Other Group

Democracy Alliance (DA)

Website:

democracyalliance.org

Location:

Washington, DC

Experian Number:

413525738

Formation:

2004 in Washington, D.C.

January 4, 2005 (Incorporated)

Initial Founders:

Rob Stein

Steven Gluckstern

Mike McCurry

Andrew Rappaport

Simon Rosenberg

Presidents:

Pamela Shifman (September 2021-Present)

Gara LaMarche (October 2013- Summer 2021)

Kelly Craighead (November 2006-October 2013)

Judy Wade (October 2005-November 2006)

Executive Vice President:

Kim Anderson

EIN:

20-2130918

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

Also see Committee on States (Other Group) and Democracy Alliance Conferences (Other Group)

The Democracy Alliance is a collective of left-of-center donors that has been active in orchestrating “the activities of a permanent ‘left infrastructure’” since 2004.1 The organization, the brainchild of Democratic consultant Rob Stein, was established as “a taxable nonprofit” corporation and is not a 501(c) organization.2

The group was not created to “dole out money itself,” 3 rather it was meant to operate more as an “exclusive collective”4 of “partners,” billionaires and millionaires (and later, organizations) committed to providing at least $200,000 per year to left-of-center organizations. Billionaire financier George Soros and late Progressive Insurance chairman Peter Lewis are the most notable Democracy Alliance donors, but the list of Democracy Alliance partners includes many “of the biggest names in liberal politics.”5

In 2014, the Democracy Alliance recommended that its partners provide a total of “$39.3 million to 20 organizations.” 6 Currently the group recommends 32 organizations for funding as well as seven “state funds,” which are nonprofits run by Democracy Alliance staff but under the auspices of other 501(c) nonprofits.

Since the group’s formation in 2005, the Democracy Alliance has “steer[ed] more than than $600 million. . . to a portfolio of carefully selected groups, including pillars of the Clinton-aligned establishment like the think tank Center for American Progress and the media watchdog Media Matters.”7

According to documents obtained by The Washington Free Beacon in 2019, “the Democracy Alliance’s partners have infused $1.83 billion into the left since its inception.”8

The Democracy Alliance has faced numerous criticisms that focus on the hypocrisy of the organization. “Many of the donors and operatives” of the Democracy Alliance decry so-called “dark money” and “support measures to reduce the role of money in politics” and yet “they are nonetheless active participants.”9

Origins

The “inspiration” for the Democracy Alliance, the brainchild of Democratic consultant Rob Stein, was the belief among liberal strategists and progressive donors that the Democratic Party lost power in the early 2000’s “because liberals [did] not have a well-funded network of policy shops, watchdog groups and training centers for activists equivalent to what [had] existed for years on the right.” 10 Between 2003 and 2005, Stein pitched to more than “700 Democratic donors” 11 the idea of “[emulating] the conservative funders by investing in the ‘guts’ of politics–leaders and ideas and institutions that would last beyond one election.”12

On December 13, 2004, a month after the re-election of President George W. Bush, Stein convened “twenty-five of the wealthiest donors in the progressive community” in Washington for an important Democracy Alliance strategy session.13  This initial group of attendees “had collectively poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the effort to defeat Bush–and had nothing to show for it.”14 “Major donors George Soros and Peter Lewis, who each gave roughly $23 million to 527s for the 2004 elections, had latched onto the Democracy Alliance cause and were attracting other donors.”15

After Stein passed away in May 2022, Democratic operative David Brock told The New York Times that the Democracy Alliance “changed the way people thought about their philanthropy,” and that “it was revolutionary on our side, and over the last 20 years it was the sole reason why sustainable Democratic infrastructure got built.” Brock also noted that his own organization, Media Matters for America, and its network of affiliated groups were on track to spend $100 million in the 2022 election cycle, and that none of that would have been possible without Stein and the Democracy Alliance.16

Organizational Structure

Democracy Alliance is “a taxable nonprofit” 17 corporation registered in the District of Columbia. The group’s original paperwork was filed with the District on January 4, 2005. In 2006, Rob Stein said, “think of it as a corporation that does not make a profit and doesn’t aspire to make a profit. We’re an association of individuals. We have a board of directors – 13 people elected by the partners. And we file corporate papers regularly and comply with all disclosure requirements.”18

The conservative Capital Research Center (which publishes this website) analyzed Stein’s description in the following manner:

In other words the DA has no interest in asking the IRS to register it as tax-exempt or to allow contributions to it to be tax-deductible. Were the DA to request tax-exemption as a 501(c)(4) lobby group or as a 527 political group, it would have to abide by a dizzying array of legal constraints. Members of the Democracy Alliance may want to impose Big Government bureaucracy and red tape on Americans, but the friends of George Soros are too rich to be bothered.19

Funding

The Democracy Alliance has been labeled a “vast liberal conspiracy,” with a “DA-funded extra-party political machine.”20

