A core principle behind all Indivisible events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.
DONATE TO THESE NATIONAL GUN SAFETY ORGANIZATIONS:
Why donate to these organizations? Because THEY ARE OUR ANSWER TO THE NRA!! They are fighting for us and against gun violence. These three national organizations are the major opposition to gun lobbies. Their actions include: gun safety advocacy (including wider background checks); development and implementation of laws, policies, and programs to reduce gun violence; promotion of gun safety candidates; litigation; closing loopholes and pushing for greater accountability; violence intervention programs; education and community empowerment; and many other efforts and actions designed to change the gun culture/laws and reduce gun violence.
Founded by assassination attempt survivor and former Congresswoman, Gabby Giffords and husband Mark Kelly, former astronaut and current US Senator from Arizona. Giffords includes a Law Center and PAC, and is one of the most influential and effective organizations of its kind. Giffords and Kelly are highly familiar with Congress and what it takes to offset the gun lobbies’ influence.
Founded by Jim (and Sarah) Brady, former White House Press Secretary and survivor of assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan. Paralyzed by the attack, JIm Brady successfully lobbied Congress to pass the Brady Background Check (Brady Law), signed into law by President Clinton. The law requires background checks on all handgun purchases conducted by federally-licensed gun dealers.
Formed by merger of: Mayors Against Illegal Guns (cofounded by then-mayors Mike Bloomberg and Thomas Menino) and Mothers Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (founded by mother of five, Shannon Watts, following the Sandy Hook tragedy).
Question from a reader of TP2B: “I try to budget my political donations…But, then, I will also get emails from PACs or candidates I sent donations to for 2020 or 2022 who are trying to close their fundraising gaps, pleading for money. The request for funds burns me out a bit when really I should be budgeting.”
– Stacey f.
All very good questions and common concerns! Daily emails and texts can cause us to tune everything out – but donations are an important way to help promote democracy and the other policies we care about. Let’s talk about a strategy to help navigate all the requests.
Here are a few ways to think about your monthly strategy – whether it’s $5 or $500.
Will your Donation be Additive and Timely?
One way to look at it is that you want your money as close to the voter as possible. In this case, I would recommend choosing a non-profit group to give to. These groups play an important role in activism. The best non-profit groups are composed of volunteers from their own communities. These local volunteers are present in the community all the time – not just at voting time. They understand the local voting laws and the barriers erected to keep people from voting. Do people need IDs? Registration? Vote by Mail information? Ballots in a different language? TurnPurple2Blue has some recommended groups.
Northeast Arizona Native Dems
“The best non-profit groups are composed of volunteers from their own communities. These local volunteers are present in the community all the time – not just at voting time.”
Another way to look at your donation is that you want to give it to a group that will use it in a flexible and strategic manner. It is important to choose a group you trust. For example, I trust Indivisible to use donations for the races that need it the most and for the tactic that is not already saturated (examples of tactics are radio, billboards, or lists and software for phone banks, text banks and canvassing). Other effective groups to consider might be Sister District, The States Project, or Working America.
Be wary when donation to PACS. 2025 saw revelations of how little of their money actually goes to the cause they say they are promoting. Block and report these text messages as spam and never give through a text.
If you do want to give to candidates directly, I would advise to give to the smallest race that you are interested in. State and local races are run on thousands, not millions, and your small donation can be more impactful. We have seen that municipalities are the front line of climate action and book banning; states are the front lines of gun safety, education, LGTBQ, and reproductive rights. Democrats have long overlooked these races, and now we are reaping the consequences.
Next time your town and surrounding communities have elections, check to see if there is someone running for school committee or select board that needs support. Adopt a state and support a state level democratic candidate. As David Pepper has shown in both his books, Laboratories of Autocracy and Saving Democracy, the path to issues we care about lies through the states.
Federal races now spend millions, so it is important to consider not only how much money these candidates have but how much they need. Is MAGA going after them hard? Are their districts more purple?
In general, candidates need “early” money – money is a lot harder to use effectively in the last week or two before the election. (for example, there could be no more ad spaces to even buy; printed materials need to be ordered with lead time, etc.) Nonprofits need money anytime.
I’m mostly speaking of “small dollar donations” here. If you have the resources to give more, watching the calendar year can help you maximize your contributions. In federal races, a donor can give $3,300 per candidate per election per year. For Massachusetts state candidates, the amount is only $1,000 per calendar year. So, if you have the means and really like a particular candidate, make sure to make your maximum donation in each calendar year.
Photo by Liza Summer
“If you have the resources to give more, watching the calendar year can help you maximize your contributions.”
Now, let’s discuss who NOT to give to and how to manage the deluge of emails and texts asking for donations.
Photo by Alin Popa
Don’t be tempted by “Hail Mary Candidates.” Is the district R+30? Your small donation will not help a candidate win there. There are some candidates that we hate, and we want to throw money at their opponents who have no chance. Resist! If you really care about that district, fund a grassroots group building a presence there.
