For the Many is a left-of-center advocacy group with offices throughout New York State that promotes left-of-center economic, racial, and environmental policies and organizes on behalf of such policies throughout New York. The organization promotes eviction moratoriums, rent control policies, short-term rental bans, and many other housing policies as well as opposing the expansion of natural gas plants, supporting a minimum wage of over $21 per hour, and the creation of government-run banks.

The organization employs socialist rhetoric supporting “taking back” wealth from high earners and “make the greedy few pay their fair share of taxes.” The organization is sponsored by Tides Advocacy, a left-of-center lobbying group affiliated with the Tides Foundation that acts as the fiscal sponsor to many left-of-center advocacy groups. ^{1 2 3}

Background

For the Many was formed in 2012. While the group has added or changed campaigns over the years, the focus of the organization has remained largely centered around economic issues. The organization’s activity timeline states that the organization was formed in the wake of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Following the collapse of the housing market and subsequent recession, the group decided to make its first campaign focused on housing policy, which led to the group lobbying for the passage of a local ordinance in 2014 in Poughkeepsie requiring banks to post a $10,000 bond for every foreclosed or vacant property they own. In 2014 the organization also hired its first two full-time staff members. ⁴

Other initiatives the organization has been involved in or led in its history have included opposing utility rate hikes by stating that utility companies only raise rates while “destroying the climate…just to line their pockets,” expanding utility assistance programs, organizing on behalf of policies to provide drivers licenses and identification cards for illegal immigrants, supporting laws to block deportations by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, and backing a variety of proposals in New York to significantly raise taxes on high earners and impose restrictions on eviction proceedings. ⁵

Activity

For the Many has grown to have a statewide presence in New York and lobbies the legislature to pass many of its priorities at the state level. The group also organizes on behalf of left-of-center policies in Poughkeepsie, and has also expanded to operate offices in Middletown, Newburgh, and Kingston. The organization also endorses candidates for public office, mostly focusing on local offices in the cities where it maintains offices and surrounding villages and counties. The group states that it will “only endorse in close, important races where our work can be the difference in who wins and loses.” ^{6 7}

Policies supported by For the Many include a minimum wage of $21.25 in the New York City area and $20 elsewhere in New York, state-run government-funded health care, expanding low-income state health care programs to cover all low-income individuals and illegal immigrants, and creating a public state-run bank in order to “divest from banks that are financing destructive corporate interests, including speculative real estate, private prison and immigration detention companies, the global arms trade, and the fossil fuel industry.” ^{8 9}

Fiscal Sponsorship

For the Many is sponsored by Tides Advocacy, a left-of-center lobbying group affiliated with the Tides Foundation that acts as the fiscal sponsor to many left-of-center advocacy groups. ¹⁰

1. “Our Work.” For the Many. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://forthemany.org/our-work/
2. “An Economy For the Many.” For the Many. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://forthemany.org/our-work/an-economy-for-the-many/
3. For the Many. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://forthemany.org/
4. “About Us.” For the Many. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://forthemany.org/about-us/
5. “About Us.” For the Many. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://forthemany.org/about-us/
6. Candidate Endorsements.” For the Many. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://forthemany.org/candidate-endorsements/
7. “About Us.” For the Many. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://forthemany.org/about-us/
8. “An Economy For the Many.” For the Many. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://forthemany.org/our-work/an-economy-for-the-many/
9. “Healthcare For the Many.” For the Many. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://forthemany.org/our-work/healthcare-for-the-many/
10. Ludwig, Hayden. “Unearthing The Tides Nexus.” Washington, D.C.: Capital Research Center, 2021. https://capitalresearch.org/article/unearthing-the-tides-nexus-part-2/