EMILY's List
| EMILY's List | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | 501(c)(4) |
| Affiliation: | Democratic |
| Top official: | Jessica Mackler, president |
| Founder(s): | Ellen Malcolm |
| Year founded: | 1985 |
| Website: | Official website |
EMILY's List is a political action committee dedicated to electing Democratic women who support legalized abortion. As of December 2025, their website said they "work to elect Democratic pro-choice women up and down the ballot and across the country with a goal of fighting for our rights and our communities."[1]
Background
EMILY's List was founded in 1985 by Ellen Malcolm.[2] "EMILY" was originally an acronym for the phrase "Early money is like yeast; it makes the dough rise," and the organization’s first logo was based on a Fleischmann's yeast packet.[3] According to The Daily Beast, "the operating theory was that female candidates could close the fundraising gap that they often face if they were able to show that they had substantial financial backing."[4]
As of December 2025, their website said the following about their vision:[1]
| “ | Our work is centered on a fundamental vision: When women win, we all win.
|
” |
Leadership
As of December 2025, the following were listed as members of the organization's board of directors:[6]
- Jessica Mackler, President
- Ellen R. Malcolm, Founder and Chair Emerita
- Rebecca Haile, Chair of the Board
- Karla Jurvetson, Vice Chair
- Yolanda Caraway, Secretary/Treasurer
- Yvette Nicole Brown, Board Director
- Monica Dixon, Board Director
- Wendy Greuel, Board Director
- Judith L. Lichtman, Board Director
- Jennifer Lin, Board Director
- Sarah Min, Board Director
- Joyce Newstat, Board Director
- Deborah Simon, Board Director
- Donald Sussman, Board Director
Work and activities
As of March 2020, the EMILY's List website included the following areas of work:[1]
| “ |
We elect Democratic pro-choice women to office.
|
” |
Focus 2020
In July 2019, EMILY’s List announced its Focus 2020 initiative, a $20 million effort to target over 500 state legislative races. The organization said, "This historic investment will focus on building a pipeline of future women leaders and flipping state legislative chambers in 2020 with an eye toward redistricting in 2021, by electing pro-choice Democratic women who will pass policies that support women and families and fight back against Republican efforts to roll back women's access to health care."[7]
2017 shift in focus
In the first four months of 2017, EMILY's List heard from more than 11,000 women who wanted to run for office.[8] According to Politico, the increase in women interested in running led the organization to shift its work from encouraging women to run for office to training them in how to run for office. In an April 2017 interview, EMILY's List President Stephanie Schriock spoke of women looking to run, saying, "Some will do it now, but some are going to do it in five years, and some are going to do it in 10 years. The fact that they have crossed over the barrier of wanting to run from not wanting to run is huge."[9]
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Affiliations
EMILY's List Action
EMILY's List Action is an affiliated organization that, according to EMILY's List's website, is focused on "increasing public awareness of the values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of women with regard to the critical issues facing our nation."[10]
Finances
The following is a breakdown of EMILY's List's revenues and expenses from 2013 to 2024. The information comes from the Federal Elections Commission.
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2013-2014 | $44.2 million | $44.9 million |
| 2015-2016 | $47.9 million | $45 million |
| 2017-2018 | $69.8 million | $72.1 million |
| 2019-2020 | $80.6 million | $79.6 million |
| 2021-2022 | $67.8 million | $68.2 million |
| 2023-2024 | $62.5 million | $61.6 million |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'EMILY's List'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- What is an inluencer?
- PACs and Super PACs
External links
- EMILY's List website
- EMILY's List on Facebook
- EMILY's List on Twitter
- EMILY's List on YouTube
- EMILY's List on LinkedIn
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 EMILY's List, "About Us," accessed December 1, 2025
- ↑ EMILY's List, "Our History," accessed March 11, 2020
- ↑ Facebook, "EMILY's List," accessed March 11, 2020
- ↑ The Daily Beast, "Progressive Left's Latest Target: EMILY's List," September 4, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ EMILY's List, "Leadership," accesses December 1, 2025
- ↑ EMILY's List, "EMILY’s List Announces Unprecedented $20 Million Investment Focused on Flipping State Legislative Chambers in 2020 ," July 2, 2019
- ↑ The Hill, "EMILY's List has heard from 11,000 women who want to run for office next year," April 22, 2017
- ↑ Politico, "‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ crashes up against Trump," April 25, 2017
- ↑ EMILY's List, "EMILYs List Action," accessed December 1, 2025
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