The Democracy Alliance operates as an “exclusive collective of donors.”21  Democracy Alliance “partners,” initially “were required to pay a $25,000 entry fee, $30,000 in annual dues and a minimum of $200,000 per year to organizations recommended by the Alliance.”22

Because the Democracy Alliance is a taxable nonprofit and not a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, “the Alliance does not take in any money to distribute to groups.” Formerly, the only money the group took in paid for their “administrative costs.”23 However, the Democracy Alliance currently administrates seven “state funds,” nonprofits that pool donations into causes in-line with the Democracy Alliance’s objectives.24

Under the original conception of the Democracy Alliance, the group “would not dole out money itself, but collectively the partners would meet twice a year through its auspices to decide which organizations to fund.”25

Because of this structure, where “little money passes through [Democracy] Alliance bank accounts,” the group has been described as a “middle man that puts donors together with causes deemed worthy of support.” 26

Documents obtained by The Washington Free Beacon in 2019 reportedly showed that Democracy Alliance partners “have infused $1.83 billion into the left since its inception.”27

Groups Supported via “Pass-Through” Funding

Because the Democracy Alliance “serves as a ‘pass through’ for donations to supported groups” there is no “public documentation revealing DA’s role in the fundraising process” As a result of this structure, “few contributions made to organizations through the Alliance are public.”28

Prior to 2014 there was no full list of Democracy Alliance supported organizations or their fundraising goals. In 2014, documents revealed for the first time the Democracy Alliance’s full portfolio of supported organizations. According to these documents, the Democracy Alliance hoped “to provide $39.3 million to 20 organizations,” which if successful would amount to “one out of every five dollars” in those groups’ cumulative  $175 million budgets.29

Reports indicated that the funds would “finance eleven ‘core functions’ carried out by the various organizations the DA supports.” The list of core functions ranged from “fighting the right” to “perfecting data and tools” to “supporting progressive candidates.” 30

Some of the 2014 Democracy Alliance Network funding recommendations include: (baseline funding target/stretch funding target):

America Votes ($3.5 million / $4 million)

Center for American Progress ($3.23 million / $5.5 million)

Center for Community Change ($2.2 million / $3 million)

Media Matters for America ($2.4 million / $3 million)

Organizing for Action ($600,000 / $1 million)

ProgressNow ($1.6 million / $1.9 million)

State Voices ($1.4 million / $2 million)

Women’s Equality Center ($1.5 million / $2 million)

The Alliance’s 2014 funding snapshot also revealed 21 groups that had received DA support over the past nine years. Among the organizations previously backed by the Alliance were the “Sierra Club, the pro-abortion EMILY’s List, and the hard-left Hispanic advocacy group La Raza [now UnidosUS].”31

2020 Vision State Funds

The DA operates special funds in select states to advance liberal policy and Democratic electoral opportunities. 32

2015 Funding Recommendations

In 2015, the Democracy Alliance’s “proposed funding recommendations” included 34 different organizations and eight “state funds” broken down into four categories33  The following are some of the more notable organizations recommended.

National Partners and Cross-Issue Organizations:

America Votes

Center for American Progress (CAP)

Center for Community Change (CCC)

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP)

Center for Popular Democracy (CPD)

Color of Change

Demos

Media Matters for America

National People’s Action

New Organizing Institute

Organizing for Action (OfA)

Pacific Institute for Community Organizations (PICO)

ProgressNow

State Voices

Working America

Working Families Party

Working Families Organization

Focus Issue Organizations:

American Constitution Society for Law and Policy

Brennan Center for Justice

Economic Policy Institute (EPI)

Tools & Innovation Organizations:

Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC)

Catalist

New Media Ventures

2017 “Resistance Map”

In late 2017, the Democracy Alliance distributed a chart it called the “Resistance Map” to its members, highlighting advocacy and agitation organizations it recommends for donations from Democracy Alliance members. The chart shows dozens of organizations divided into fifteen areas:34 35

Organizing
Center for Community Change Mijente People’s Action SafetyNet Defense Fund
Center for Popular Democracy Millions of Jobs People’s Defense United We Dream
Color of Change MoveOn.org PICO National Network Working America
Faith in Public Life NDWA Planned Parenthood Working Families
Health Care for America Now Organizing for Action #RESIST
Litigation
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Advancement Project National Immigration Law Center
Brennan Center for Justice Demos
Rapid Response
Emergent Fund (Project of Solidaire and Women Donors Network) Women Effect Fund
Corporate and Government Ethics
American Oversight Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) Swamp Watch
Backers of Hate Map the Power United to Protect Democracy
Advocacy
Americans for Financial Reform Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP)
Center for American Progress (CAP) National Employment Law Project (NELP)
Electoralizing the Groundswell
America Votes Catalist Flippable #KnockEveryDoor
The Resistance Calendar Resistance Summer Sister District Project Swing Left
Political Bundling
GiveGreen (Project of League of Conservation Voters and Natural Resources Defense Council)
Pressuring Elected Officials
Daily Action 5calls.org People Power #ResistTrump Tuesdays
Daily Grab Back Indivisible #ReadyToResist Stand Up America
TownHall Project Wall of Us
Messaging/Media Monitoring
Media Matters for America Priorities USA
ProgressNow
Protecting Direct Democracy
Ballot Initiative Strategy Center
Backend Services
Action Network Amplify
Innovation & Accelerators
Higher Ground Labs New Left Accelerator
New Media Ventures
Mass Mobilization
March for Science (April 22, 2017) People’s Climate March (April 28, 2017)
Women’s March DC
Storytelling
Pantsuit Nation PushBlack
Volunteer Matching
Prolog

