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ActBlue

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ActBlue
Formation2004; 20 years ago (2004)
TypeNonprofit political action committee
Location
President and CEO
Regina Wallace-Jones
AffiliationsDemocratic Party
Websitesecure.actblue.com

ActBlue[1] is a nonprofit American fundraising platform and political action committee (PAC) founded in 2004. ActBlue builds technology and infrastructure to be used by Democratic campaigns and has been described as “the center of a transformation in how political campaigns work.”[2][3] It is focused on mobilizing small-dollar donors and, as of June 2024, has raised $13.7 billion for left-leaning and Democratic candidates and causes since it was established.[4] ActBlue is organized as a PAC, but it serves as a conduit for processing individual contributions made through the platform. Under federal law, these contributions are made by individuals and are not considered PAC donations.

History

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ActBlue was founded[5] in 2004 by Benjamin Rahn and Matt DeBergalis. Rahn and DeBergalis were joined in 2005 by Jonathan Zucker and Erin Hill. Zucker took over as Executive Director in 2007;[6] he was replaced by Hill in 2009. In 2023, Regina Wallace-Jones replaced Hill as President and CEO of ActBlue.[7]

In 2008, ActBlue introduced ActBlue Express, which allowed donors to save their payment information.[8] That year, small-dollar donors gave $21 million on ActBlue – six times what they raised in the 2006 cycle.[9]

In 2011, opponents of Act 10 in Wisconsin used ActBlue to organize and mobilize against Governor Scott Walker-supported legislation that effectively ended collective bargaining rights for public employees.[10]

In February 2016, ActBlue launched AB Charities, an arm of the organization that makes ActBlue's fundraising tools available to nonprofits.[11]

Both the 2016 and 2020 Democratic presidential nominees, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, used ActBlue during their primary and general election campaigns. Bernie Sanders' 2016 and 2020 primary campaigns also used ActBlue for fundraising.[12][13] Sanders’ use of ActBlue was particularly notable as it represented the first time a major Democratic presidential candidate eschewed money from super PACs in favor of grassroots fundraising.[14] This strategy would later be replicated by other Democratic political figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.[15]

In the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, all the candidates used ActBlue.[16]

In December 2020, ActBlue voluntarily recognized the Campaign Workers Guild as its staff union.[17]

In 2023, ActBlue announced that it was laying off roughly 17 percent of its staff as part of what the group said was a "restructuring" that would help ensure "long-term financial sustainability."[18]

In 2024, President Joe Biden's re-election campaign used ActBlue. Vice President Kamala Harris also used ActBlue for her 2024 presidential campaign.[19]

Organization

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Co-founder Benjamin Rahn at a fundraiser with Mark Warner and Ciro Rodriguez in 2006

Users

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ActBlue does not endorse individual candidates.[20] It also does not promote any groups using its platform, or send emails or texts or fundraise on their behalf.[21] Use of the platform is open to Democratic and progressive campaigns, candidates, committees, and 501(c)4 organizations. 501(c)3 organizations are able to use the platform through ActBlue Charities.[22]

Financing

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ActBlue logo (2004–2023)

Groups that use ActBlue pay a 3.95% credit card processing fee.[23] As a nonprofit, ActBlue runs its own separate fundraising program and accepts tips on contributions to pay for its expenses.[24]

Federal Election Commission reporting

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ActBlue reports all contributions processed to Federal campaigns to the Federal Election Commission, regardless of the amount.[25] When a candidate for a Federal election raises money through ActBlue, ActBlue serves as a conduit for election law purposes.[26][27] All conduit contributions are itemized and reported. By contrast, there is a $200 threshold for reporting individuals who contribute directly to a candidate committee.[27]

Products and services

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Platform security

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ActBlue is PCI compliant and has passed rigorous security tests to ensure that all donor credit cards are fully protected. ActBlue is required to conduct quarterly security tests and annual external audits.[28]

ActBlue Express Lane

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ActBlue Express Lane allows donors with ActBlue Express accounts to contribute instantly from an email or fundraiser’s website. Donors only need to click the link for a specific amount and their contribution automatically goes through. As of June 2024, there were over 14 million ActBlue Express users on the platform.[29][30]

Tandem Fundraising

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Tandem Fundraising allows ActBlue users to raise money for multiple groups using a single contribution form. Making a donation through a Tandem Fundraising form enables donors to split their contribution however they like among the groups listed by the fundraiser.[31]

ActBlue Charities

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ActBlue Charities, the newest arm of ActBlue, helps 501(c)(3) charities build small-dollar fundraising programs with online fundraising tools. AB Charities has separate branding, is not promoted as ActBlue, and is not involved in any of ActBlue's political work.[32]

