Fighting Chance for Families is a project of the left-of-center New Venture Fund, the charitable arm of the left-of-center “dark money” network managed by Arabella Advisors, that advocates for a permanent expanded “Child Tax Credit,” a COVID-19 pandemic relief program created by the March 2021American Rescue Plan Act which temporarily expanded tax credits for families from $2,000 per child per year to roughly $3,000 per child per year. ¹

The project has worked closely with the left-progressive think tank Data for Progress and the left-of-center Groundwork Collaborative, which is also a project of the New Venture Fund. ²

Background

In June 2021, two left-progressive think tanks, Data for Progress and the Groundwork Collaborative, launched Fighting Chance for Families to advocate for expended tax credit benefits for families, community organizations, and small businesses. The initiative’s primary goal is to make the COVID-19 child tax credit increase permanent. ³ The initiative’s two founding groups describe Fighting Chance for Families as a “war room.” ⁴

Fighting Chance for Families is a project of the New Venture Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based left-of-center pass-through funding and fiscal sponsorship nonprofit managed by Arabella Advisors, a consulting firm that controls a multi-billion-dollar “dark money” network in support of left-progressive causes. ⁵

Activism

Sean McElwee, executive director of Data for Progress, said in a statement that Fighting Chance for Families would “urge lawmakers to seize the opportunities afforded by the current political moment to push for this landmark policy to be made permanent.” ⁶

Fighting Chance for Families publicized a poll in July 2021 that found 56% of voters supported making a child tax credit permanent. The poll, conducted by one of the group’s co-founders, Data for Progress and the left-progressive Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, contrasted with a nonpartisan Politico-Morning Consult poll which found that 52% of voters opposed making the child tax credit permanent. ⁷

1. Filseth, Trevor. “The Child Tax Credit Was Expanded for One Year. Should It Go Longer?” The National Interest. The Center for the National Interest, July 7, 2021. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/politics/child-tax-credit-was-expanded-one-year-should-it-go-longer-189312.
2. Roarty, Alex. “Liberal Groups Set up ‘War Room’ to Push Democrats to Extend Child Tax Credit.” McClatchy, June 28, 2021. https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article252428913.html.
3. Jagoda, Naomi. “Progressive groups launch effort to cement expanded child tax credit.” The Hill. June 29, 2021. Accessed July 30, 2021. https://thehill.com/policy/finance/560814-progressive-groups-launch-effort-to-cement-expanded-child-tax-credit
4. Roarty, Alex. “Liberal Groups Set up ‘War Room’ to Push Democrats to Extend Child Tax Credit.” McClatchy, June 28, 2021. https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article252428913.html.
5. District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. Search: New Venture Fund: Trade Names. Accessed June 30, 2021. https://corponline.dcra.dc.gov/BizEntity.aspx/ViewEntityData?entityId=2689437. ^
6. Roarty, Alex. “Liberal Groups Set up ‘War Room’ to Push Democrats to Extend Child Tax Credit.” McClatchy, June 28, 2021. https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article252428913.html.
7. Schnell, Mychael. “Majority in new poll says expanded child tax credit should not be permanent.” The Hill. July 21, 2021. Accessed July 30, 2021. https://thehill.com/policy/finance/564063-majority-in-new-poll-says-expanded-child-tax-credit-should-not-be-permanent