Progress Action Fund

The Progress Action Fund is a political action committee (PAC) that produces aggressive “hard-hitting ads” against Republicans. It was founded by Democratic strategist Joe Jacobson in 2020. In 2025, it announced plans to raise $25 million to support ads that attack Republicans and target the young men’s vote. 1 2

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At-A-Glance

Type: 527 (Political Action Committee)
Website: www.progressactionfund.com
Formation:

2020

Executive Director:

Joe Jacobson

Location: Washington, DC View on map

Contents

    Background

    The Progress Action Fund is a hybrid political action committee founded in 2020 by political strategist Joe Jacobson. It was initially focused on producing online video ads to “turn Georgia blue.” It is known for its “hard-hitting ads” against Republicans. 1

    Jacobson’s November 2024 article published by left-of-center advocacy group DemCast USA claimed that the Democratic Party ads present candidates as the “typical, establishment, out of touch politician.” Most of the Progress Action Fund 2024 elections ads featured an actor playing “Your Republican Congressman” as evil and controlling 3 and cover left-of-center issues concerning abortion and birth control. 4 The group targeted young men who had voted Republican in the previous election cycle. 2 One of its most well-known ads is entitled “Keep Republicans Out of Your Bedroom,” which was created for the 2023 Ohio elections. It showed a Republican representative in a couple’s bedroom taking away their birth control. 5 6

    In 2024, the Progress Action Fund partnered with Defend the Vote on a $2.5 million ad campaign promoting abortion access. 7 Defend the Vote and the Defend the Vote Action Fund are political action committees that support Democratic Party candidates and oppose Republican efforts to increase election security. 8

    As of May 2025, the Progress Action Fund was working to raise $25 million ahead of the 2026 midterm elections to produce ads on streaming services, websites, and TV that target young men. 9 Progress Action Fund had expressed plans as of May 2025 to release social media and streaming platform ads to “educate voters, disrupt the right-wing media bubble, stop Trump’s extremist agenda, and take back Congress” in the 2026 midterm elections. 10

    Notable Advertisements

    A 2024 ad entitled “Keep Republicans Out of Your Bedroom” claimed that Republicans were banning contraception. However, according to a NewsNation interview with Jacobson, it was accepted that the President has indicated that there would be no ban on contraception. 11

    Another ad claimed that Republicans wanted to end Medicare. In an interview with NewsNation, Jacobson vaguely indicated that “Medicare could be on the chopping block.” 12 Other video ads claimed that Republicans planned to ban porn and in vitro fertilization (IVF). Some of the ads could be viewed on the Progress Action Fund site because of “age-restricted” content. 4

    Financials

    In the 2022 election cycle, Progress Action Fund raised and spent approximately $1.5 million. In the 2024 election cycle it raised about $8.5 million and spent about $8.3 million. 13

    There were many notable high dollar donors to the Progress Action Fund. Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn, was one donor. He had a net worth of $2.4 billion as of May 2025. 14 Donor Olan Mills II is the retired co-owner of Olan Mills Studio. 15 Donor Shashikant Gupta is co-founder and CEO of technology company Apex CoVantage. 16 Donor Cynthia Kuhn is a Duke University professor. 17 Donor Marjorie Roswell is a freelance infographics developer and environmentalist activist who has worked for Movement Voter Project, Democracy Works, and Clean Water Action. 18 Donor Joseph Kaempfer was the founder of outlet mall company MacArthur Glen Group and one of the major donors reported to be behind the Lincoln Project, a political committee opposed to President Donald Trump. 19 20

    In the 2024 election cycle the Progress Action Fund donated $90,000 to Defend the Vote and $30,000 to Democrats for the Next Generation, which backed the Democratic ticket of then-Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) for President and Vice President of the United States. 21

    Leadership

    Joe Jacobson is the founder and as of 2025 was serving as the executive director of the Progress Action Fund. In 2021, Jacobson had founded the Sedition Caucus PAC which targeted five Republicans in battleground districts. 22 23 Previously, he was a regional political organizer for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and a researcher/writer for the AFL-CIO. He worked for the Council of Economic Advisors in the Obama administration and as a legislative intern for Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). He is a writer for the left-of-center advocacy group DemCast USA. Jacobson graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science. 5 24 25