Partners

The Alliance puts “a premium on secrecy to protect the anonymity of its donors, actively discouraging members from speaking to the media and forcing grantees to sign nondisclosure agreements.”36 The Democracy Alliance has been known to hire its own security and has even brought along shredders and confidential materials disposal bins to its conferences to keep their operations secret. 37

Thus the full list of its roughly 110 donors is unknown, but “its members have included some of the biggest names in liberal politics.”38

In April 2005, the Democracy Alliance held it first three-day conference for fifty “partners” in Phoenix, Arizona.  “Only the most committed and well-to-do donors were accepted into the high-priced club.” 39 Among that first group of partners were “billionaires George Soros, Peter Lewis and Herb and Marion Sandler; major Clinton fundraisers Mark and Susie Buell and Bernard Schwartz; New York venture capitalist and longtime Clinton supporter Alan Patricof; Hollywood celebrities Rob Reiner and Norman Lear; wealthy high-tech Californians such as Working Assets founder Michael Kieschnick; and the AFL-CIO and the SEIU.” 40

In June 2006, a group of partners from the Alliance’s progressive wing were elected to the board, this group included a number of notable names. They included  then-Open Society Institute official Gara LaMarche; Anna Burger, then of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU); Drummond Pike of the Tides Foundation; and Rob McKay, Taco Bell heir and president of the McKay Family Foundation.41

In 2014 “a document left on the floor of the group’s recent gathering [revealed] for the first time the names of a number of individuals involved” in the Democracy Alliance. Among the “new partners” were “top labor union bosses, financial and business leaders, and heirs to billion-dollar fortunes who have made names for themselves as high-dollar Democratic donors.”42

Observers noted that organized labor comprised a large contingent of the new members in 2013 and 201443 and that “the rising influence of the labor movement within the Democracy Alliance mirrors the renewed popularity of its favored policies in the Obama White House.”44

Democracy Alliance Conferences

For more information, please see the full Democracy Alliance Conferences profile

The Democracy Alliance hosts semi-annual conferences for its members and guests. Described as a “major gathering of the institutional left,” the conferences primarily serve to connect prospective left-leaning donors with similarly minded activist groups, and to provide a forum for speakers and panels on important political issues, policy, and strategy.45 In past years, conferences have featured some of the most prominent activists, leaders, and politicians in the United States.

Committee on States

See also: Committee on States (Other Group)

The Committee on States is the state-level counterpart organization to the  Democracy Alliance. According to Democracy Alliance documents, the Committee on States and the Democracy Alliance both share the same address,46 and like the Democracy Alliance the Committee on States was formed in 2006.47

Criticism

Dark Money Hypocrisy

Democracy Alliance has often been criticized for its hypocrisy related to so-called “dark money,” a liberal term of art for anonymized spending on politics and policy. In 2014, Politico wrote, “while many of the donors and operatives gathered [at a Democracy Alliance meeting] decry the new [post-Citizens United] system — and support measures to reduce the role of money in politics and increase transparency — they are nonetheless active participants.”48

The Washington Free Beacon pointed out the a number of Democracy Alliance funded organizations that hypocritically fought against 501(c)(4) organizations and the “prevalence of dark money.”49 The Beacon pointed out that the liberal think tank Center for American Progress’ (CAP) dark money critique directly applied to 16 of the 20 Democracy Alliance supported organizations in 2014 (including CAP itself, which has a related 501(c)(4) arm called the CAP Action Fund).”50

Even some major liberal donors have called for the Democracy Alliance to end their own hypocrisy and at the very least include the Democracy Alliance in their criticisms of dark money.51

Democracy Alliance leaders and beneficiaries have defended against these criticisms, “claiming the moral high ground to assert that [they] can do something that [their] morally crippled adversaries cannot.”52 Democracy Alliance former president Gara LaMarche has claimed that the “big difference” between the Democracy Alliance and the political spending by the Kochs and their allies is that for the right-wing this spending “is in effect a business expense — it coincides with and advances their bottom line financial interests. There’s a moral distinction here.”53

However, despite these assertions that Democracy Alliance partners are not “trying to figure out how to rig the game… to make money” some Alliance donors have in fact “benefited from policies that its supported organizations advance.” 54

