Elementor Landing Page #8250 - The States Project

A COMMUNITY OF CHANGEMAKERS

In 2017, our own Melissa Walker and a brave group of children’s book authors formed the first TSP Giving Circle. Since then, this grassroots community has evolved into one of the most impactful political forces in the country, accomplishing the almost impossible in a red wave year. Defending the one-seat House majority in Pennsylvania. Breaking the rightwing supermajority in North Carolina. Flipping 14 seats across both chambers in Wisconsin. Against all the odds, this community built and protected crucial power in state legislatures in 2024.

Strength in Numbers

This year, more people than ever before said yes to joining this community to take action in the states. We had 227 active Giving Circles organize their networks, resulting in 23,973 total donations from across 49 states (call a friend in South Dakota!), the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico!

new Giving Circles formed in 2024

Giving Circles have worked with TSP since 2020

Giving Circles have focused on states with TSP since 2018

Giving Circles have more than 100 members

Giving Circles have more than 300 members

Whether you’ve worked with a million-dollar Circle since day one or you just made your first contribution this cycle, know that you’re part of a community that has fueled power in state legislatures for lawmakers who will fight against the Project 2025 agenda over the next four years.

That’s real impact.

These three Giving Circles hit a massive milestone this year — they’ve raised more than $1 million since first starting their circle.

Downtown Nasty Women Social Group, which started in 2018

One State at a Time, which started in 2018

The LA Giving Circle, which started in 2020

A WOMAN-LED COMMUNITY

Whether abortion, maternal mortality, affordability, and more, state lawmakers decide the issues that directly impact women. Yet research shows that women represent only:

< 30% of state-level political donations

33% of all political donations

TSP’s Giving Circles are defying this trend, building a majority-women donor community that continues to grow year-over-year:

82% of people who lead a TSP Giving Circle are women

75% of people who donate to TSP Giving Circles are women

Between 2020 and 2023, women gave 72% of all Giving Circle dollars raised

The bottom line? TSP Giving Circles are changing the game when it comes to political giving, making it possible for everyday folks, especially women, to build unprecedented political power.

Why Giving Circle Dollars Matter

Giving Circle dollars are essential to The States Project’s work, worth two times more than dollars raised outside of the program. Why? Because Giving Circles organize their networks to pool individual contributions — and dollars in relatively small amounts from individuals are the most nimble and powerful in state legislatures.

100% of the amounts raised by Giving Circles goes out the door to the states to support the evidence-based tactics in TSP’s Core Electoral Program. Giving Circle contributions can fuel candidates to produce data-backed messaging, leverage local press support, and get out in their communities to talk directly to voters.

Together, we’re helping candidates committed to improving lives run the most effective and efficient campaigns possible. This is what it looks like to tend to democracy at a foundational level.

LETTER FROM GIVING CIRCLE LEADERS

Karen and Mark, Co-leaders of the For the People Giving Circle, sent this letter to their members after Election Day 2024 that gets to the heart of the work Giving Circles do, and why it will be so crucial over the next four years. With permission, we share it with all of you.

To our dearest friends, family, and fellow changemakers,

You have joined us in the incredibly important work of fighting to protect and strengthen our democracy, and in doing so, you have joined us in making hope together. These are a few learnings that matter to us and that we hope may be helpful to you:

Remember the long-short road. There is a story in the Talmud that helps us see that sometimes when we take what feels like the shorter route to our destination, it doesn’t get us where we want to go. The longer way, in the end, is the best way to get there. We’ll be on the long-short road because the path toward a healthy, prosperous, and sustainable future for all Americans will take time. But we will get there.
To remain resilient, we must pay attention to what we’re paying attention to. Companies that profit from keeping us engaged online rely on our fear and anger. Keeping us in a heightened emotional state is profitable, but it wears out our nervous systems, harms our health, and does not achieve anything positive that we care about. Unplug and recharge, because the work continues.
Joy and well-being are our birthright, and we cannot allow anyone to steal them from us. Please know that we distinguish joy from happiness and hope from optimism. The joy humans feel is anything deeply felt — love, excitement, connection, exuberance, delight — and also brokenheartedness. We have cried a lot lately because we are so deeply saddened by what is happening in our country. And, we are also prioritizing moments of laughter, awe, and heartfelt connection.

We will make hope and build toward a country that lives up to the American Promise, over time, together. Working alongside this community of activists, optimists, and changemakers is an honor. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished and are committed to continuing this journey — together.

— Karen and Mark, Co-leaders of the For the People Giving Circle

Thank you to the Giving Circles who raised dollars for all of our states, to fill gaps for swing states specifically or simply where the funds were needed most!

A Matter of States Giving Circle • Across State Lines • Americans Abroad Defending Our Democracy • Awareness Into Action • Better Future For Our Kids Giving Circle • Blair Holt’s Giving Circle • Blue Revolution Flips A State Legislature Blue • “Blue Women, Red State” • “Bradley, Liles & Friends Giving Circle” • Building Power From the Ground Up • Californians Fight for Democracy • “Caroline, Nicki & Melissa’s Channel Your Rage Giving Circle” • Ceramics for Change • Chalk It Up for Democracy • Comrade Besties • Defense Against the 19th Century Fund • Democracy Groupies • Democracy With Broads • Dems Can Win Giving Circle • “Dems Forever, Dems for Good” • Doing Our Best New England • Fallopians 6:24 • Fight for Democracy • Fight for Democracy • Fighting for Justice in the States • Fire Rabbit’s Revenge Giving Circle • Flipping Seats and Taking Names • FLIPPING(State)HOUSES! • Fraskinsons for Democracy • GingerKids • Good Trouble MD • Green Lake Giving Circle • Harvey Goldman’s Giving Circle • In Pursuit of Clean Countertops Giving Circle • Jill’s Giving Circle • Katy Decker’s Giving Circle • Kirstin’s Circle • Kitchen Table Democracy • Laura Lowell’s Giving Circle • Little Bites to Blue • Local Level Donors • Maggie and Nicole’s Giving Circle • Mass&More24 • Mom’s Body for Change • Move the Needle • Moving The Branch • Northridge Indivisible • Not Too Late for States • Ohio Women for Blue States • Onward – The States Project’s Giving Circle • Orange is the New Blue • OY VEY THINGS ARE NOT OK! • Partners 4 Democracy • PENT UP • Phillip Baltz’s Giving Circle • Positive Changemakers • Protect the States! • Rebecca Leicht’s Giving Circle • Rick Sanchez’s Giving Circle • Sarah Kruse’s Giving Circle • Senate Circle • Small But Mighty • Solid States • States Squad • Stop the Spiral • Sullivan Wayne Action Network (SWAN) • Take Back Abortion Rights via the States • The Blue Crew • The Fight of Our Lives • The Golden Girls Giving Circle • The Konewago Crew • THE POWER CIRCLE: An eclectic group empowering change and defending our democracy • The States Project – Malibu • The Village – because it takes one • Therapists In Action Giving Circle • Treat People with Kindness • TurnUSBlue • United Flippin States • Virginia Giving Circle • We Dissent • We The Women • Whitney DeMartino’s Giving Circle • WWZF