The Web in Politics

In every election cycle web technologies and online campaign strategies become increasingly effective. The web has created unprecedented access to the candidates and the issues; over-night online contributions in the multiple millions of dollars; and viral campaign messaging that spreads to massive audiences through video and social networking sites.

Hillary Clinton announced her candidacy on her website, indicating how important the web would be in her strategy. A viral music video ‘I Got a Crush on Obama’ has had over 6 million plays on YouTube. Both candidates raised over 6 million dollars a piece in the two days following Superbowl through their sites.

There are many web strategies that can be used to propagate momentum behind causes. Some of which are highlighted in the article “11 Web technologies political campaigns should consider” posted at TechnologyEvangelist.com.

Now, following the launch of our "Political Mutual Funds”, NPC's marketing strategies will leverage the web to maximize the impact of each fund on its core issue.

Giving Well is Harder Than You Think

Givewell has received great coverage lately. (2 Young Hedge-Fund Veterans Stir Up the World of Philanthropy - New York Times and Doing Due Diligence on Your Donations-Wall Street Journal.)

We love that these guys are thinking about how to help individuals decide on how to spend their charitable and political dollars. It's clear that it is a problem to only look at the financials, or to simply look at qualitative data. Our position is that there is no one magical piece of information—just like there isn’t one in the stock market. If there were, we’d all be investing in the same four companies. Instead, we want to provide the necessary information that our customer needs to take an intelligent risk and make an impact in an issue or field they care about.

Products Change Lives

One of the best things about being a start up in SOMA is watching ideas become companies. It is inspiring. Fundamental to each of these start-ups is the belief that there is a better/smarter/faster way. Innovation occurs when individuals are willing to step out of the current system and rethink a solution, are not tied to past patterns, and take risks on a new approach to solve a customer’s pain. Those of us who have experienced this understand a very simple, but powerful truth: Products change lives.

At NPC we want to revolutionize the way in which people make political giving decisions. Giving to organizations shouldn't just be about responding to an email asking for money or your friends “guilting” you into giving to a cause. We can no longer afford to be reactive in our political giving. Progressive change requires strategic investment. Remember what happened in the 1990's when small investors got access to financial research and expertise? A whole new wave of individuals became investors—and we desperately need a new generation of political investors supporting tomorrow’s leaders and their organizations. Here at NPC we will continue to launch products that change politics as usual; continuing to build a customer experience that enables them to create a strategic impact.

Breaking Down Traditional Issue Silos Encourages Innovation

There is no silver bullet in progressive politics.

I have watched each election cycle where political players place their hopes on one charismatic candidate or one magic organization that will solve all of our political challenges. Progressive giving patterns have reflected this tendency as well.

Yet it has become clear to me that only a network approach will create the political impact that we are all seeking. Information moves too fast, issues have become too complex, and the challenges so vast.

So at New Progressive Coalition, we developed a Sector Approach to help clarify the different roles that individuals and organizations play in politics, and to help people better understand how to navigate this chaotic environment. We believe that a healthy movement is made up of six vibrant sectors that are connected to and dependent on one another:

Advocacy & Organizing: Organizations that work for the widespread support and adoption of progressive positions

Electoral: Organizations that focus on winning progressive electoral victories and encouraging greater civic participation

Idea Generation: Organizations and individuals that generate and encourage the adoption of strong and credible progressive ideas

Infrastructure & Capacity: A robust network of technical assistance and service providers who improve the impact and efficiency within the other sectors

Leadership Development: Organizations that build a continuous pipeline of progressive leaders

Media: Distribution channels that disseminate progressive content and ideas and expand the market for consumption of progressive thoughts and opinions

This sector approach is the basis for much of what we do at NPC. In a sense it is an organizing principle that allows us to foster collaboration by breaking down the traditional issue and constituency silos that exist. Not only does this help organizations reduce duplication of effort and the time spent reinventing the wheel, but it encourages political innovation where real breakthroughs can occur.

How We Define Progressive

If I receive an invite in the mail for a conference whose purpose is to finally define progressive, I decline. And if I happen to be at a political conference [which is rare], and someone raises their hand and asks, “can you define progressive,” I know it isn’t going to be productive.