“The individuals and foundations that comprise the Democratic fundraising base in general and the Democracy Alliance in particular benefit from tax subsidies and mandates for non-carbon energy; from government-funded research and development; from trade and tax policies that favor Hollywood and Silicon Valley; from measures that increase union membership and therefore dues to union bosses; from infrastructure spending that directs funds to construction unions; and from housing and development projects that provide well compensated livelihoods to social workers, foundation executives, and—dare one say it—community organizers.”55

Rick Segal is a new DA “partner,” according to the list recently published by the Free Beacon. Segal, who bundled between $250,000 and $500,000 for Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection effort, runs a financial services firm, Seavest Inc., that is expected to benefit from Obamacare, the Washington Examiner recently reported.” 56

Funding the ‘Resistance’

The Democracy Alliance has been criticized for funding the supposedly grassroots “resistance” to the Trump administration. On October 7, 2017, the New York Times released the Democracy Alliance’s “Resistance Map,” a chart containing dozens of left-wing organizations “to which the club is recommending its members donate to oppose the Trump administration.”57 Groups considered for donations from Democracy Alliance members include politically active nonprofits such as Indivisible, Swing Left, and America Votes, as well as PACss and advocacy organizations like Priorities USA and Organizing for Action.

People

Founders

In addition to the network of ultra-wealthy “partners,” Democracy Alliance’s initial founders were Rob Stein, Andrew Rappaport, Simon Rosenberg, spokesman Mike McCurry and, Chairman of the Board Steven Gluckstern.58

Officers

Pamela Shifman is the president of the Democracy Alliance, taking over in September 2021. She formerly served for twelve years at the NoVo Foundation, ultimately as executive director. Before that, she worked at UNICEF, served as co-executive director of Equality Now, was a program coordinator at the Open Society Foundations, and was a legal advisor to the African National Congress Parliamentary Women’s Caucus in South Africa. Shifman also founded the Feminist Imaginations initiative at Panorama Global in 2020.59

Gara LaMarche is the former president of the Democracy Alliance. He was selected to lead the organization in October 2013. LaMarche previously worked for the Open Society Foundations associated with George Soros. LaMarche also spent a number of years at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Human Rights Watch. Most recently, he served four years as head of Atlantic Philanthropies, where he among other things directed more than $20 million to support Obamacare in 2009 and 2010.60 LaMarche stepped down as president in the summer of 2021.61

While the Democracy Alliance does not report its executive salaries, reports have indicated that the Democracy Alliance managing director position is a “plum $400,000-a-year” post.62

Kim Anderson is the Democracy Alliance’s executive vice president. She previously worked at the National Education Association for over 15 years.63

Board of Directors

Democracy Alliance’s current board of directors is comprised of a number of key left-wing activists, funders, and influencers.64

John Stocks is board chair, and serves as executive director of the National Education Association (NEA).

Rob Stein is founder emeritus.

Paul Egerman is board treasurer. Egerman is a retired software entrepreneur, finance chair for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachussets), and a board member for the New Israel Fund and J Street.

Weston Milliken is board secretary.

Other Democracy Alliance board members include:

David desJardins, a philanthropist and entrepreneur;

Sunita Leeds, a founding member of the Democracy Alliance, founder of the Enfranchisement Foundation, and executive committee member for the Democratic National Committee;

Fran Rodgers, founder of the New Community Fund;

Susan Sandler, a progressive infrastructure activist, philanthropist, and daughter of Herb and Marion Sandler of the Sandler Foundation;

Farhad Ebrahimi, a left-wing political activist and founder of the Chorus Foundation;

Keith Mestrich, president of the labor union-owned Amalgamated Bank of New York;

Shekar Narasimhan, a financial advisor and founder of the superPAC AAPI Victory Fund;

Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) labor union;

Joe Zimlich, a progressive infrastructure activist, founding member of the Democracy Alliance, and family financial advisor.

2020 State Funds

The DA established the 2020 State Funds as “an aligned set of collaborative funds” that will make significant investments in “twelve strategic states.”

A 2015 report on these state funds wrote, “each of the funds has a 501(c)(4) and a 501(c)(3) component. Both tax structures permit the groups to keep donors confidential. However, their donors do not actually give money to the funds themselves; they give to “fiscal sponsor” organizations that then pass the money along to those funds. That can make it difficult to trace the sources of money behind the Alliance’s state efforts, which, despite the nonprofit tax statuses of the groups involved, appear to conduct significant political and electoral advocacy.”65

Each fund has its own strategy and Advisory Board that provides resources, expertise, and governance. DA staff alongside out the funds’ work in coordination with the group’s Advisory Board and some DA Directors carry.66

This is a departure from the Democracy Alliance’s previous mode of operation, instead of operating as a pass-through organization that merely recommends funding outside organizations, the Democracy Alliance is now recommending that partners fund nonprofits organizations run by Democracy Alliance staff under the supervision of an partner-comprised advisory board and in coordination with the Democracy Alliance’s Board of Directors.

