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MoveOn

Formation	1998; 27 years ago (1998)
Executive Director	Rahna Epting

MoveOn is a large group in the United States that works for progressive public policies. It is also a political action committee, which means it helps political candidates. MoveOn started in 1998 with one of the first very popular online petitions.

Since then, MoveOn has grown a lot. It is now one of the biggest and most effective groups for progressive causes in the U.S. Millions of people are part of its community. In the 2020 election, MoveOn supported Joe Biden. Rahna Epting has been the main leader of MoveOn since 2019.

How MoveOn is Organized

MoveOn is made up of two main parts. These parts follow different U.S. laws for taxes and elections.

MoveOn.org Civic Action

This part is a non-profit group. It focuses on teaching people about national issues. It also works to support certain policies.

MoveOn.org Political Action

This part is a federal political action committee. It does many activities directly. It also helps support the campaigns of many political candidates across the country. MoveOn calls both parts "MoveOn" when talking about them together.

MoveOn's Leaders

On January 17, 2019, MoveOn announced that its leaders, Anna Galland and Ilya Sheyman, would be leaving. They had been co-leaders for six years. On May 29, 2019, MoveOn announced that Rahna Epting would be the next leader. She started her role in October 2019.

MoveOn's Journey: A History

MoveOn began in 1998 as an email group. It was created by Joan Blades and Wes Boyd. They were software business owners. They started by sending around a petition. This petition asked Congress to "censure" President Clinton. Censure means to strongly disapprove of someone's actions. They wanted Congress to move on to other important issues.

This one-sentence petition was sent by email. It quickly got half a million signatures. This made it one of the first "viral" email petitions. Even with all the signatures, Congress still voted to impeach the President. Impeaching means formally accusing a public official of wrongdoing. After this, Joan and Wes started other campaigns. These included asking for arms inspections in Iraq instead of war. They also worked for changes in how political campaigns are funded.

Opposing President Clinton's Impeachment

The MoveOn.org website was created on September 18, 1998. This was after a report about President Clinton was released. MoveOn's first goal was to stop the effort to impeach Clinton. It was first called "Censure and Move On." It asked people to sign an online petition. This petition said Congress should "Immediately Censure President Clinton and Move On."

The founders, Joan Blades and Wes Boyd, were computer business owners. They were known for fun software like the "flying toaster screen saver." After selling their company, they worried about the "partisan warfare" in Washington. This was happening after news about President Clinton's actions.

At first, it seemed MoveOn's petition would not be as big as the effort to remove Clinton. Other websites were collecting signatures to impeach or ask Clinton to resign. But within a week, MoveOn grew quickly. Joan Blades said they sent the petition to fewer than a hundred friends. Within a week, a hundred thousand people signed it. Eventually, half a million people signed. MoveOn also got 2,000 volunteers. These volunteers delivered the petitions to members of Congress. They also directed 30,000 phone calls to offices.

After Congress voted to impeach, MoveOn started a "We will remember" campaign. Members pledged to work against members of Congress who voted for impeachment. They also pledged to donate money to candidates who opposed them. In 1999, MoveOn tried to get support from both parties. But as the 2000 elections got closer, the group leaned more towards the Democratic Party. MoveOn also started working on other issues. After school shootings, they launched a "Gun Safety First" petition. This promoted common-sense rules for guns.

Creating MoveOn PAC

In June 1999, MoveOn created its own political action committee, MoveOn PAC. This allowed them to accept donations online. It was very successful at raising money. It raised $250,000 in its first five days. It raised $2 million for the 2000 election. This money helped elect new Senators and House members. Joan Blades said this was a "revolution in fundraising."

MoveOn was very good at raising money from small donors. The average donation was $35. Before the internet, raising small donations was very costly. MoveOn's costs were low. This meant candidates with fewer resources could get more support. It also meant that big money groups had less power.

MoveOn also worked on voter registration for the 2000 elections. They warned members that voting for Ralph Nader could help George W. Bush win.

Developing ActionForum.com

In January 2000, MoveOn launched ActionForum.com. This was an online discussion site. It was designed to get public ideas for policies. Unlike most chat rooms, this site let members rank comments. The most respected comments moved to the top. Users had to use their real names and professions.

MoveOn hoped this forum would help local governments get feedback. However, ActionForum.com did not become popular with residents. But it did become important for MoveOn to get ideas from its own members.

In March 2001, MoveOn joined with another group called Generation Net. Peter Schurman became MoveOn's first full-time leader. MoveOn focused on issues like campaign finance reform and protecting the environment. They also opposed a plan to remove taxes for the wealthy. MoveOn also organized a "roll your own energy blackout." This was a voluntary evening where people turned off lights. It protested the energy plan of the time.

Organizing Against War

After the September 11, 2001, attacks, MoveOn started an online campaign. It called for "justice, not escalating violence." They collected 30,000 signatures for a statement. This statement argued against bombing Kabul. It said that harming innocent people would create more terrorists. This led them to work with Eli Pariser's similar petition. Pariser later became MoveOn's leader. This helped the group grow a lot and become more visible.

