Durham for All is a left-of-center community organizing and activist group located in Durham, North Carolina that focuses on promoting economic policies aligned with labor unions at the local level as well as pushing the political landscape in North Carolina to the left in statewide elections. The group is a project of the Carolina Federation, an advocacy organization dedicated to electing North Carolina politicians from the left wing of the Democratic Party. ^{1 2}

Durham for All is among several local and state-level groups involved with the far-left “North Carolina People’s Platform,” including Down Home NC, NC Raise Up, and the North Carolina Association of Educators. The Carolina Federation employs a full-time organizer for Durham for All and the group focuses on a handful of issue areas with a major focus on one annual issue campaign. Previous campaigns led by the organization include expanding a universal income pilot program, supporting defunding the police, and advancing proposals for universal government-provided health care. ^{3 4}

Background

Durham for All began in 2016 and is a project of the Carolina Federation, a 501(c)(4) advocacy group committed to electing state and local politicians in North Carolina from the left-wing of the Democratic Party. The organization supports politicians who support a more active government role in regulating the economy and opposes the nomination of center-left Democratic Party candidates. ⁵

While it is unknown which of the Carolina Federation’s funders direct funding towards Durham for All specifically, the federation is a beneficiary of the Tides Nexus, a collection of left-of-center grantmaking, fiscal sponsorship, and advocacy nonprofits headquartered in San Francisco, California. The Federation has also received funding from All-Hands on Deck, Tides Advocacy, the Tides Foundation, the Tides Center, America Votes, Make North Carolina First, and the See Forward Fund. ^{6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14}

Durham for All is among the groups operated or tied to the Carolina Federation that in 2021 worked to publish the far-left “North Carolina People’s Platform.” Other groups associated with Durham for All through the People’s Platform include Guilford for All, New Hanover for All, the Forsyth Freedom Federation, the People’s Alliance, Bull City Tenants United, Down Home NC, NC Raise Up, Siembra NC, and the North Carolina Association of Educators. ¹⁵

Stances

Durham for All has embraced a variety of far-left policy stances including defunding local police, calling for Durham to “divest from police and invest in community based-alternatives” as well as the elimination of cash bail and ending cooperation between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ¹⁶

The group also supports universal “Medicare for all” policies to provide government-funded health care to all individuals, and supports government-guaranteed housing for all individuals. ¹⁷

Activity

The first campaign operated by Durham for All was a housing-related “fund our homes” campaign in 2016 to “advocate for a revamp of Durham’s minor home repairs program.” In 2017, the group launched its first major campaign, the 10k Strong campaign, which sought to build a coalition of 10,000 voters to swing the control of the Durham City Council towards far-left candidates. ¹⁸

In 2020, the group operated the Swing the State campaign to reach out to racial minority voters to help Democratic chances of regaining the presidency with a goal to “reach out to 17,000 Black, Brown, and working-class people who did not vote in the 2016 elections.” The group led a similar campaign in 2022. ¹⁹

1. “People’s Platform.” Carolina Federation. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://carolinafederation.org/peoples-platform/
2. “About.” Durham for All. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://durhamforall.org/about/#vision
3. “People’s Platform.” Carolina Federation. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://carolinafederation.org/peoples-platform/
4. “About.” Durham for All. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://durhamforall.org/about/#vision
5. Tauss, Leigh.  “Working Families Party, Progressive Groups Endorse Allam For Congress” IndyWeek. January 21, 2022. Accessed October 29, 2022. https://indyweek.com/news/durham/working-families-party-endorse-allam-for-congress/
6. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-Schedule I). All-Hands on Deck. Part II, line 12. 2019.
7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-Schedule I). Tides Advocacy. Part II, line 6. 2019.
8. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-Schedule I). Tides Foundation. Part II, line 118. 2019.
9. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-Schedule I). Tides Center. Part II, line 26. 2019.
10. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-Schedule I). America Votes. Part II, line 18. 2020.
11. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-Schedule I). Make North Carolina First. Part II, line 13. 2020.
12. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-Schedule I). Tides Foundation. Part II, line 13. 2020.
13. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-Schedule I). See Forward Fund. Part II, line 6. 2020.
14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-Schedule I). Mill Valley Community Action Network. Part II, line 2. 2020.
15. “North Carolina People’s Platform.” Carolina Platform. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://carolinafederation.org/peoples-platform/
16. “About.” Durham for All. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://durhamforall.org/about/#vision
17. “About.” Durham for All. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://durhamforall.org/about/#vision
18. “Campaigns.” Durham for All. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://durhamforall.org/campaigns/
19. “Campaigns.” Durham for All. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://durhamforall.org/campaigns/