Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund is the political action committee of Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, a New York-based lobbying group that advocates for gun control measures while opposing laws expanding firearms carry privileges. The victory fund has financed a variety of mailer and advertisement campaigns throughout the United States, as well as donating to other Democratic organizations.

Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor and founder and owner of global financial services and media company Bloomberg LP, is the founder and the primary funder of Everytown. Bloomberg founded the anti-gun group in April 2014 to contest the influence of the pro-Second Amendment National Rifle Association. ¹

Spending

In the 2018 election cycle, Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund raised and spent nearly $4 million, making it the third highest-spending gun policy PAC in the United States. ² In the 2020 election cycle, spending rose to over $32 million. As of March 2022, the victory fund has raised $8.3 million in the 2022 election cycle and spent $2.4 million. ³

The victory fund’s political contributions have gone exclusively to Democratic organizations. In the 2020 election cycle, the victory fund gave $1 million to the Senate Majority PAC, over $100,000 to the House Majority PAC, $50,000 to the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association, and $36,000 to Priorities USA Action. ⁴

In October 2021, the victory fund launched a $200,000 pilot program in Erie County, PA, to support Chris Campanelli (D), a pro-gun control Democratic sheriff candidate, against Republican Brian Shank (R), whom the group called “a dangerous, gun-lobby extremist.” ⁵

In August 2021, the victory fund launched Demand a Seat, a $3 million campaign to recruit survivors of gun violence to run for office. ⁶

In October 2020, the victory fund launched a $70,000 campaign to mail flyers written by a gun violence survivor urging voters to support Democrats in the state-wide election. ⁷

In August 2020, the victory fund spent $6 million on advertisements to support Joe Biden (D-DE) in Florida during the presidential election. ⁸

Funding

The Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund is primarily funded by former New York mayor and gun control activist Michael Bloomberg, sometimes through the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund. In the 2020 election cycle, the victory fund received substantial donations from billionaire heir Daniel Pritzker, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Samerian Foundation co-founder Cindy Simon Skjodt, billionaire insurance magnate Eli Broad, Welsh billionaire Michael Moritz, Renaissance Technologies vice president Henry Laufer, and billionaire heiress Pat Stryker. ⁹

1. ^[1] Blake, Aaron. “Bloomberg launches new $50 million gun control effort.” The Washington Post. April 16, 2014. Accessed March 16, 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2014/04/16/bloomberg-aims-to-spend-50-million-on-gun-control/?utm_term=.32c88356e287.
2. “Contributors.” Gun Funded. Accessed March 16, 2022. https://gunfunded.com/contributors.
3. “PAC Profile: Everytown Gun Safety Victory Fund.” Open Secrets. Accessed March 16, 2022. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/everytown-for-gun-safety-victory-fund/C00688655/summary/2020.
4. “PAC Profile: Everytown Gun Safety Victory Fund.” Open Secrets. Accessed March 16, 2022. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/everytown-for-gun-safety-victory-fund/C00688655/summary/2020.
5. “Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund.” Everytown. October 15, 2021. Accessed March 16, 2022. https://www.everytown.org/press/everytown-for-gun-safety-victory-fund-launches-nearly-200000-pilot-program-in-erie-county-pa-to-engage-in-sheriffs-races/.
6. Schnell, Mychael. “Everytown recruiting gun violence survivors to run for office.” The Hill. August 11, 2021. Accessed March 16, 2022. https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/567392-everytown-recruiting-gun-violence-survivors-to-run-for-office
7. “Everytown Victory Fund Launches Nearly $70,000 in New Direct Mail Penned by Survivor of Gun Violence in Pennsylvania.” Every Town. October 20, 2020. Accessed March 16, 2022. https://www.everytown.org/press/everytown-for-gun-safety-victory-fund-launches-nearly-200000-pilot-program-in-erie-county-pa-to-engage-in-sheriffs-races/.
8. Powers, Scott. “Everytown for Gun Safety targets Orlando, Tampa for TV Blitz.” Florida Politics. August 25, 2020. Accessed March 16, 2022. https://floridapolitics.com/archives/361652-everytown-for-gun-safety-targets-orlando-tampa-for-tv-blitz/.
9. “PAC Profile: Everytown Gun Safety Victory Fund.” Open Secrets. Accessed March 16, 2022. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/everytown-for-gun-safety-victory-fund/C00688655/summary/2020.