Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.
MoveOn.org
| MoveOn.org | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Type: | 501(c)(4), PAC |
| Founder(s): | Joan Blades, Wes Boyd |
| Year founded: | 1998 |
| Website: | Official website |
MoveOn.org, or MoveOn, is a two-fold progressive political networking and organizing group made up of a 501(c)(4) and a PAC, called MoveOn Civic Action and MoveOn Political Action, respectively. The group utilizes advertising, digital tools, such as online petitions, and social networking to accomplish its goals of supporting progressive candidates and policies. According to the MoveOn website, the group aims to "combine rapid-response political campaigning with deep strategic analysis, rigorous data science and testing, and a culture of grassroots member listening and participation that allows us to consistently and quickly identify opportunities for progressive change–and mobilize millions of members to seize them."[1] As of 2016, the group has 8 million members.[2]
Mission
According to the MoveOn Facebook profile, the mission of MoveOn is as follows:[2]
| “ |
MoveOn elevates the voices and power of real people in the political process. With over 8 million members across America –- from students to stay-at-home moms to business leaders –- we work together to realize the progressive promise of our country. MoveOn is a service – a way for busy but concerned citizens to assert their collective power in a system dominated by big money and big media.[3] |
” |
Background
Founded in 1998, MoveOn started when an email petition by Joan Blades and Wes Boyd about former President Bill Clinton's impeachment process called "Censure President Clinton and Move On to Pressing Issues Facing the Nation" went viral. The signers of the petition became the first members of MoveOn. According to the group's website,[4]
| “ |
MoveOn pioneered the field of online organizing, innovating a vast array of tactics that are now commonplace in advocacy and elections and shifting power toward real people and away from Washington insiders and special interests. MoveOn campaigners were the first to use the internet to run virtual phone banks, to crowdsource TV ad production, and to take online organizing offline, using the internet to mobilize activists to knock on doors and attend events.[3] |
” |
In 2004, MoveOn was one of the 527-type groups financed by George Soros to help campaign against and defeat former President George W. Bush. After the group was fined $150,000 for violating election laws, MoveOn abandoned its 527 status. By 2016, the group had transformed into a 3 million-member grassroots umbrella group containing MoveOn Civic Action, which is a 501(c)(4), and MoveOn Political Action, which is a PAC. The 501(c)(4) focuses on education, advocacy, and the petition process, while the PAC focuses on supporting candidates and policies that align with progressive principles of MoveOn members.[1][5]
Work
MoveOn does its work through two groups called MoveOn Civic Action and MoveOn Political Action. MoveOn seeks to support progressive principles in the political arena through the different avenues available to 501(c)(4) and PAC organizations.
MoveOn Civic Action
MoveOn Civic Action is the 501(c)(4) arm of the MoveOn organization. It focuses on advocacy and citizen participation in the democratic process. It also houses the group's political petitions. According to the group's website, "MoveOn.org Civic Action is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that focuses on education and advocacy, provides civic engagement tools to the public, and builds the progressive movement by encouraging and supporting the development of more grassroots leaders. MoveOn.org Civic Action is home to MoveOn Petitions, our online petition tool that empowers MoveOn members to lead and win their own MoveOn campaigns."[6]
MoveOn Political Action
MoveOn Political Action is the PAC arm of the MoveOn organization. It focuses on electing candidates who support the values of MoveOn's members. According to the group's website, "MoveOn.org Political Action is a federal political action committee (PAC) which primarily helps members elect candidates who reflect our member’s values through a variety of activities aimed at influencing the outcome of elections. We are focused on running powerful progressive advocacy campaigns and demonstrating MoveOn members’ power at the ballot box. In contrast to most PACs which funnel industry contributions to candidates in exchange for access, MoveOn.org Political Action bundles hundreds of thousands of small donations together to elect progressive candidates who will represent the American people."[7]
Political activity