Through these “dark money advocacy groups and tax-exempt sister organizations, the progressive Democracy Alliance and its high-dollar Democratic donors are hoping to turn back recent Republican gains in statehouses and governorships.”67

In Fall 2015, the list of 2020 State Funds recommended for funding by Democracy Alliance partners was68:

  • Democracy Fund
  • Inclusive Economy Fund
  • New American Majority Fund
  • State Engagement Initatives
  • Black Civic Engagement Fund
  • Latino Engagement Fund
  • Youth Engagement Fund

Climate Fund and Climate Action Fund

According to a 2016 investment portfolio document published by the Democracy Alliance, the group maintains two environmentalist funders that are housed in two “sister” nonprofits managed by the for-profit philanthropy consulting firm Arabella Advisors in Washington, D.C. According to the document, the purpose of the two funds is to “invest in organizations building a powerful base with New American Majority communities and leading bold campaigns that address the climate crisis in critical states.” 69 Also of note, Democracy Alliance has paid hundreds of thousands in consulting fees to Arabella Advisors. 70

The Democracy Alliance Climate Fund is hosted by the New Venture Fund, a 501(c)(3) funding and fiscal sponsorship nonprofit.

The Democracy Alliance Climate Action Fund is hosted by the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a 501(c)(4) funding and fiscal sponsorship nonprofit.