When we first started New Progressive Coalition, I spent a lot of time in group discussions dominated by the topic of what it means to be progressive. I came to realize that this search for the perfect definition of a term that means many things to many people is a complete quagmire. These debates and discussions about labels divide us instead of embracing the people who define themselves as progressive for very different reasons and values. How does it help our country to spend time labeling people as moderate, centrist, or liberal instead of looking for different types of innovative and pragmatic solutions to our political problems?

The more labels we create, the more personal bias we add, which limits the ability for innovation to be fostered. It is just another political silo that limits the amount of people who can participate and collaborate.

So at NPC we define progressive based on its literal meaning.

PROGRESSIVE: CHANGE FOR THE BETTER; FORWARD THINKING

Most of the time, we don’t know innovation until after it has occurred. I think we should spend less time arguing what it means to be progressive and more time investing in the innovative and effective organizations that are making an impact.

Progressive Investor: A New Type of Leader

At New Progressive Coalition, we are continually asked, "what do you mean by 'progressive investor'?"

Progressive "investors" are proactive about their contributions and give to make an impact. “Investors” are strategic with their resources because they perform due diligence, make calculated risks, and demand accountability and transparency. “Investors” look beyond the next election and strive to build long-term relationships with progressive organizations because they are committed to making a difference. Most importantly, “investors" are forward thinking and seek out innovation because they know it is critical to solving our political challenges.

Here in the Bay Area, we get to witness a lot of groundbreaking innovation that wouldn’t happen without investors taking risks on bold new ideas by little known entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen enough in politics. Instead, progressive contributions rise and fall with election cycles and when the polls close, so do people's pocketbooks. Political change is stifled because of the scarcity and cyclical nature of funding patterns.

We need innovation to move forward, to progress, and this can't happen until there is a generation of investors willing to take risks. At NPC, we are seeking people who want to be progressive investors, leaders looking to use innovation to advance the status quo and create political change.

Why 77 Federal?

Working in Washington, DC I experienced politics at its best and at its worst. The best part of politics is the amazing and talented people that sacrifice daily to make this country a better place. We give up the stock options and financial security because we believe that we can make a difference. The worst part of politics is the absolute resistance to innovation. And I don’t just mean adoption of the latest technology; I mean an entire culture that penalizes you for taking risks and being willing to fail. I found DC to be a place that is threatened by new ideas and resistant to doing things differently.

I left DC disillusioned and frustrated with the political status quo and headed back to California.

Upon my return, I had the incredible opportunity to work with Deborah and Andy Rappaport on an idea called the New Progressive Coalition, LLC. We were incubated in Redwood City at Skyline Public Works, and the first version of NPC was launched in October 2005. Like many start-ups in their first year, we tried to do too many things and learned hard but valuable lessons. In May 2007, we restructured the company to exclusively work with donors (instead of both donors and organizations.) Those were trying times, but we survived, and it was those early experiences that have given us the knowledge and wisdom to succeed moving forward. But ideas are easy; it is executing them without running out of money that is the tough part. And that is still a challenge for NPC.

So why name NPC’s blog 77 Federal? NPC is located at 77 Federal, in Licorice Square, right in the heart of SOMA in downtown San Francisco. In this start-up culture, we are surrounded by entrepreneurs, artists, students, and professionals of all backgrounds. This place exudes a “can do,” entrepreneurial attitude. You walk into South Park Café and you feel that things are happening. No one settles for the answer “it can’t be done.” Instead, the answer here is “how will we do it?”

At NPC we are trying to change politics as usual. As Newton said, “a body remains at rest unless it is disturbed by an outside force.” For us, that force is the thousands of talented and passionate individuals who are waiting for the opportunity to inject politics with their ideas and expertise. NPC is simply here to give them the information and tools they need to make an impact.

Remember, California is the same place that invented solar energy twenty years ago by that group of “crazy hippies” that just happened to be pretty right on. 77 Federal represents a bolder vision for politics. So stay tuned, we have a lot to change, West Coast style.