Don’t give to candidates with more money than they need (which depends on the candidate’s competition and district). Sometimes, they are willing to share with other candidates for the greater good, but then they get to make that choice, not you.
Don’t give to the Democratic party in general because they are inflexible at best and stagnant at worst. Only give to them if there is a division working efficiently on the ground. Some examples are the NEAZ Native Dems in Arizona and County parties in North Carolina. The Democratic Governors Association and Democratic Association of Secretaries of State are other good subgroups.
Don’t donate on a whim for appeals that are coercive. For example, Quarterly fundraising goals or other similar countdowns. If you hear this from someone you have donated to in the past, only give if you would have done so in the absence of this guilt messaging. Stick to your budget.
Don’t be drawn in by claims of matching funds. Matching of 500% is exactly what it sounds like: too good to be true.
How to stop the deluge of requests:
Don’t give your mobile phone number. If you still get texts, type in “STOP.” Use Block and Report Spam for PACs. Unfortunately, you will have to do this for each campaign.
Unsubscribe from their emails. This actually saves the candidate money – they have to pay for these emails, and if you don’t intend to donate to them, you can save them some money.
Photo by Linda Eller-Shein
It’s time to act.
Photo by Ivan Samkov
Your donations are very important, and none are too small to make a difference. Budgeting and giving strategies can help you target your donations for he best result. Winning the November 2026 election will start with early preparation and donations.
BIJAN/”Beyond” is a network of volunteers in eastern MA that supports people in immigration detention in New England. They also host the Beyond Bond and Legal Defense Fund (BBLDF) that pays immigration bonds for people with a connection to MA. They are closely affiliated with LUCE.
Looking to offer support? *Join our network and email list at beyondbondboston.org/join and look for the next monthly orientation on zoom *Donate to support the immigration bond fund at beyondbondboston.org/donate
Looking for support due to arrest by ICE or upcoming check-in appointment? Text (any language) or leave a message(English + Spanish) at 617-396-7143 for:
*Support and transportation for immigration court hearings and ICE check-ins. *Money to help pay bond *Letters of support from the community for parole, bond or immigration relief. *Monthly commissary and one time deportation support funds for those in ICE Jail *Advocacy about conditions inside jail or other injustices *Outreach to loved ones in MA to offer support (if detained) *Possibly a free lawyer for bond only for those who lived/worked in MA
People who are currently detained can call the free detention hotline 617-637-8195 (7 days/week, English + Spanish)
In place of our regular weekly protest, the Newburyport Democratic City Committee will host a Tea & Toy Party Protest in honor of the Newburyport Tea Party (yes, that happened here too!). It will be held on Saturday, December 13th from 11 AM to 12:30 PM. (Note this event is longer than our weekly protest.)
In December 1773, Newburyport residents burned shipments of tea in Market Square to protest the tea tariffs imposed by King George III and the British Parliament.
Now we’re protesting the Trump tariffs – but instead of burning tea we will march from the Bartlet Mall to Market Square. Come out in your colonial best and we’ll protest in the 1773 spirit!!
Weather permitting, we will meet at the Bartlet Mall and march down Green Street to the Christmas tree and Menorah in Market Square. We will have a brief introduction at the Mall and then a speech or two in Market Square about the Newburyport Tea Party and how it parallels what we are going through today.
TOY PARTY DONATION GUIDELINES
We welcome you to bring a new, unwrapped holiday gift our gift card to donate to the Boys and Girls Club of Salisbury. They asked us to provide the following guidelines:
Please bring an unwrapped toy or gift card only. No clothing. Gifts should be geared for 1st – 12th graders. For middle and high school, they recommend gift cards for food places like Duncan Donuts, McDonalds, pizza places (chains). Please purchase these in $10.00 increments. All gifts must be unwrapped. Thank you in advance to all who choose to bring a gift to our “Tea & Toy Party” protest. The Boys and Girls Club is so appreciative — and we love the idea of expanding our outreach to include helping youth in our community.
The Protecting Massachusetts Communities Campaign is holding a pre-hearing rally at 9 AM in Room 428 at the State House and has also created this Social Media Toolkit to share information about the hearings. Some Indivisibles are planning to attend the hearings and would love to have you join them in Boston! If you’re unable to attend the hearings in person, you can watch them online using the hearing links above.
Next Tuesday, November 25, two state legislative committees have scheduled separate hearings for key bills to protect immigrants. We know many of you may be away or busy with holiday preparations, but please take a few minutes to email or call your state legislators about these important bills that IMC members recently endorsed. Get more information about actions to take, including suggested call scripts, in the Teams section below.Earlier this month, the Public Safety Committee scheduled a hearing for several immigration bills, including the Safe Communities Act, starting at 11:30 AM in Gardner Auditorium, the largest hearing room at the State House.
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