References

  1. Edsall, Thomas B. “Opinion: Are Liberals Fundraising Hypocrites?” The New York Times. September 30, 2015. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/opinion/are-liberals-fundraising-hypocrites.html?_r=0
  2. Editorial. “Dark money fuels Democrats’ push against other dark money: Examiner Editorial.” Washington Examiner. July 20, 2014. Accessed September 25, 2017. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/dark-money-fuels-democrats-push-against-other-dark-money-examiner-editorial/article/2551041 
  3. Berman, Ari. “Big $$ for Progressive Politics.” The Nation. Oct. 16, 2006. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.thenation.com/article/big-progressive-politics/
  4. Berman, Ari. “Big $$ for Progressive Politics.” The Nation. Oct. 16, 2006. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.thenation.com/article/big-progressive-politics/
  5. Schouten, Fredreka. “Liberal donors gear up to fund new state-level agenda.” USA Today. April 12, 2015. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/2015/04/12/democracy-alliance-to-direct-millions-to-30-liberal-groups/25672531/
  6. Markay, Lachlan. “EXCLUSIVE: Democracy Alliance Network Revealed.” The Washington Free Beacon. May 19, 2014. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://freebeacon.com/politics/exclusive-democracy-alliance-network-revealed/
  7. Vogel, Kenneth. “The ‘Resistance,’ Raising Big Money, Upends Liberal Politics.” New York Times. October 7, 2017. Accessed May 31, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/07/us/politics/democrats-resistance-fundraising.html
  8. Schoffstall, Joe. “Confidential Memo: Secretive Liberal Donor Club Plots $275 Million Spending Plan for 2020.” The Washington Free Beacon. April 11, 2019. Available at: https://freebeacon.com/politics/confidential-memo-secretive-liberal-donor-club-plots-275-million-for-2020/
  9. Vogel, Kenneth. “‘Irony, but it’s not hypocrisy’.” Politico. April 30, 2014. Accessed June 21, 2017. http://www.politico.com/story/2014/04/big-donor-secrecy-campaigns-fundraising-democrats-106186
  10. Berman, Ari. “Big $$ for Progressive Politics.” The Nation. Oct. 16, 2006. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.thenation.com/article/big-progressive-politics/
  11. Carpenter, Amanda. “New Liberal Alliance Hopes to Replicate Conservatives Success. Human Events. August 26, 2005. http://humanevents.com/2005/08/26/new-liberal-alliance-hopes-to-replicate-conservatives-success/
  12. Berman, Ari. “Big $$ for Progressive Politics.” The Nation. Oct. 16, 2006. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.thenation.com/article/big-progressive-politics/
  13. Berman, Ari. “Big $$ for Progressive Politics.” The Nation. Oct. 16, 2006. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.thenation.com/article/big-progressive-politics/
  14. Berman, Ari. “Big $$ for Progressive Politics.” The Nation. Oct. 16, 2006. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.thenation.com/article/big-progressive-politics/
  15. Carpenter, Amanda. “New Liberal Alliance Hopes to Replicate Conservatives Success. Human Events. August 26, 2005. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://humanevents.com/2005/08/26/new-liberal-alliance-hopes-to-replicate-conservatives-success/
  16. Kenneth P. Vogel. “Rob Stein, Who Changed How Politics is Funded, Dies at 78.” The New York Times. May 3, 2022. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/03/us/politics/rob-stein-dead.html
  17. How Vast the Left Wing Conspiracy,” Hudson Institute’s Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Civil Renewal, November 30, 2006. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://web.archive.org/web/20081024154705/http://www.hudson.org/files/pdf_upload/Transcript_2006_11_30.pdf
  18. How Vast the Left Wing Conspiracy,” Hudson Institute’s Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Civil Renewal, November 30, 2006. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://web.archive.org/web/20081024154705/http://www.hudson.org/files/pdf_upload/Transcript_2006_11_30.pdf
  19. Capital Research Center. “Democracy Alliance: Billionaires for Big Government.” Foundation Watch. January Edition. Archived January 10, 2008. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20080110002545/http://capitalresearch.org/news/news.html?id=551
  20. Vogel, Kenneth. “Inside the vast liberal conspiracy.” Politico. June 23, 2014. Accessed June 21, 2017. http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/inside-the-vast-liberal-conspiracy-108171
  21. Berman, Ari. “Big $$ for Progressive Politics.” The Nation. Oct. 16, 2006. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.thenation.com/article/big-progressive-politics/
  22. Berman, Ari. “Big $$ for Progressive Politics.” The Nation. Oct. 16, 2006. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.thenation.com/article/big-progressive-politics/
  23. Capital Research Center. “Democracy Alliance: Billionaires for Big Government.” Foundation Watch. January Edition. Archived January 10, 2008. Accessed June 21, 2008. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20080110002545/http://capitalresearch.org/news/news.html?id=551
  24. Matthew Vadum, Capital Research Center. “The ‘Vast Left-wing Conspiracy.'” Foundation Watch. October 6, 2014. Accessed May 31, 2018. https://capitalresearch.org/article/the-vast-left-wing-conspiracy-george-soross-democracy-alliance-remains-a-potent-force-in-the-2014-elections/
  25. Berman, Ari. “Big $$ for Progressive Politics.” The Nation. Oct. 16, 2006. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.thenation.com/article/big-progressive-politics/
  26. Capital Research Center. “Democracy Alliance: Billionaires for Big Government.” Foundation Watch. January Edition. Archived January 10, 2008. Accessed June 21, 2008. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20080110002545/http://capitalresearch.org/news/news.html?id=551
  27. Schoffstall, Joe. “Confidential Memo: Secretive Liberal Donor Club Plots $275 Million Spending Plan for 2020.” The Washington Free Beacon. April 11, 2019. Available at: https://freebeacon.com/politics/confidential-memo-secretive-liberal-donor-club-plots-275-million-for-2020/
  28. Markay, Lachlan. “EXCLUSIVE: Democracy Alliance Network Revealed.” The Washington Free Beacon. May 19, 2014. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://freebeacon.com/politics/exclusive-democracy-alliance-network-revealed/
  29. Markay, Lachlan. “EXCLUSIVE: Democracy Alliance Network Revealed.” The Washington Free Beacon. May 19, 2014. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://freebeacon.com/politics/exclusive-democracy-alliance-network-revealed/
  30. Markay, Lachlan. “EXCLUSIVE: Democracy Alliance Network Revealed.” The Washington Free Beacon. May 19, 2014. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://freebeacon.com/politics/exclusive-democracy-alliance-network-revealed/
  31. Markay, Lachlan. “EXCLUSIVE: Democracy Alliance Network Revealed.” The Washington Free Beacon. May 19, 2014. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://freebeacon.com/politics/exclusive-democracy-alliance-network-revealed/
  32. Democracy Alliance. “A 2020 Vision For The Democracy Alliance: Funding Recommendations.” Politico. Undated. Accessed June 21, 2017. http://images.politico.com/global/2015/04/13/da_2020_vision_executive_summary_3.pdf http://images.politico.com/global/2015/04/13/da_2020_vision_executive_summary_3.pdf
  33. Democracy Alliance. “A 2020 Vision For The Democracy Alliance: Funding Recommendations.” Politico. Undated. Accessed June 21, 2017. http://images.politico.com/global/2015/04/13/da_2020_vision_executive_summary_3.pdf
  34. Vogel, Kenneth. “The ‘Resistance,’ Raising Big Money, Upends Liberal Politics.” New York Times. October 7, 2017. Accessed May 31, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/07/us/politics/democrats-resistance-fundraising.html
  35. “Here’s the Democracy Alliance’s ‘Resistance Map.'” New York Times. October 7, 2017. Accessed May 31, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/07/us/politics/document-DA-ResistanceMap-2017.html?mtrref=freebeacon.com
