UnKoch My Campus
UnKoch My Campus is a left-of-center group which opposes the influence of billionaire donors, particularly organizations operating in the name of Charles Koch and David Koch, on college campuses. 1
Contents
The group began as a project of Essential Information, a left-of-center nonprofit started by left-wing activist and politician Ralph Nader. 2 In the early 2020s, the group appeared to be absorbed under Generation Common Good, which was founded by the group’s executive director. 3
Background
UnKoch My Campus began in 2012 as a student movement which opposed the donations of libertarian philanthropists Charles and David Koch to universities. The group accused Charles Koch and David Koch of attempting, through their donations, to “encroach on students’ academic freedom from undue ideological influence, unaccountability of donors, and an alarming lack of transparency in the academic process.” 4
By 2014, it had gained the attention of group Common Cause. 4 It operated as a fiscally sponsored project of Essential Information, a group tied to left-wing activist Ralph Nader. The group claimed that it had “has provided research, media, and organizing support to concerned stakeholders on more than 50 campuses.” 2
The group was formed into a professional group beginning in 2017. 5
Partnership With American Humanist Association
In October 2022, the American Humanist Association joined UnKoch My Campus’s National Day of Action. Other groups that participated in it included Liberation in a Generation, Fossil Free Research, and BIG MONEY OUT VA. In a statement, the American Humanist Association’s leadership wrote: 6
Humanists know that US democracy is under attack on many fronts. One of the ways this is happening is that billionaire political donors, like Charles Koch, use donations to educational institutions to place their private agendas over the needs of our communities. Koch himself admits that the university programs and research centers he funds serve an explicit purpose: to mainstream and legitimize the ideas that support the Koch network’s corporate policy agenda—an agenda that seeks to strip away civil rights and further consolidate the power of the wealthy elite at a significant cost to democracy and the climate. 6
The longtime executive director of UnKoch My Campus, Jasmine Banks, had also worked as the American Humanist Association’s director of communications. 6
Support For Greenpeace
In 2025, the energy pipeline company Energy Transfer Partners won a judgement in North Dakota state court against Greenpeace for its conduct surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline protests from 2016-2017. Robert Stilson of the Capital Research Center noted, “Some demonstrators engaged in violence and property destruction, and hundreds were ultimately arrested. Dozens were later convicted of various offenses, including serious felonies.” 7
UnKoch My Campus signed a letter in support of Greenpeace. The letter read in part:
This lawsuit makes allegations that affect people far beyond Greenpeace. It attempts to rewrite the history of the Indigenous-led opposition movement at Standing Rock— by absurdly alleging that Greenpeace orchestrated the entire resistance. It seeks to hold the Greenpeace organizations in the US and Greenpeace International accountable for actions taken by unaffiliated and unknown individuals. This could have a chilling effect on anyone engaged in peaceful protest and assembly. It also attempts to sue over justified and protected speech, claiming it is “defamation.” This is corporate overreach that is part of a disturbing trend of attacks on advocacy and speech around the world. 8
Drop The ADL
UnKoch My Campus joined the Drop The ADL campaign in opposition to the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) support of the state of Israel. The group said, “it has become critical to be in solidarity with people and communities experiencing settler colonization, state sanctioned violence, and military police states.” 9
Leadership
Jasmine Banks was the executive director of UnKoch My Campus. She joined the team in 2018. According to her LinkedIn profile, she left the group in December 2024 to focus on founding Generation Common Good, which adopted UnKoch My Campus as “a flagship program.” 3
Funding
UnKoch My Campus has been a fiscally sponsored project throughout its entire existence and as such does not release independent tax return. 10
Its parent group as of 2026, Generation Common Good, 3 filed its first tax return in 2024, declaring $68,603 in income. The return did not indicate how much was allocated to UnKoch My Campus. 11