ActBlue quietly sponsors progressive content creators
The scoop
A key organ of Democratic politics is starting to put its money behind building a broader progressive media ecosystem.
In recent months, ActBlue, the go-to payment platform for online donations, has quietly ramped up its investments in online media and left-leaning content creators through grant-style sponsorships.
The nonprofit donated money to help Tim Fullerton, a former Democratic strategist turned podcaster and one of the organizers of White Dudes For Harris, launch a new business. In recent months, Fullerton has raised money to launch a new podcast network around his show and plans to launch several new podcasts aimed at reaching men next year. ActBlue also held discussions about supporting Courier Newsroom, the Democratic-aligned digital media organization that has expanded its creative and podcast business in recent years. ActBlue was also a major sponsor earlier this year of CrookedCon, the Washington, DC conference hosted by Crooked Media.
Courier Newsroom and Fullerton declined to comment. In a statement to Semafor, an ActBlue spokesperson organization did not comment on the specific amounts it was giving to Democratic creators and media organizations, but acknowledged that it was stepping up its support for ideologically aligned media outlets.
“ActBlue is a nonprofit organization trusted for decades to serve our democracy. We take this responsibility seriously and are always exploring new ways to expand our impact and community support,” a spokesperson told Semafor.
Max’s point of view
ActBlue hardly needs sponsorship to raise awareness for the Democratic Party; it is by far the largest such digital service provider on the left, and the grassroots fundraising infrastructure it provides is a vital part of the party’s campaign apparatus. Its importance to Democratic campaigns is obvious enough to have caught the attention of the Trump administration and congressional Republicans; Earlier this year, the president asked the Justice Department to investigate whether foreign donors had made financial contributions through ActBlue.
Semafor has heard in recent months that the muted response from party activists when President Donald Trump pointed the finger at the organization disappointed ActBlue staff, prompting the nonprofit to look for new ways to improve its image among diehard party fans.
The organization is also well aware that many Democratic political actors are annoyed by the most effective fundraising techniques, which involve spamming supporters’ inboxes with text messages and emails begging for money. Supporting Democratic podcasters and creators will create additional, perhaps less irritating, potential vehicles for future campaign donations.
