Natalie Foster is a left-of-center activist who is the president and co-founder of the left-of-center Economic Security Project (ESP), an initiative housed within the Hopewell Fund, which is itself a nonprofit operated by the left-of-center dark money organization Arabella Advisors. ¹ She has described herself as an “economic justice advocate.” ²

Foster has worked as the digital director for the left-of-center Organizing for America and Democratic National Committee (DNC), the director of online organizing for the left-of-center environmental activist Sierra Club, and in other digital roles at MoveOn.org Political Action and Green Corps. ³ She also co-founded Rebuild the Dream with former Obama administration official and political activist Van Jones. ⁴

Foster sits on the board of the left-of-center California Budget and Policy Center, the Change.org Foundation, and Liberation in a Generation. ⁵ She supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement, ^{6 7} promotes Biden administration policy positions on Twitter, ^{8 9} and has been awarded fellowships at left-of-center organizations including Institute for the Future, Rockwood Leadership Institute, and New America California. ¹⁰

Career

Natalie Foster is the president and co-founder of the left-of-center Economic Security Project (ESP), an initiative which calls for universal basic income that is housed within the Hopewell Fund, a nonprofit operated by the left-of-center dark money organization Arabella Advisors. She is also a senior fellow at the center-left Aspen Institute’s Future of Work Initiative and a fellow with the Institute for the Future (IFTF). ¹¹

Foster has worked as the digital director for the left-of-center Organizing for America and the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the director of online organizing for the left-of-center environmental activist Sierra Club, and in other digital roles at MoveOn.org Political Action and Green Corps. ¹² In 2011, she co-founded Rebuild the Dream with left-of-center political commentator and activist Van Jones. ¹³

She has been awarded fellowships at the left-of-center Institute for the Future, Rockwood Leadership Institute, and New America CA. ¹⁴ Foster is a board member of the California Budget and Policy Center, the Change.org Foundation and Liberation in a Generation, which works to close a perceived “racial wealth gap” ¹⁵ and is a fiscally sponsored project of the left-of-center PolicyLink. ^{16 17}

Foster is a self-described “economic justice advocate” ¹⁸ and supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement. ^{19 20} On Twitter, she has supported Biden administration policy positions ^{21 22} and written that “giving people money is good policy and good politics.” ²³

Political Contributions

Natalie Foster has made numerous Federal Election Commission-reportable contributions to Democratic Party candidates and Democratic-affiliated committees including the 2020 presidential campaign of Joe Biden, ActBlue, the Movement Voter Project, Democratic-aligned Battleground Texas, Win the Senate 2020, Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), the Senate campaign of Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and the Senate campaign of Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes (D). ²⁴

Foster has also donated to the failed 2020 presidential campaign of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison (D-SC)’s unsuccessful Senate campaign, former Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL)’s unsuccessful re-election campaign, and the unsuccessful campaigns of Theresa Greenfield (D-IA), Barbara Bollier (D-KS), Amy McGrath (D-KY), Nikema Williams (D-GA), Cal Cunningham (D-NC), ²⁵ Janessa Goldbeck (D-CA), ²⁶ Lucas Kunce (D-MO), and others. ²⁷

Personal Information

Natalie Foster received a Master’s degree in international studies from Pepperdine University in 2001. ²⁸ She resides in Oakland, California. ²⁹

1. “Experience.” LinkedIn. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-foster-58a2803/details/experience/.
2. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted September 11, 2021. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://twitter.com/nataliefoster/status/1436554320862871554.
3. “Experience.” LinkedIn. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-foster-58a2803/details/experience/.
4. “Natalie Foster.” Economic Security Project Team. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.economicsecurityproject.org/team/.
5. “Homepage.” Liberation in a Generation. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.liberationinageneration.org/.
6. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted July 18, 2015. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://twitter.com/nataliefoster/status/622468716932902912?s=21.
7. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted October 13, 2016. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://twitter.com/nataliefoster/status/786747359413743616?s=21.
8. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted December 6, 2021. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://twitter.com/nataliefoster/status/1468001692985671683.
9. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted November 19, 2021. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://twitter.com/nataliefoster/status/1461715282846576644.
10. “Natalie Foster.” New America. December 8, 2021. https://www.newamerica.org/our-people/natalie-foster/.
11. ^[1] “Experience.” LinkedIn. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-foster-58a2803/details/experience/.
12. “Experience.” LinkedIn. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-foster-58a2803/details/experience/.
13. “Natalie Foster.” Economic Security Project Team. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.economicsecurityproject.org/team/.
14. “Natalie Foster.” New America. December 8, 2021. https://www.newamerica.org/our-people/natalie-foster/.
15. “Natalie Foster.” Economic Security Project Team. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.economicsecurityproject.org/team/.
16. “Homepage.” Liberation in a Generation. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.liberationinageneration.org/.
17. “Natalie Foster.” Aspen Institute. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.aspeninstitute.org/our-people/natalie-foster/.
18. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted September 11, 2021. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://twitter.com/nataliefoster/status/1436554320862871554.
19. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted July 18, 2015. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://twitter.com/nataliefoster/status/622468716932902912?s=21.
20. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted October 13, 2016. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://twitter.com/nataliefoster/status/786747359413743616?s=21.
21. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted December 6, 2021. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://twitter.com/nataliefoster/status/1468001692985671683.
22. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted November 19, 2021. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://twitter.com/nataliefoster/status/1461715282846576644.
23. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted September 1, 2021. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://twitter.com/nataliefoster/status/1432921679953465347.
24. “Individual contributions.” Federal Election Commission. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=natalie%20foster.
25. ^[1] “Individual contributions.” Federal Election Commission. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=natalie%20foster.
26. “Individual contributions.” Federal Election Commission. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=natalie%20foster.
27. “Individual contributions.” Federal Election Commission. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=natalie%20foster.
28. “Natalie Foster.” LinkedIn. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-foster-58a2803/.
29. “Individual contributions.” Federal Election Commission. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=natalie%20foster.