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Flip the Vote

Website:

www.flipthevote.org
Founded:

2020 (formalized in 2022)
Fiscal Sponsor:

Tides Advocacy
Executive Director:

Laura Pearl

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Flip the Vote works to elect Democratic candidates and raises money for left-of-center political groups in eight states. 1 Flip the Vote supports left-of-center positions on abortion, global warming, gun control, and immigration. 2

History

In 2018, Santa Clara University economics professor John Ifcher formed a volunteer-led effort named Flip the House and raised more than $700,000 to assist Democrats control the U.S. House of Representatives. 3 Flip the House evolved into Flip the Vote in 2020 as an effort to elect Joe Biden and other Democrat candidates. 4 In 2022, Flip the Vote formalized its structure, hiring an executive director and applying for nonprofit status. 5

Political Activity

Flip the Vote claims Republicans have financial and structural advantages in swing states and seek to suppress the votes of persons of color. 6 Flip the Vote holds web-based events, coordinates house parties around the country, and solicits and directs contributions to left-leaning groups for voter registration efforts in eight swing states. 7 Flip the Vote also trains members on persuading nonvoters to turn out, how to engage young voters, and why it claims that the Supreme Court is broken on issues such as abortion, global warming, gun control, and immigration. 8

Flip the Vote identifies specific groups as partners in eight swing states and solicits individuals to donate directly to those groups’ voter registration efforts. 9 Flip the Vote notes that each group is run by people of color and are 501(c)(4) advocacy organizations. 10 Flip the Vote recently added Make the Road Action Nevada and suggested that 20 percent of contributions be directed toward that organization, with the other seven partner groups splitting the balance. 11

The eight state-specific partner groups recommended by Flip the Vote include Make the Road Action Nevada, a left-of-center activist group that recruits from immigrant, ethnic minority, and LGBT communities 12 and Georgia’s Asian American Advocacy Fund, a left-of-center advocacy group. 13 In Michigan, Flip the Vote partners with left-of-center community organizing and activist group Detroit Action. 14 In Arizona, the group partners with Living United for Change in Arizona, a left-of-center advocacy organization that seeks liberal immigration laws and increased minimum wage. 15 In Minnesota, the group partners with TakeAction Minnesota, a left-of-center racial and economic advocacy organization. 16 Partner Advance North Carolina is a minority-led voter mobilization organization. 17 In Pennsylvania, Make the Road Action Pennsylvania is a left-of-center activist organization focusing on increasing political influence in the Hispanic communities. 18 In Wisconsin, Flip the Vote partners with far-left Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC). 19

Finances

In 2020, Flip the Votes claims to have raised more than $7 million for left-leaning groups in key states to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. 20 To expand efforts to elect Democrats, in 2022 Flip the Vote moved from a volunteer-led effort to become a formal nonprofit fiscally sponsored by Tides Advocacy. 21

Leadership

Laura Pearl was a volunteer leader for Flip the Vote in the 2020 election and became executive director in March 2022. 22 Previously, Pearl spent just over a year as a health consultant at Mercer. 23 Previously, she was a co-chair and director of speakers at Santa Clara University’s Own It Summit from 2017 until 2020. 24 Pearl has bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics from Santa Clara University with a minor in gender studies. 25 Pearl is a volunteer at Planned Parenthood Arizona. 26

John Ifcher formed Flip the House in 2018 and continues to serve as chair of the advisory board of Flip the Vote. 27 Ifcher is an economics professor at Santa Clara University focusing on poverty and income inequality. 28 During Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign in 2012, Ifcher wrote an op-ed critical of Romney’s claim of creating 100,000 jobs while serving as the head of Bain Capital. 29

References

  1. “About Us.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/about-us
  2. “Past Events.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/events/past-events.
  3. “John Ifcher.” Santa Clara University. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.scu.edu/business/economics/faculty/ifcher/; “About Us.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/about-us.
  4. “About Us.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/about-us.
  5. “About Us.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/about-us.
  6. “Our Strategy.” Flip the Voted. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/strategy.
  7. “Events.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/events; “Our Strategy.” Flip the Voted. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/strategy.
  8. “Past Events.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/events/past-events.
  9. “Partner Groups.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/partner-groups.
  10. “Partner Groups.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/partner-groups.
  11. “Donate.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/donate.
  12. “Partner Groups.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/partner-groups; “Make the Road Action.” Influence Watch. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/make-the-road-action/.
  13. “Partner Groups.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/partner-groups; “Asian American Advocacy Fund.” Influence Watch. November 3, 2022. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/asian-american-advocacy-fund-aaaf/.
  14. Partner Groups.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/partner-groups; “Detroit Action.” Influence Watch. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/detroit-action/.
  15. “Partner Groups.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/partner-groups; “Living United for Change in Arizona.” Influence Watch. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/living-united-for-change-in-arizona-lucha/.
  16. “Partner Groups.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/partner-groups; TakeAction Minnesota. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://takeactionminnesota.org.
  17. “Partner Groups.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/partner-groups; “Quick Facts About Advance Carolina.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/past-recommendations/community-based-organizations/advance-carolina.
  18. “Partner Groups.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/partner-groups; “Make the Road Action.” Influence Watch. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/make-the-road-action/.
  19. “Partner Groups.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/partner-groups; “Black Leaders Organizing for Communities.” Influence Watch. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.influencewatch.org/organization/black-leaders-organizing-for-communities/.
  20. “About Us.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/about-us.
  21. “About Us.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/about-us.
  22. “Laura Pearl.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurarpearl/; “About Us.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/about-us.
  23. “Laura Pearl.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurarpearl/.
  24. “Laura Pearl.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurarpearl/.
  25. “Laura Pearl.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurarpearl/.
  26. “Laura Pearl.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurarpearl/.
  27. “About Us.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/about-us.
  28. [1] Department of Economics. “John Ifcher.” Santa Clara University. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.scu.edu/business/economics/faculty/ifcher/; “About Us.” Flip the Vote. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://www.flipthevote.org/about-us.
  29. Ifcher, John. “Romney’s Bain Capital Did Not Create 100,000 New Jobs.” Market Watch. June 7, 2012. Accessed November 4, 2022. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/romneys-bain-capital-did-not-create-100000-jobs-2012-06-07.
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