MoveOn aims to use online tools such as petitions campaigns, social networking, and online donations to politically engage and mobilize citizens. The group also uses advertising and media tools to accomplish its goals and promote the election of candidates who support the values of MoveOn members. MoveOn claims that its members have "played crucial roles in persuading the Democratic Party to oppose and eventually end America’s war in Iraq, in helping Democrats retake Congress in 2006 with our influential “Caught Red Handed” campaign, in securing the Democratic nomination for President Obama in 2008 with a pivotal endorsement before the Super Tuesday primaries, and in passing health care reform in 2010."[4]
Endorsements
2016 elections
In the 2016 election cycle, MoveOn endorsed Bernie Sanders during his campaign for the presidency. The group stated on its website that it raised over $1.2 million in donations and worked on door-to-door campaigns to support his presidential run.[8]
Contributions
MoveOn Political Action spending overview
The MoveOn PAC, MoveOn Political Action, makes contributions to various candidates who support MoveOn values each election cycle. The PAC's spending is shown below broken down by election cycle, as recorded by Open Secrets:[9]
| MoveOn Political Action election cycle spending (1998-2016) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Spending | |
| 2016 | $9,094,377[10] | |
| 2014 | $10,199,097 | |
| 2012 | $21,642,681 | |
| 2010 | $29,049,999 | |
| 2008 | $38,123,090 | |
| 2006 | $28,135,116 | |
| 2004 | $30,043,755 | |
| 2002 | $1,014,448 | |
| 2000 | $2,281,661 | |
| 1998 | $0 | |
Leadership
MoveOn was founded by Joan Blades and Wes Boyd. The California couple also founded Berkeley Systems, a San Francisco-based software company best known for the "You Don't Know Jack" online trivia game and the "Flying Toasters" screen savers. Boyd's computer expertise contributed to the success of MoveOn as a petition-driven and member-based digital organization. Blades assisted in the authoring of MoveOn's 50 Ways to Love Your Country: How to Find Your Political Voice and Be a Catalyst for Change and is a co-founder of Moms Rising.org.[4][11][12]
The following individuals held leadership positions at MoveOn as of 2016:
- Justin Ruben, Board President, MoveOn[13]
- Ilya Sheyman, Executive Director, MoveOn Political Action[14]
- Anna Galland, Executive Director, MoveOn Civic Action[15]
Finances
The following table shows the total donations received by the MoveOn Political Action PAC each election cycle, as recorded by Open Secrets:[9]
| MoveOn Political Action total donations by election cycle (1998-2016) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Total donations | |
| 2016 | $9,030,582[10] | |
| 2014 | $10,032,062 | |
| 2012 | $19,813,474 | |
| 2010 | $29,851,852 | |
| 2008 | $39,860,865 | |
| 2006 | $27,696,917 | |
| 2004 | $31,870,612 | |
| 2002 | $1,250,767 | |
| 2000 | $2,290,268 | |
| 1998 | $12,000 | |
Noteworthy events
Vote Score project (2012)
MoveOn used a social pressure campaign paired with a digital advertising campaign to reach 12 million potential voters in the 2012 election in order to influence their vote in the November election. The group also produced a sample ballot for the same year and pioneered the 999Airlines campaign in which MoveOn members submitted and voted on airplane banner advertisements opposing Mitt Romney's presidential campaign that were then flown over Romney campaign events.[16]
"Bush in 30 Seconds" ad contest (2004)
In 2004, MoveOn sponsored an ad contest in which MoveOn members submitted anti-Bush ads that were judged by a celebrity panel. The winning ad was scheduled to appear during halftime of the that election cycle's Super Bowl. CBS refused to air the ad, so CNN aired it instead.[16]
Media
See also
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'MoveOn.org'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 MoveOn.org, "What is MoveOn.org?" accessed July 29, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Facebook, "MoveOn.org profile, About," accessed July 29, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 MoveOn.org, "A Short History," accessed July 29, 2016
- ↑ NPR, "Profile: MoveOn.org," August 4, 2008
- ↑ 'MoveOn.org, "About MoveOn.org Civic Action," accessed July 29, 2016
- ↑ MoveOn.org, "About MoveOn Political Action," accessed July 29, 2016
- ↑ MoveOn.org, "Thank You, Bernie," June 21, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Open Secrets, "MoveOn.org Political Action profile summary (1998-2016)," accessed July 29, 2016
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Note: This dollar amount is current as of July 2016.
- ↑ MomsRising.org, "About the Authors," accessed August 24, 2016
- ↑ BigThink.com, "Wes Boyd," accessed August 24, 2016
- ↑ Social Transformation Project, "Justin Ruben," accessed July 29, 2016
- ↑ MoveOn.org, "Ilya Sheyman | Executive Director, MoveOn.org," accessed July 29, 2016
- ↑ MoveOn.org, "Anna Galland | Executive Director, MoveOn.org," accessed July 29, 2016
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 MoveOn.org, "MoveOn's Electoral Work," accessed August 22, 2016
| |||||||
