Democracy for America, the people-powered federal PAC, has over one million members nationwide. DFA is a grassroots powerhouse working to change our country and the Democratic Party from the bottom-up. We provide campaign training, organizing resources, and media exposure so our members have the power to support progressive issues and candidates up and down the ballot.
DFA was founded on the idea that the grassroots are the key to the Democratic Party’s success. For too long party leaders were beholden only to moneyed interests and high-powered consultants. The closer the Democratic Party aligned themselves with Washington insiders, the further rank and file Democrats wandered from the polls on Election Day. Governor Howard Dean’s presidential campaign re-energized the grassroots by tapping into the progressive values that they cared about: strong communities, security at home and abroad, and liberty for all people to live the way they choose. DFA was founded by Gov. Dean and built by those energized activists to help reform the Democratic Party from the ground up.
DFA’s core mission is to get real progressives elected so that we can make real change. DFA recruits and trains progressive candidates to run for all levels of public office, and we mobilize citizen organizers to make a real difference on issues that have an impact on Americans’ lives; issues like healthcare reform, equality for everyone and improving our environment. We believe that delivering real change on these important issues will result in more progressives winning elections – and a more progressive America.
DFA is a member-driven organization. DFA listens to members by working with them online and in the field on local issues and local campaigns. We base our decisions regarding issue campaigns and candidate endorsement on the work and opinions of our members on the ground. By analyzing data our members provide through online actions, we can act on instant feedback regarding the appeal of certain issues and candidates.
Programmatic work like Campaign Academies and Action Summits in cities across the country provide members with tools and skills and give us a chance to work directly with leaders on the ground. And, through our DFA Organizer program, members can sign up to get one-on-one support from a professional DFA field organizer, empowering them to improve their own communities. DFA puts a premium on being outside of the Washington, DC bubble so that we will continue to be an accessible, member-driven organization.
DFA takes risks. We understand we won’t win every fight, and sometimes our losses gain us as much as our wins.
We have learned over the years that by working for and with our members, we can make a real difference on the ground getting people elected and making progressive policies a reality. It’s the people-power that makes it happen. At DFA, we work to grow and support more people every day to fight for a better America.
