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GCJ Research

Website:

www.gcjresearch.com/
Type:

Research organization
Founder:

Gaurav Shirole

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GCJ Research is a left-of-center research and survey group with ties to Future Forward USA Action and its affiliated super PAC, Future Forward PAC. 1 2 GCJ Research takes its name from the initials of Gaurav Shirole, Chauncey McLean, and Jon Fromowitz; all three are former campaign operatives for President Barack Obama and form the board of Future Forward USA Action. 1 3

Background

GCJ Research is a survey research group with deep connections to Democratic Party-aligned organizations and operatives, including Future Forward USA Action, Future Forward PAC, Gaurav Shirole, Jon Fromowitz, and Chauncey McLean. Future Forward PAC is the largest super PAC in America. 1 4

Future Forward PAC reportedly workshopped over 600 potential ads for the Harris campaign in 2024, and together with its affiliated advocacy and social welfare organization, Future Forward USA Action, the group raised over $700 million in the 2024 election cycle. 1 Future Forward USA Action contributed over $130 million to Future Forward PAC during this period. 5

Activities

GCJ Research conducts surveys on “media consumption” and “politics,” according to its website. 6 The firm received over $15 million from Future Forward PAC. The closeness between Future Forward and GCJ prompted internet commenters on the Reddit website to question whether the operation was “a scam,” according to the New York Times. 7 1

Similar to Future Forward USA Action and dubbed a “Democratic dark money hub” by CNN, GCJ’s website contains little detail about the group’s activities. 6 8

Funding

GCJ Research is largely supported by Future Forward USA Action, a “dark money” group affiliated with Future Forward PAC, as the groups share paid employees and assets, according to public tax filings. 2 The “dark money” designation stems from Future Forward USA Action being a nonprofit; it is not required to publicly disclose its donors. 2 Since the group receives and dispenses substantial funds with Future Forward PAC, including over $130 million in the 2024 election cycle, the process of money moving from the nonprofit to the super PAC obscures the source of the funds. 5 8

It has been reported that billionaire Michael Bloomberg made a $50 million contribution to Future Forward USA Action in 2024 that was supposedly meant to be “kept under wraps,” according to the New York Times. 9 Future Forward USA Action also received $15 million in funding in both 2022 and 2023 from the Open Society Action Fund (known as the Open Society Policy Center at the time of giving in 2022) “to support nonpartisan research and content testing on critical policy issues.” 10

In the 2024 election cycle, Future Forward PAC disbursed over $15 million to GCJ Research. 7

In 2023, Future Forward USA Action provided over $300,000 in contracts to GCJ Research. 4

People

Gaurav Shirole founded GCJ Research. Shirole named GCJ Research after himself and his colleagues at Future Forward USA Action: Jon Fromowitz and Chauncey Mclean. GCJ is a combination of the initials from their first names, according to the New York Times. 1 Shirole is the treasurer of Future Forward USA Action and previously worked on Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign for president. 3 11

Chauncey McLean, one of the individuals for which GCJ Research was named, is the president of Future Forward USA Action and the treasurer of Future Forward PAC. 3 12 He previously worked on Obama’s 2008 campaign for president. 13

Jon Fromowitz, another individual for which GCJ Research was named, is a co-founder and secretary of Future Forward USA Action. He has worked on the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden, according to his LinkedIn profile. 14 He is also a co-founder of Blue Sky Strategy. 3 14

PFB Media is an advertising firm that, like GCJ Research, also shares ties to and receives contracts from Future Forward USA Action; Fromowitz and McLean are part-owners of the group. 15

References

  1. Schleifer, Theodore, and Shane Goldmacher. “Inside the Secretive $700 Million Ad-Testing Factory for Kamala Harris.” The New York Times, October 17, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/17/us/elections/future-forward-kamala-harris-ads.html.
  2. “Future Forward USA Action,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023. Schedule R.
  3. “Future Forward USA Action,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023. Page 7 Part VII.
  4. “Future Forward USA Action,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023. Schedule L.
  5. “Top Organizations Disclosing Donations to Future Forward USA, 2024.” OpenSecrets. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/detail/2024?cmte=C00669259&tab=donors.
  6. GCJ Research. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.gcjresearch.com/.
  7. “Expenditures by Future Forward USA, 2024.” OpenSecrets. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/detail/2024?cmte=C00669259&tab=expenditures.
  8. Wright, David. “If You’ve Been Seeing More pro-Harris Ads Online Lately, Here’s Why | CNN Politics.” CNN, October 30, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/30/politics/democratic-digital-advertising-future-forward/index.html.
  9. Schleifer, Theodore. “Bloomberg, after Months of Pressure, Donates $50 Million to Help Harris.” The New York Times, October 28, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/28/us/elections/michael-bloomberg-presidential-race-donations.html.
  10. “Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships.” Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships – Open Society Foundations. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=Future%2BForward%2BUSA%2BAction.
  11. Gaurav Shirole – progressive nonprofit. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/gshirole.
  12. “FF Pac – Committee Overview.” FEC.gov. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00669259/?tab=about-committee&cycle=2024.
  13.  Rutenberg, Jim. “Data You Can Believe In.” The New York Times, June 20, 2013. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/magazine/the-obama-campaigns-digital-masterminds-cash-in.html.
  14. Jon Fromowitz – co-founder – blue sky strategy | linkedin. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-fromowitz-3922934/?_l=en.
  15. “Future Forward USA Action,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023. Schedule L and Schedule O.
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