Fundraising and milestones

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ActBlue raised $19 million in its first three years, from 2004 to 2007.[33] In the 2005–2006 campaign, the site raised $17 million for 1500 Democratic candidates, with $15.5 million going to congressional campaigns. By August 2007, the site had raised $25.5 million.[34]

In 2016, the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue took in nearly $800 million in small-dollar donations.[35]

In the 2018 midterm elections, Democratic candidates fundraised $1.6 billion for their campaigns through ActBlue’s platform.[36]

In 2019, ActBlue raised roughly $1 billion for a wide variety of campaigns.[37] The Daily Beast notes that between January and mid-July 2019, ActBlue brought in $420 million, and that "According to the organization, that total came from 3.3 million unique donors and was dispersed to almost 9,000 Democratic campaigns and organizations, with $246 million coming in the second quarter alone."[38]

In 2020, several fundraising records were broken. In the week following the murder of George Floyd, on May 31, over $19 million was raised, the highest single-day total so far that year. On June 1, that yearly record was again broken with $20 million in donations. Over half of all donations in the following week went to charitable (non-political) causes, including one ActBlue page devoted to a bail fund which raised over $1.5 million from over 20,000 donors.[39] In the day following the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, over $70 million was donated through ActBlue, again breaking the single-day fundraising record.[40]

In 2022, ActBlue brought in $20.6 million on the day the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.[41]

In the first 24 hours following the launch of Vice President Harris’ presidential campaign, small-dollar and many first-time donors raised $81 million through ActBlue, making it the biggest 24 hour period ever on the platform for dollars raised sitewide.[42] Over the first weekend, they raised $100 million from 1.1 million donors.[43]

Fraud allegations

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In July and August 2024, statewide officials from multiple Republican-led states launched investigations into ActBlue, citing allegations that the platform had stolen people's identities to conceal illegal donations, including from overseas.[44][45][46] ActBlue called the investigation from Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares a "partisan political attack and scare tactic".[47] A related United States House Administration Committee investigation into ActBlue was also expanded during this time.[44] ActBlue had previously been the target of fraud accusations by right-wing activists, though experts have expressed doubt about the veracity of these claims.[44][47][48][49]