  36. Berman, Ari. “Big $$ for Progressive Politics.” The Nation. Oct. 16, 2006. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.thenation.com/article/big-progressive-politics/
  37. Markay, Lachlan. “Live from the George Soros Secret Donor Retreat.” The Washington Free Beacon. April 14, 2015. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://freebeacon.com/politics/live-from-the-george-soros-secret-donor-retreat/
  38. Schouten, Fredreka. “Liberal donors gear up to fund new state-level agenda.” USA Today. April 12, 2015. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/2015/04/12/democracy-alliance-to-direct-millions-to-30-liberal-groups/25672531/
  39. Berman, Ari. “Big $$ for Progressive Politics.” The Nation. Oct. 16, 2006. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.thenation.com/article/big-progressive-politics/
  40. Berman, Ari. “Big $$ for Progressive Politics.” The Nation. Oct. 16, 2006. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.thenation.com/article/big-progressive-politics/
  41. Berman, Ari. “Big $$ for Progressive Politics.” The Nation. Oct. 16, 2006. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.thenation.com/article/big-progressive-politics/
  42. Markay, Lachlan. “Read the Confidential Document Left Behind at the Democracy Alliance Meeting.” The Washington Free Beacon. May 5, 2014. Accessed June 21, 2017. http://freebeacon.com/politics/jonathan-soros-left-a-confidential-document-at-his-donor-conference/
  43. Markay, Lachlan. “Read the Confidential Document Left Behind at the Democracy Alliance Meeting.” The Washington Free Beacon. May 5, 2014. Accessed June 21, 2017. http://freebeacon.com/politics/jonathan-soros-left-a-confidential-document-at-his-donor-conference/
  44. Vadum, Matthew. “Big Labor Joins Ranks With Soros’ Pro-Democratic Funding Group.” Newsmax. June 21, 2017. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://www.newsmax.com/US/George-Soros-Democracy-Alliance-funding-liberal/2014/05/12/id/570902/
  45. Vogel, Kenneth P. “Soros bands with donors to resist Trump, ‘take back power’.” Politico. November 14, 2016. Accessed June 29, 2023. Available at: https://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/democrats-soros-trump-231313
  46. Democracy Alliance. “2020 Vision: State Funds For The Democracy Alliance: Fall 2015.” Scribd. November, 2015. Accessed June 21, 2017.  https://www.scribd.com/doc/290885467/Democracy-Alliance-State-Funds-Fall-2015
  47. Kroll, Andy. “This Is the Left’s Confidential $100 Million Plan to Win Back the States.” Mother Jones. November 14, 2015. Accessed October 2, 2017. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/11/committee-on-states-democracy-alliance-redistricting-2020/
  48. Vogel, Kenneth. “‘Irony, but it’s not hypocrisy’.” Politico. April 30, 2014. Accessed June 21, 2017. http://www.politico.com/story/2014/04/big-donor-secrecy-campaigns-fundraising-democrats-106186
  49. Markay, Lachlan. “EXCLUSIVE: Democracy Alliance Network Revealed.” The Washington Free Beacon. May 19, 2014. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://freebeacon.com/politics/exclusive-democracy-alliance-network-revealed/
  50. Markay, Lachlan. “EXCLUSIVE: Democracy Alliance Network Revealed.” The Washington Free Beacon. May 19, 2014. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://freebeacon.com/politics/exclusive-democracy-alliance-network-revealed/
  51. Vogel, Kenneth P. and Parti, Tarni. “Existential crisis of leftist millionaires.” Politico. June 24, 2014. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/david-brock-liberal-millionaire-existential-crisis-108215
  52. Edsall, Thomas B. “Opinion: Are Liberals Fundraising Hypocrites?” The New York Times. September 30, 2015. Accessed June 21, 2017.  https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/opinion/are-liberals-fundraising-hypocrites.html?_r=0 )
  53. Edsall, Thomas B. “Opinion: Are Liberals Fundraising Hypocrites?” The New York Times. September 30, 2015. Accessed June 21, 2017.  https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/opinion/are-liberals-fundraising-hypocrites.html?_r=0
  54. Markay, Lachlan. “EXCLUSIVE: Democracy Alliance Network Revealed.” The Washington Free Beacon. May 19, 2014. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://freebeacon.com/politics/exclusive-democracy-alliance-network-revealed/
  55. Continetti, Matthew. “See No Evil.” The Washington Free Beacon. November 20, 2012. Accessed June 21, 2017. http://freebeacon.com/columns/see-no-evil/
  56. Markay, Lachlan. “EXCLUSIVE: Democracy Alliance Network Revealed.” The Washington Free Beacon. May 19, 2014. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://freebeacon.com/politics/exclusive-democracy-alliance-network-revealed/
  57. Vogel, Kenneth. “The ‘Resistance,’ Raising Big Money, Upends Liberal Politics.” New York Times. October 7, 2017. Accessed May 31, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/07/us/politics/democrats-resistance-fundraising.html
  58. Carpenter, Amanda. “New Liberal Alliance Hopes to Replicate Conservatives Success. Human Events. August 26, 2005. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://humanevents.com/2005/08/26/new-liberal-alliance-hopes-to-replicate-conservatives-success/
  59. “Meet the President.” Democracy Alliance. Accessed September 23, 2021. Available at: https://democracyalliance.org/meet-the-president/
  60. Grim, Ryan. “Democracy Alliance, Network Of Rich Liberal Donors, Signals Shift Away From Partisan Political Activity.”  The Huffington Post, October 8, 2013. Accessed June 21, 2017. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/08/democracy-alliance_n_4064495.html
  61. “The Democracy Alliance Names Pamela Shifman New President Amid Unprecedented Right-Wing Assault on Democracy.” Democracy Alliance. September 23, 2021. Available at: https://democracyalliance.org/from-the-president/the-democracy-alliance-names-pamela-shifman-new-president-amid-unprecedented-right-wing-assault-on-democracy/
  62. Berman, Ari. “Big $$ for Progressive Politics.” The Nation. Oct. 16, 2006. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.thenation.com/article/big-progressive-politics/
  63. Democracy Alliance. “People: Kim Anderson.” DemocracyAlliance.org. Undated. Accessed June 20, 2017. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://democracyalliance.org/people/kim-anderson/
  64. Democracy Alliance. “Board of Directors.” DemocracyAlliance.org. Undated. Accessed June 20, 2017. Accessed June 21, 2017.  http://democracyalliance.org/about/board/
  65. Markay, Lachlan. “Democracy Alliance’s Dark Money Network Works to Retake States.” The Washington Free Beacon. December 3, 2015. Accessed June 21, 2017. http://freebeacon.com/politics/democracy-alliances-dark-money-network-works-to-retake-states/
  66. Democracy Alliance. “2020 Vision: State Funds For The Democracy Alliance: Fall 2015.” Scribd. November, 2015. Accessed June 21, 2017.  https://www.scribd.com/doc/290885467/Democracy-Alliance-State-Funds-Fall-2015
  67. Markay, Lachlan. “Democracy Alliance’s Dark Money Network Works to Retake States.” The Washington Free Beacon. December 3, 2015. Accessed June 21, 2017. http://freebeacon.com/politics/democracy-alliances-dark-money-network-works-to-retake-states/
  68. Democracy Alliance. “2020 Vision: State Funds For The Democracy Alliance: Fall 2015.” Scribd. November, 2015. Accessed June 21, 2017.  https://www.scribd.com/doc/290885467/Democracy-Alliance-State-Funds-Fall-2015
  69. “Democracy Alliance 2020 Investment Portfolio.” Democracy Alliance. Published Fall 2016. Accessed April 15, 2019. Available: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/04/Democracy-Alliance-2020-Investment-Portfolio-Report.pdf
  70. Schoffstall, Joe. “Arabella Advisors: The most powerful left-wing dark money network in America expands operations.” Fox News. October 17, 2022. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/arabella-advisors-most-powerful-left-wing-dark-money-network-america-expands-operations

