Airlift’s main work is to raise money for progressive grassroots organizations to turn hard-to-reach marginalized community members into engaged and reliable voters. We count on our partners to work year-round to mobilize folks around issues that matter in their daily lives, and to connect the dots between people’s aspirations and the importance of politics and voting. Since these tireless organizers live in and know their communities, they are the trusted messengers who can break through all the noise and disinformation to persuade discouraged and disenfranchised people that their voices matter. Airlift Partners inspire us daily, and we are proud to support their vital work.

You’ve probably seen stories about progressive grassroots burnout. Do we sometimes feel tired and anxious? Of course! But as Mark Twain might say, “The reports of our burnout have been greatly exaggerated.” Action is the antidote to anxiety, so we follow Simon Rosenberg’s advice: “Do more, worry less.” It’s why Democrats keep outperforming expectations and winning elections despite doom-and-gloom coverage. Indeed, in the latest victory flipping NY-03’s US House seat blue, winning candidate Tom Suozzi said of the legions of grassroots organizers and volunteers, “They were my stealth weapon.” And just last month, Governor Evers of Wisconsin signed into law new maps that eliminate some of the most egregious gerrymandering in the country.

Remember when these signs were everywhere–at marches, in windows, festooning people’s yards? In these troubled times of so much fear and vitriol, the sentiment can seem quaint, even naive. Yet it’s essential not to lose sight of the affirmative values that are at the heart of all we do. Love is the core–love of country, love of community, love of our neighbors, friends, families, and future generations. It’s what motivates us to care and work tirelessly to improve the lives of ordinary people throughout the country. As the poet Mary Oliver says, “My work is loving the world.”

Happy New Year! And so it begins again. As we head into yet another consequential election, it’s time to shake off the anxiety and dread generated by clickbait media coverage and remember all we’ve accomplished in the last few election cycles. In 2023 alone, here’s what you’ve helped bring about:

We hear it over and over again: “I found my political home here.” “These are my people.” “Before coming to ______, I didn’t know where I fit in.” You can fill in the blank with the name of any of Airlift’s Partner Groups. “Creating a culture of belonging is at the core of everything we do,” says Carolina Federation Co-director Jenn Frye, and CF’s not alone in centering this intention. It’s an organizing principle for everyone.

Republican-led dysfunction and chaos in the U.S. House of Representatives has been evident since Day One, even bringing government to a complete halt during a time of international and domestic crisis. The unanimous selection (finally) by House Republicans of Speaker Mike Johnson–architect of overturning the 2020 election; supporter of slashing Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid; climate denier; and staunch opponent of abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, unions, and aid to Ukraine–has only cemented the entire GOP caucus’s reputation as MAGA extremists. We must restore sanity and responsible governance by winning back the House in 2024.

The right-wing has reason to worry about the youth vote (commonly defined as those between 18-29 but often including anyone born after 1981). According to Catalist, “In 2022, the Gen Z and Millennial cohorts grew from 23% to 26% of voters,” while the two oldest, more conservative generations’ vote share declined. Before 2006, the youth vote split fairly evenly between the parties. Since then, however, young people have been voting overwhelmingly Blue, and these trends tend to continue as they age. 

Although the Presidential, US House, and Senate races are just over a year away, now is the time to come off the sidelines. Not just for 2024, but because some key 2023 elections are right around the corner. 

It’s already been a good year for electoral gains against the right wing, continuing the trend of Democratic over-performance since the 2022 midterms.

Dan Pfeiffer, political advisor, bestselling author, and Pod Save America podcast host, will share with us what we need to know about the unusual importance of Virginia’s state legislative races this November. We'll also find out what we can do to help CASA in Action, Virginia flip the House of Delegates back to blue, and make sure the slim blue majority in the state Senate is strengthened.

With that W.E.B. DuBois quote, Down Home North Carolina’s Co-Directors Todd Zimmer and Dreama Caldwell kicked off a fabulous in-person gathering last month with more than 40 Airlift donors in attendance. Noting that there’s no purple state better poised to become a solid progressive bulwark than North Carolina, Todd and Dreama made a compelling case about why Down Home, which organizes in rural areas and small towns, is ready to lead the charge into this progressive future.

We see it over and over again–significant gains made thanks in large part to grassroots organizers. Then, ruthless anti-democratic efforts to thwart those gains: disinformation; voting restrictions; the Big Lie. Extreme partisan gerrymandering has enabled right-wing legislative supermajorities to strip power from Democratic officials and run roughshod over constituents’ wishes on issues such as healthcare, education, jobs, abortion, gun safety, book bans, and treatment of trans people. Now they’re even expelling lawmakers who speak for those constituents.

In our instant-gratification culture, it’s sometimes hard to grasp that winning isn’t just defined by an election tally, and it certainly doesn’t happen overnight. Building a winning movement takes long-term investment, patience, and persistence. And then? Winning is only the beginning of delivering what people need. 

Already we’re off to a great start! In early February, Pennsylvania’s state House officially flipped blue for the first time in more than a decade when Democrats won all three special elections for vacant seats. Democratic control will stop the state GOP in its tracks from further restricting voting rights and reproductive access. We’re so proud to support our Partner Group, Pennsylvania Stands Up, who’ve been so tireless in bringing progressive change to Pennsylvania.