Republican members of Congress have also expressed concerns that ActBlue was not verifying donors' credit card information using Card Verification Value (CVV) codes. A spokesperson for ActBlue said in August 2024 that they had begun expanding CVV verification in 2023 and were now requiring it for all new credit card donations.[44][50] ActBlue lobbied against a bill introduced in September 2024 that would require CVV codes for political donations, and prohibit contributions via gift cards or prepaid cards.[51]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Federal Election Commission: Committee Profiles, ActBlue". fec.gov. February 17, 2023. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  2. ^ "ActBlue.com, Customer Service, Donor Guides, About ActBlue". Actblue.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  3. ^ Schneider, Elena (October 10, 2020). "How ActBlue has transformed Democratic politics". Politico. p. 1. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024.
  4. ^ Hurtado, Maria Jose (June 25, 2024). "Celebrating ActBlue's 20th Year Anniversary". ActBlue Blog. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  5. ^ Wayne, Leslie (November 29, 2007). "A Fund-Raising Rainmaker Arises Online". The New York Times. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  6. ^ McCarthy, Aoife (December 3, 2007). "Suite Talk: Taking care of business". Politico. p. 4. Archived from the original on May 11, 2017.
  7. ^ Chery, Samantha (January 19, 2023). "Political fundraising platform ActBlue names its first Black female CEO". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  8. ^ Hurtado, Maria Jose (June 25, 2024). "Celebrating ActBlue's 20th Year Anniversary". ActBlue Blog. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  9. ^ "Case study: Bernie 2016". Revolution Messaging. Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  10. ^ Hurtado, Maria Jose (June 25, 2024). "Celebrating ActBlue's 20th Year Anniversary". ActBlue Blog. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  11. ^ Hill, Erin (February 17, 2016). "ActBlue Charities is HERE". AB Charities Blog. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  12. ^ "Bernie 2016 A full-service digital revolution". Revolution Messaging. Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  13. ^ Katz, Josh; Lai, K.K. Rebecca; Shorey, Rachel; Kaplan, Thomas (August 2, 2019). "Detailed Maps of the Donors Powering the 2020 Democratic Campaigns". The New York Times. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  14. ^ Halper, Evan (March 24, 2016). "Bernie Sanders' campaign legacy could be how he raises money from so many people". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  15. ^ Stewart, Emily (January 29, 2019). "Democrats weigh whether Wall Street money is still allowed in 2020". Vox. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  16. ^ Levine, Carrie (April 17, 2019). "Why Democrats are falling over themselves to find small-dollar donors". Center for Public Integrity. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  17. ^ ActBlue (December 2, 2020). "Welcome, ActBlue Union!". ActBlue Blog. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  18. ^ Greenwood, Max (April 3, 2023). "Democratic fundraiser ActBlue lays off portion of staff". The Hill. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  19. ^ "What happens to my donation to Biden for President?". ActBlue Support. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  20. ^ Willis, Derek (October 9, 2014). "How ActBlue Became a Powerful Force in Fund-Raising". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  21. ^ "About ActBlue". Actblue.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  22. ^ Hill, Erin (February 17, 2016). "ActBlue Charities is HERE". ActBlue. Archived from the original on July 22, 2017. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  23. ^ Kroll, Andy. "The $2 Billion Powerhouse Behind Jon Ossoff". Mother Jones. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  24. ^ Pindell, James (May 15, 2017). "How a Somerville nonprofit revolutionized American politics". BostonGlobe.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  25. ^ "What happens to my money when I donate?". ActBlue Support. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020. Retrieved September 6, 2024. As required by federal law, ActBlue reports and itemizes (that means list the donor name & information) for every single federal donation that comes through our platform, including donations under $200.
  26. ^ "Earmarked contributions". FEC.gov. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  27. ^ a b "Why is ActBlue considered a PAC?". ActBlue Support. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  28. ^ "How do I know your site is secure?". ActBlue Support. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  29. ^ "Features and Contribution Forms". ActBlue Support. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  30. ^ "ActBlue — ActBlue Express". secure.actblue.com. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  31. ^ "Features". ActBlue.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  32. ^ "What is the difference between ActBlue, ActBlue Civics, AB Charities, and ActBlue Technical Services?". ActBlue Support. Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  33. ^ Mosk, Matthew (March 11, 2007). "Donations Pooled Online Are Getting Candidates' Attention". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  34. ^ "Internet-based PAC driving Democratic push – The Boston Globe". archive.boston.com. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  35. ^ Stewart, Emily (January 29, 2019). "Democrats weigh whether Wall Street money is still allowed in 2020". Vox. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  36. ^ Isenstadt, Alex (June 23, 2019). "GOP to launch new fundraising site as Dems crush the online money game". Politico. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  37. ^ Hakim, Danny; Thrush, Glenn (March 9, 2020). "How the Trump Campaign Took Over the G.O.P." The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 22, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  38. ^ Gideon, Resnick (July 17, 2019). "ActBlue Has Brought in a Whopping $420 Million This Year". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  39. ^ Goldmacher, Shane (June 1, 2020). "Protests Spur Surge in Donations, Giving ActBlue Its Biggest Day of the Year". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 13, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  40. ^ Schneider, Elena (September 19, 2020). "Dem donors smash ActBlue's daily record after Ginsburg's death". Politico. Archived from the original on August 26, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  41. ^ Navarro, Aaron (July 20, 2022). "ActBlue processed more than half a billion dollars in three-month period – CBS News". CBS News. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  42. ^ Goldmacher, Shane (July 22, 2024). "Harris Raised $81 Million in First 24 Hours as Candidate". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  43. ^ Snelling, Grace. "Yesterday was ActBlue's best day of 2024, and possibly of all time". Fast Company.
  44. ^ a b c d Lapowsky, Issie (August 27, 2024). "ActBlue is a Democratic fundraising juggernaut—and now conservatives are coming for it". Fast Company. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  45. ^ Velazquez, David (June 24, 2024). "Secretary of State launches investigation into Democratic PAC". Casper Star-Tribune. Archived from the original on August 1, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  46. ^ Elbein, Saul (October 21, 2024). "Texas AG goes after Democratic fundraising as GOP outspent in key races". The Hill. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  47. ^ a b Mirshahi, Dean (August 2, 2024). "ActBlue calls Miyares' investigation into fraud claims a 'partisan political attack and scare tactic'". WRIC ABC 8News. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  48. ^ Alamdari, Natalia (May 7, 2024). "Letters warning of fraud, calls to form 'your militia': Election conspiracies spread in Nebraska". Nebraska Public Media. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  49. ^ Sears, Bryan P. (June 20, 2023). "Expert: Claims of campaign finance irregularities are dubious". Maryland Matters. Archived from the original on July 30, 2024. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  50. ^ Schorsch, Peter (April 14, 2023). "Delegation for 4.14.23: Abortion". Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Archived from the original on July 30, 2024. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  51. ^ Giorno, Taylor (October 16, 2024). "Bottom Line: ActBlue lobbies up on online donation overhaul bill". The Hill. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  52. ^ Isenstadt, Alex (June 23, 2019). "GOP to Launch New Fundraising Site as Dems Crush the Online Money Game". Politico. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
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