist group located in New York City that was originally formed as Northwest Bronx for Obama in 2008 and was also once named Northwest Bronx for Change. The group does not appear to be a legal entity, and multiple websites ceased updates and activity in 2019.

The group has stated that it “rarely endorse[s] or volunteer[s] for candidates,” but the group endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in his 2016 campaign for president. While the organization is largely inactive it does lend its name to many left-of-center coalitions including the Declaration for American Democracy coalition that supports many left-of-center election policies. ^{1 2 3}

Background and History

Concerned Citizens for Change was founded in 2008 as a group of Democratic activists in the Bronx under the name Northwest Bronx for Obama in support of the Obama 2008 Presidential Campaign. Following the 2008 election the group remained in existence under the name Northwest Bronx for Change and later changed to Concerned Citizens for Change after expanding to include members who lived in other areas of the Bronx and Westchester County. ⁴

The early organizing of Northwest Bronx for Obama was centered in the Riverdale and Kingsbridge neighborhoods and led to organizers of Northwest Bronx for Obama to form the Riverdale-Kingsbridge Neighborhood Association. ⁵

One informational page for the group states that it is not a political club or an affiliate of the Democratic Party and is committed to promoting left-of-center “progressive change” within the Democratic Party. Activities the group has participated in have included organizing meetings and calls to promote left-of-center policy issues, coordinating lobbying campaigns, and organizing visits with elected officials, protests, rallies, phone banks, and voter registration drives. ⁶

Policy Stances

Concerned Citizens for Change has endorsed several left-of-center to far-left positions concerning campaign finance including adding left-of-center and far-left jurists to the Supreme Court, enacting a constitutional amendment limiting the ability for campaigns to raise money, and instituting taxpayer-funding of campaigns. ⁷

Affiliations and Activity

Concerned Citizens for Change endorsed Bernie Sanders for President in 2016 and organized its members to volunteer for Sanders’s campaign. Following the campaign, the group joined the New York Progressive Action Network and Our Revolution, groups that grew out of the Sanders campaign. ⁸

One profile of the organization on the website of left-of-center activist network Act Local stated that the organization “rarely” endorses or volunteers for candidates, and websites for the organization ceased updates in 2019 and later became inactive and went offline. ^{9 10}

Declaration for American Democracy

Concerned Citizens for Change is listed as a member of the Declaration for American Democracy, a coalition of left-leaning activist groups that advocates for a series of governmental and electoral administration policy changes. The coalition supports Congressional legislation that would enact several left-leaning policy priorities surrounding elections including enacting automatic voter registration and placing restrictive regulations on political campaign-related speech acts. The organization is a project of Public Citizen Foundation, a left of center advocacy group founded by Ralph Nader. ¹¹

1. “Concerned Citizens for Change.” Act Local. Accessed February 1, 2023. https://www.actlocal.network/organizations/concerned-citizens-for-change
2. “Concerned Citizens for Change.” Action Network. Accessed February 1, 2023. https://actionnetwork.org/groups/concerned-citizens-for-change
3. “About.” Declaration for American Democracy. Accessed February 1, 2023. https://declarationforamericandemocracy.org/about/
4. “Concerned Citizens for Change.” Action Network. Accessed February 1, 2023. https://actionnetwork.org/groups/concerned-citizens-for-change
5. “Inspired by Obama, organizers spring to action.” The Riverdale Press. February 19, 2009. Accessed February 1, 2023. https://www.riverdalepress.com/stories/inspired-by-obama-organizers-spring-to-action,40092
6. “Concerned Citizens for Change.” Action Network. Accessed February 1, 2023. https://actionnetwork.org/groups/concerned-citizens-for-change
7. “Big $$$$$ in Politics.” Concerned Citizens for Change. Accessed via Wayback Machine February 1, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20161012095034mp_/http://concernedcitizensforchange.org/big-in-politics
8. “Home.” Concerned Citizens for Change. Accessed via Wayback Machine February 1, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20190130160522/https://concernedcitizensforchange.org/
9. “Home.” Concerned Citizens for Change. Accessed via Wayback Machine February 1, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20190130160522/https://concernedcitizensforchange.org/
10. “Concerned Citizens for Change.” Act Local. Accessed February 1, 2023. https://www.actlocal.network/organizations/concerned-citizens-for-change
11. “About.” Declaration for American Democracy. Accessed February 1, 2023. https://declarationforamericandemocracy.org/about/