Person

Natalie Foster

Nationality:

American

Occupation:

President and Co-Founder, Economic Security Project (Hopewell Fund)

Fellow, Aspen Institute

Former Co-Founder and CEO, Rebuild the Dream

Former Digital Director, Obama for America (OFA)

Former Digital Director, Democratic National Committee

Former Deputy Organizing Director, MoveOn.org

Former Digital Staffer, Sierra Club

2019 Total Compensation:

$210,084 (from Hopewell Fund) 1

References

  1. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Hopewell Fund. 2019. Part VII (Compensation of Officers, Directors, Trustees, etc.).
Political Party:

Democratic Party

Residence:

Oakland, California

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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

References

  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.
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