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]