Directors, Employees & Supporters

  1. Norman Lear
    Member, Funder
  2. Steven M. Gluckstern
    Initial Founder, Former Chair
  3. Simon Rosenberg
    Initial Founder
  4. Rob Stein
    Initial Founder, Board Chair
  5. Rob McKay
    Chairman
  6. Rachel Pritzker
    Former Board Member
  7. Paul Egerman
    Board Treasurer
  8. Patricia Bauman
    Former Board Vice-Chair
  9. Michael Vachon
    Board Member
  10. Lee Saunders
    Board Member
  11. Mark Buell
    Founding Member
  12. Keith Mestrich
    Board Member
  13. John Stocks
    Board Chair
  14. Joan Huffer
    Board Member
  15. Anna Burger
    Board Member
  16. Susie Tompkins Buell
    Founding Member
  17. David DesJardins
    Board Member
  18. Gara LaMarche
    Former President
  19. Weston Milliken
    Board Secretary
  20. Ted Trimpa
    Board Member
  21. Farhad Ebrahimi
    Board Member
  22. David Slifka
    Board Member
  23. Joe Zimlich
    Board Member
  24. James Gollin
    Former Board Member
  25. Frank Smith
    Political Director
  26. Susan Sandler
    Founding Member, Board Member
  27. Fran Rodgers
    Board Member
  28. Sunita Leeds
    Board Member and Founding Partner
  29. Kim Anderson
    Former Executive Vice President
  30. Kelly Craighead
    Managing Director
  31. Julie Kohler
    Senior Adviser
  32. Lauren Embrey
    Board Member
  33. Barbara Simons
    Board Member
  34. Scott Nielsen
    Former Employee
  35. Alan Patricof
    Member, Funder
  36. Herbert Sandler
    Member, Funder
  37. Anne Bartley
    Co-Founder
  38. Drummond Pike
    Member, Funder
  39. Roger Kim
    Senior Strategy and Planning Officer
  40. Doug Phelps
    Conference Attendee
  41. Anna Lefer Kuhn
    Former Consultant
  42. Michael Kieschnick
    Member, Funder
  43. Peter B. Lewis
    Former Member, Key Funder
  44. Lisa Versaci
    Consultant
  45. Rob Reiner
    Member, Funder
  46. DaMareo Cooper
    2016 Conference Attendee
  47. Mike Lux
    Consultant
  48. Erica Payne
    Key Organizer
  49. George Soros
    Member, Key Funder
  See an error? Let us know!

Democracy Alliance (DA)

1574 Eye St. NW
Suite 475
Washington, DC 20005