ActBlue
Formation | 2004 |
---|---|
Executive Director | Erin Hill |
Website |
www |
ActBlue is a United States political action committee established in June 2004 that enables anyone to raise money on the Internet for the Democratic Party candidates of their choice. It is independent of the Democratic Party itself and does not endorse individual candidates.
ActBlue has grown quickly to become a major fundraising tool for Democrats, with over 445 federal candidates and committees using the service during the 2014 election cycle.[1] As of April 2016, ActBlue had raised more than US$1.1 billion for Democratic candidates and progressive organizations at various levels of politics, making it the largest single source of funds in United States politics. The organization is open to all registered Democratic campaigns, candidates and 501(c)(4) organizations. ActBlue is a not-for-profit organization. ActBlue officially incurs costs of 3.95% of the gross contribution, and those fees are passed on to campaigns.
History
ActBlue was founded in 2004 by Benjamin Rahn, who left a doctoral program in theoretical physics at Caltech to develop the platform, and Matt DeBergalis, a computer science graduate of MIT.[2]
On April Fools' Day 2008, ActBlue jokingly announced that it would begin collecting funds for US candidates in Euros, due to the decline of the US dollar.[3]
References
- ↑ "How ActBlue Became a Powerful Force in Fund-Raising," The New York Times, 10/09/14
- ↑ "A Fund-Raising Rainmaker Arises Online," The New York Times, 11/29/2007
- ↑ Wayne, Leslie (April 3, 2008). "Act Blue's Record Take". New York Times. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ActBlue: Putting the “D” Back in Democracy, Huffington Post
- Internet-Based PAC Driving Democratic Push: Small Donors Fuel Big Support Drive, The Boston Globe
- Marketing Election '08: Q&A With Matt DeBergalis, ActBlue, Fast Company
- Donations Pooled Online Are Getting Candidates' Attention, The Washington Post