Indivisible Project

Indivisible Project
Indivisble · Public domain · source
Name	Indivisible Project
Formation	2016
Founders	Ezra Levin; Leah Greenberg; Former Congressional staff
Type	Political advocacy group
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Region served	United States
Focus	Progressive activism; grassroots organizing; congressional oversight
Methods	Field organizing; digital campaigns; training; lobbying

Indivisible Project is a progressive advocacy organization founded in 2016 by former Congressional staffers who authored a grassroots guide that gained rapid attention among activists and lawmakers. The organization operates a national network of local groups and chapters that coordinate constituent outreach, legislative pressure, and electoral mobilization across the United States political landscape. Its founders and leaders have interacted with a wide range of actors in American politics, including members of Congress, national coalitions, union leaders, and civic organizations. The group's strategies draw on lessons from historical movements and contemporary digital activism to influence debates in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.

History

The origins of the organization trace to a response to events surrounding the 2016 U.S. presidential transition, with founders drawing on experiences from Capitol Hill offices and national advocacy campaigns. Early outreach engaged networks associated with the Democratic National Committee, MoveOn Civic Action, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Sierra Club, Service Employees International Union, and state party infrastructures in swing states like Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. The initial guide circulated among groups linked to the 2016 and 2018 election cycles, garnering attention from activists connected to campaigns by figures such as Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Kamala Harris. During the 2018 midterm elections, collaborations included partnerships with organizations like Indigenous Environmental Network, NAACP, League of Conservation Voters, and local chapters of Democratic Socialists of America. Post-2018, the group expanded training programs and digital infrastructure, interacting with policy debates around legislation championed by lawmakers such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell, and executive actions from administrations including that of Donald Trump.

Organization and Leadership

Founders include former Hill staffers who leveraged experience from offices of members of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate; early public faces engaged with media outlets and allied civic organizations. Leadership and staff have engaged with advocacy networks associated with Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Human Rights Campaign, American Civil Liberties Union, Emily's List, and policy shops near Capitol Hill and think tanks such as Center for American Progress and Brookings Institution. The organization maintained state and local coordinators who worked with unions like AFSCME and National Education Association, and with state party committees in jurisdictions including Virginia, Georgia, and Arizona. Board members, advisors, and prominent supporters have engaged with elected officials across the Democratic caucus, including contacts with offices of Steny Hoyer, Jim Clyburn, Rashida Tlaib, and others, while coordinating with national coalitions around issues championed by Nancy Pelosi and legislative priorities of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Mission and Activities

The stated mission centers on empowering local organizers to influence federal policymaking through constituent engagement with the U.S. Congress, the White House, and federal agencies. Core activities include producing tactical guides, hosting trainings, coordinating mass communications campaigns targeting offices of senators and representatives, and deploying rapid-response networks during legislative fights. The group has organized actions related to policy debates on healthcare legislation introduced by lawmakers like Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz, immigration measures advanced by members such as Kevin McCarthy and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and oversight efforts tied to investigations by committees chaired by figures like Jerrold Nadler and Adam Schiff. It has also run programs aimed at voter mobilization in battleground states with partners including Swing Left, People's Action, and Color of Change.

Political Strategy and Tactics

Strategically, the organization emphasizes localized, sustained pressure on elected officials through coordinated town halls, office visits, phone and email campaigns, and social media amplification. Tactics draw on historical models from movements associated with figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and organizations such as United Farm Workers, while adapting to modern platforms used by actors like Twitter and Facebook and digital organizing practices pioneered by campaigns for Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders. The group trains volunteers in message discipline, target prioritization, and escalation ladders that include constituent meetings, mass demonstrations, and coordinated testimony at committee hearings led by chairs like Gregory Meeks or Bennie Thompson. Electoral strategy has included endorsing or backing challengers in primaries, coordinating with PACs such as those tied to Emily's List and progressive spenders linked to allies of Tom Steyer and George Soros. In legislative fights, the organization marshals rapid-response coalitions with labor groups like SEIU and environmental coalitions around legislation considered in committees helmed by members like Frank Pallone or Rob Portman.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics—ranging from conservative media outlets and Republican lawmakers to some centrist Democrats—have accused the organization of contributing to intraparty tensions, targeting incumbents in primaries, and applying pressure perceived as uncompromising during negotiations over legislation promoted by leaders such as Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. Opponents have pointed to clashes with Democratic institutions including the Democratic National Committee and local party organizations in places like California and New York City. Controversies have included debates over coordination with outside spenders, disputes about endorsements that affected races involving figures such as Joe Biden-aligned allies, and criticism from commentators associated with outlets like Fox News, The New York Post, and The Wall Street Journal. Supporters countered by citing collaborations with civil rights groups like NAACP and civic coalitions such as Common Cause, and by pointing to electoral outcomes in 2018 United States House of Representatives elections and 2020 United States elections where progressive-backed candidates succeeded.

Category:Political advocacy groups in the United States