Change Now, Inc. is a nationwide political action committee (PAC) that targets candidates who it perceives to be insufficiently supportive of left-of-center policies, particularly those related to healthcare and taxation. Change Now has received millions of dollars from grantmaking organizations such as the Sixteen Thirty Fund, which in recent years has given close to $100 million annually to left-of-center activism and lobbying efforts. ^{1 2}

Persons associated with Bloomberg LP, the financial, software, and media corporation owned by billionaire financier and 2020 Democratic Party presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg, has also provided funding for the PAC, as has James Murdoch, the son of billionaire right-of-center media entrepreneur Rupert Murdoch. ^{3 4} Maine Momentum, a state-level affiliate of the Sixteen Thirty Fund, gave Change Now a further $1.6 million in 2020, and the Fund for a Better Future, a left-of-center foundation which backs abortion and environmentalist causes, gave the PAC a $200,000 grant. Also in 2020, Change Now received $500,000 from the investment firm Lupa Systems, which funds the far-left Vice Media Group. ^{5 6}

During the 2020 election cycle, Change Now put the overwhelming majority of its resources towards opposing right-of-center candidates, spending less than $3,000 on advertising campaigns for Democrats and more than $8 million on attack ads and other negative publicity against Republicans. ⁷

Change Now is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The PAC first became active during the 2018 midterm election cycle. ⁸ Change Now maintains a website which includes a mission statement and standard PAC disclaimer but offers no other information besides a contact email. ⁹

Sources of Funding

During the 2020 election cycle, Change Now received most of its funding from the Sixteen Thirty Fund and Sixteen Thirty Fund’s affiliate Maine Momentum. ¹⁰ According to reporting by the Daily Caller, the PAC also received $500,000 from James Murdoch, the former Fox News executive turned left-of-center philanthropist. ¹¹ In the leadup to the 2018 midterm elections, however, the PAC also received significant contributions from several other leading left-of-center activist organizations: the Service Employees International Union, one of the most influential labor unions in the United States and the League of Conservation Voters, a leading environmentalist organization both gave Change Now $3.5 million. Sixteen Thirty gave the PAC just under $3 million, and Democratic billionaire Michael Bloomberg gave $250,000 through his corporation. Change Now also received small amounts of funding from organizations such as the House Majority PAC, which works to get Democratic congressional candidates elected, and the Women Vote PAC. ¹²

Expenditures and Impact

During both the 2018 and 2020 election cycles, more than 90 percent of the PAC’s spending went towards negative advertising and publicity campaigns against Republican candidates across the country. The remainder went towards promoting Democratic candidates. OpenSecrets estimates that in 2018, Change Now succeeded in helping seat a Democrat or unseat a Republican in just under 60 percent of the races in which the PAC was involved. In 2020, Change Now spent more than $4.7 million on campaigning against President Donald Trump, who lost re-election. However, the PAC spent a total of more than $3.3 million to oppose Republican Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Thom Tillis (R-NC), all of whom won re-election. ^{13 14}

1. Change Now. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.makechangenow.org/
2. “Change Now PAC – Top Donors, 2020 Cycle.” OpenSecrets. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib.php?cmte=C00683599&cycle=2020
3. Change Now PAC – Top Donors, 2018 Cycle.” OpenSecrets. Accessed November 12, 2021.

   https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib.php?cycle=2018&cmte=C00683599

4. Thomas Catenacci. “James Murdoch Gave $20 Million To Biden, Progressive Groups In 2020.” Daily Caller. June 10, 2021. Accessed November 22, 2021.

   https://dailycaller.com/2021/06/10/james-murdoch-news-corporation-rupert-murdoch/

5. “Change Now PAC – Top Donors, 2020 Cycle.” OpenSecrets. Accessed November 22, 2021.

   https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib.php?cmte=C00683599&cycle=2020

6. “Lupa Systems – Investments.” Crunchbase. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/lupa-systems-a816/recent_investments
7. “Change Now PAC – Outside Spending Summary 2020.” OpenSecrets. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cycle=2020&cmte=C00683599
8. “Change Now PAC – 2016.” OpenSecrets. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cycle=2016&cmte=C00683599
9. Change Now. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.makechangenow.org/
10. “Change Now PAC – Top Donors, 2020 Cycle.” OpenSecrets. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib.php?cmte=C00683599&cycle=2020
11. Thomas Catenacci. “James Murdoch Gave $20 Million To Biden, Progressive Groups In 2020.” Daily Caller. June 10, 2021. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://dailycaller.com/2021/06/10/james-murdoch-news-corporation-rupert-murdoch/
12. “Change Now PAC – Top Donors, 2018 Cycle.” OpenSecrets. Accessed November 12, 2021. https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib.php?cycle=2018&cmte=C00683599
13. “Change Now PAC – Outside Spending Summary 2018.” OpenSecrets. Accessed November 22, 2021.

    https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cycle=2018&cmte=C00683599

14. “Change Now PAC – Outside Spending Summary 2020.” OpenSecrets. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cycle=2020&cmte=C00683599