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Writer's pictureSusan Burns
Sep 154 min read

Nine Ways to Incorporate Political Giving into Your Philanthropy This Year

Updated: Oct 1

three young people holding vote buttons up to the camera smiling

It’s a critical election year, and we all know how much hangs in the balance. While many donors have made significant contributions earlier in the season, some of us are wondering how we can put our resources to work right now. It’s not just about making donations - your time and connections make a difference too. Take a look at these nine different approaches to supporting our democracy. Perhaps some of them will resonate with you!


  1. Incorporate political giving into your giving plan: If a thriving, multiracial democracy is important to you, consider adjusting your giving plan to accommodate political donations during election years. Ask your financial advisor how much you can donate this year to both nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations and 501(c)(4) organizations (for which you will not be able to take a tax deduction). Despite some market swings, the stock market has shown strong performance so far in 2024 - the S&P 500 is up nearly 20% year-to-date as of September 2024 and this is after a 26% gain in 2023[1]. You may have more room for political giving than you think.


  2. Share non-partisan voter information with friends and family who are undecided or who are swing voters. Most of us have family members who may not share our precise political views but are open to conversation. The challenge is that it’s difficult for people to get unbiased information in our polarized media environment. Sending non-biased information to friends and family can provide a fresh perspective. One source of nonpartisan information is guides.vote. Keeping an open mind with friends and family is the best route to having influence.


  3. Invest in candidates strategically: Are you getting inundated with requests for donations from all directions? It’s sometimes hard to determine which candidates need our money and which races are the most critical. You can choose specific candidates to support by analyzing data on sites like 270toWin, or better yet, let smart intermediaries invest for you. Organizations like Swing Left direct funds to the campaigns that are most critical. Because women and people of color face unique fundraising obstacles[2], these strategies are essential to optimizing our donations and achieving true representation.


  4. Invest in our ground game: Groups like Movement Voter Project, and Focus4Democracy pool donors’ money, move it to local voter mobilization groups quickly, and have optimized their strategy to win both Congressional and State offices. Of all the investments we can make in the 2 months leading up to the election, these investments may be the most impactful right now. According to Movement Voter Project, our ground game is underfunded to the tune of $200 to $300 million.


  5. Invest in Protecting the Vote: Republicans in several states are pushing legislation that would restrict voting access and increase partisan control over elections. Organizations like Free Speech for People and Fair Fight are challenging voter suppression, voter intimidation, and unequal voting conditions.  In Georgia, the Coalition for Good Governance is countering SB 202, which gives state-level officials the authority to usurp the powers of county election boards. These organizations are essential not only this election season, but on an ongoing basis.


  6. Support local candidates. Winning the White House and Congress is important, but many policies are shaped by local elected officials, and these races get less attention. In terms of your own connection to your local community, it can be satisfying to focus on one or two specific local candidates. Who’s running for county supervisor, mayor, or city board of supervisors who you can support? By getting involved through donating, door knocking, house parties, and phone banks, you can make some new friends in the process.


  7. Give the gift of your time. The money in elections is at a record high, but money cannot replace the person-to-person contact needed to motivate someone to register, mail in their ballot, or make it to a polling place, especially since barriers are increasing in many states.. Post carding, phone banking, texting, and door knocking are the basics of reaching voters. Organizations like Postcards to Voters, Swing Blue, Seed the Vote and Reclaim our Vote offer many options for getting involved.  If you team up with Reclaim our Vote, you can write post cards and phone bank specifically to voters of color. With voter registration at only 69% (as of 2022[3]), there are many voices that are not being heard unless we can engage and support them, person-to-person.


  8. Invest in enduring grassroots power: At the end of a campaign, the staff pack up their boxes, but strong local organizations help newly elected officials fuel the momentum to transform policy long term. Sister District is a grassroots organization that builds enduring progressive power in state legislatures, improves people’s lives, and supports Democrats by filling critical gaps at every point in the political life cycle. Another organization, Way to Win, a donor hub, brings more voices into the electorate to increase turnout, improves governance, and promotes a compelling narrative about a multiracial democracy.


  9. Make political giving a part of your plan every year. Think strategically about political system reform and support free and fair elections and grassroots organizing every year.  While money floods to candidates and parties during election years, we need to build our grassroots organizing and legal protections on an ongoing basis. A healthy democracy supports all the other issues we care about.


Overall, don’t worry about doing it all. It takes all of us, doing our part, to shift an election. Take a moment to think strategically about your political giving, and participate in the ways that you can, whether that’s donating, bridge building, or door knocking for a campaign! That way, the morning after election day, we’ll feel good about the way we participated, no matter the outcome.  



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