    Kyle Richards was the deputy executive director as of 2025. Richards graduated from Cleveland State University with a major in political science. He was an organizer for the Ohio Democratic Party and for former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D). 26

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    References

    1. Joe Jacobson. “Our Story.” Medium. December 26, 2022. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://medium.com/@joe_35642/our-story-a01c0889bb14
    2. “Our Targets 2025 + 2026 Races.” Progress Action Fund. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://progressactionfund.com/victories/
    3. Joe Jacobson. “Voters Think Democrats Are Cold and Insincere. Here’s How We Fit It.” Digital Drumbeat by DemCast. November 20, 2024. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://www.digitaldrumbeat.com/p/voters-think-democrats-are-cold-insincere
    4. “Viral Videos.” Progress Action Fund. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://progressactionfund.com/viral-videos/
    5. “Joe Jacobson.” Joe Jacobson homepage. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://www.joejacobson.org/
    6. “Progress Action Fund: Democratic Super PAC teases sequel to ad “keep Republicans out of your bedroom” during interview with NewsNation’s Leland Vittert.” WisPolitics. August 16, 2023. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://www.wispolitics.com/2023/progress-action-fund-democratic-super-pac-teases-sequel-to-ad-keep-republicans-out-of-your-bedroom-during-interview-with-newsnations-leland-vittert/
    7.  Caroline Vakil. “Democratic groups launch $2.5M ad buy attacking Republicans over reproductive access.” The Hill. October 15, 2024. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4933606-democrats-ad-buy-reproductive-freedom/
    8. “Who We Are.” Defend the Vote. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://wedefendthevote.org/about/
    9.  Caroline Vakil. “Democrats seek course correction with young men.” The Hill. May 27, 2025. Accessed May 31, 2025. https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5320510-democrats-struggle-woo-young-men/
    10. “Why Us?” Progress Action Fund. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://progressactionfund.com/why-us/
    11.  “New ad tries to win back me for Democrats.” News Nation. October 15, 2024. Accessed May 31, 2025. https://www.newsnationnow.com/video/new-ad-tries-to-win-back-men-for-democrats-on-balance/10133792/
    12. “New ad attacks GOP warning of Medicare threat.” Facebook video – News  Nation. August 13, 2024. Accessed May 31, 2025. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1500020397291247
    13. “PAC Profile: Progress Action Fund.” OpenSecrets. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/progress-action-fund/C00754069/summary/2022
    14. “Reid Hoffman.” Forbes Profile. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/profile/reid-hoffman/
    15. John Shearer. “John Shearer: Olan ills II Enjoyed Family Portrait Photography Business.” Chattanoogan. October 8, 2022. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://www.chattanoogan.com/2022/10/8/457261/John-Shearer-Olan-Mills-II-Enjoyed.aspx
    16. “Our Leadership.” Apex Covantage. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://www.apexcovantage.com/about/leadership
    17. “Cynthia Moreton Kuhn.” Duke University School of Medicine. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://medschool.duke.edu/profile/cynthia-moreton-kuhn
    18. LinkedIn – Marjorie Roswell. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjorie-roswell/
    19. Amy Lamare. “The Billionaires Behind the Anti-Trump Republican Group, The Lincoln Project.” Celebrity Net Worth. October 29, 2020. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://www.celebritynetworth.com/articles/billionaire-news/the-billionaires-behind-the-anti-trump-republican-group-the-lincoln-project/
    20. “Progress Action Fund PAC Donors.” OpenSecrets. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjorie-roswell/
    21. “Progress Action Fund PAC to PAC/Party Contributions.” OpenSecrets. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/progress-action-fund/C00754069/pac-to-pac/2024
    22. Tal Axelrod. “New Democratic super PAC to target swing=district Republicans over vote to overturn election.” The Hill. February 5, 2021. Accessed May 31, 2025. https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/537584-new-democratic-super-pac-to-target-swing-district-republicans-over-vote-to/
    23. Mona Shaikh. “Sedition! Join me and Joe Jacobson (Founder of Progress Action Fund.” YouTube video. March 29, 2021. Accessed May 31, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TW4H0fTSvM
    24. “Joe Jacobson.” DemCast. Accessed May 31, 2025. https://demcastusa.com/author/joejacobson/
    25. LinkedIn – Joe Jacobson. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-jacobson-paf/
    26. LinkedIn – Kyle Richards. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-richards-b70b5696/