Our story
Born from conversations between Secretary Hillary Clinton and Governor Howard Dean in the aftermath of the 2016 election, Onward Together was established to lend support to leaders — particularly young leaders — kicking off projects and founding new organizations to fight for our shared progressive values. In our first five years, Onward Together has contributed over $6 million to our partner organizations and grantees, and directly raised over $63 million for Democratic candidates and progressive organizations.
Our program
Our support isn’t one-size-fits-all. In each case, we ask ourselves and the partner organization “How can Onward Together best support and add value for this partner?”
The answer will vary by organization, and can include the following:
- Financial support: Direct grants, fundraising support, online amplification, in-person surrogate assistance, 1:1 introductions and meetings with donors, sponsorships, convenings
- Strategic and leadership guidance: Mentorship, training, 1:1 introductions with expert advisors, convenings
- Recognition: Online endorsements, surrogate support, offline and event mentions via Onward Together surrogates, convenings
- Membership building: Mobilizing Onward Together’s team to support partner organizations and grantees
In addition to our official partners, we also give direct grants to organizations doing work that we believe in, particularly in urgent moments. These grantees include APIA Vote, Black Voters Matter, Common Defense, Dolores Huerta Foundation, Dream Big Nevada, EMILY’s List, Greater Wisconsin, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, National Redistricting Foundation, New Georgia Project Action Fund, Planned Parenthood, Sandra Bland Center for Racial Justice, Sister District, Victory Institute, Vital Voices, and more.
Our convening
Onward Together convenes the leaders of our endorsed organizations at annual Partners’ Collaborative meetings to learn and grow from each other.