Before the war in Iraq, MoveOn ran a campaign against it. They created anti-war petitions. In July 2002, MoveOn's leader, Eli Pariser, asked members to write letters to local newspapers. They provided sample letters. Many of these letters were printed.

On August 17, 2002, MoveOn launched an online petition against the war. It got 220,000 signatures in two months. Volunteers delivered these signatures to senators and representatives. In October 2002, MoveOn raised $1 million in two days. This money went to four members of Congress who opposed the war. However, MoveOn also raised money for Democratic candidates who supported the war. Overall, they raised $3.5 million for the 2002 elections.

In September 2002, MoveOn warned that the war would cost $200 billion. They said regular people would pay for it. They also said people connected to oil companies would profit.

MoveOn also joined with 14 other groups to form the "Win Without War" coalition. This group included churches and civil rights organizations. Win Without War also helped organize "Artists United to Win Without War." This was a group of Hollywood actors and producers against the war. In December 2002, MoveOn launched another petition. It aimed to raise money for an anti-war ad in the New York Times. Members sent in nearly $400,000. With this money, they sponsored anti-war radio and TV ads. These TV ads warned about the dangers of war. The ads got a lot of attention and were covered by many news programs. MoveOn tried to put anti-war ads on billboards. But a company called Viacom refused to run them.

By early 2003, MoveOn had over 750,000 members in the U.S. As the war in Iraq got closer, their membership grew. In January 2003, over 9,000 members visited offices of senators and representatives. They delivered petitions in person. In February 2003, MoveOn and Win Without War sponsored a "virtual march on Washington." This generated over 1 million phone calls and faxes to politicians against the invasion.

In June 2003, MoveOn and Win Without War bought a full-page ad in the New York Times. It called the President a "misleader." It demanded an independent group to find the truth about U.S. intelligence on Iraq. It said it would be a tragedy if young people died for a lie. In 2007, MoveOn organized another anti-war group.

Online Primary for the 2004 Election

In June 2003, MoveOn held what it called "the first online primary." This was a vote to see which presidential candidate their members preferred. Howard Dean won with 44 percent of the vote. He got 139,360 votes. Some people criticized the way the primary was run. They said only some candidates were invited to send messages to MoveOn members. MoveOn said this was "absurd." They said their members chose the candidates. They also said all candidates knew about the process.

The New York Times noted that MoveOn's effort was very big. Over 300,000 people voted in the two-day primary. This was more than the total votes in some early state elections in 2000. MoveOn had steadily grown to over one million members. They had also raised over $7 million for Democratic candidates. If a candidate got 50 percent of the vote, MoveOn would formally support them. This support would include money and volunteers.

"Take Back the White House" Campaign

In April 2004, MoveOn started a campaign called "Take Back the White House." This included 1,100 bake sales across the U.S. It also gathered 500,000 volunteers. The campaign raised $750,000 for ads. These ads focused on the President's military record.

Fahrenheit 9/11 Film

In June 2004, MoveOn responded to criticism of Michael Moore's film, Fahrenheit 9/11. They asked members to send supportive emails to movie theaters. More than 110,000 MoveOn members promised to see the film. MoveOn's Eli Pariser believed their influence on movie attendance was even greater.

MoveOn also organized nearly 3,000 "Turn Up the Heat" house parties. People at these parties listened to Michael Moore and MoveOn organizers online. They then signed up for voter registration drives. These activities aimed to remove the President and other Republicans in the 2004 elections.

2006 "Call for Change" Campaign

For the 2006 elections, MoveOn created a new system. It was called Call for Change. It aimed to reach potential voters. MoveOn reported making over seven million phone calls to registered voters.

Facebook and Beacon

In November 2007, MoveOn led a campaign that caused Facebook to change its Beacon program. This program told Facebook users about purchases made by their friends. A Facebook group called "Petition: Facebook, stop invading my privacy!" had over 54,000 members. Facebook then changed Beacon to an "opt-in" system. This meant users had to choose to join it.

2008 Presidential Endorsement

On February 1, 2008, MoveOn announced its support for Senator Barack Obama. This was for the 2008 presidential election. MoveOn said it had never supported a presidential candidate before. MoveOn also launched a TV ad criticizing John McCain. He was Obama's opponent. The ad was called "Not Alex." It showed a young mother telling McCain she would not let her son go to Iraq.

2016 Election Efforts

"Run Warren Run" Campaign

In December 2014, MoveOn.org started a campaign. They wanted Senator Elizabeth Warren to run for president. MoveOn.org asked supporters to sign a petition. They also spent about a million dollars on TV ads. These ads were in Iowa and New Hampshire. These states are important early in the presidential race. They also created a website called "Run Warren Run."

Ilya Sheyman, MoveOn.org's leader, said the goal was to show Warren she could win. He wanted to show her there was strong support for her. By the end, MoveOn.org got 365,000 signatures. They also organized over 400 events. In the end, Senator Warren did not run for president in 2016.

Supporting Bernie Sanders

After Senator Warren did not run, MoveOn.org supported Senator Bernie Sanders. 78% of its members voted for him. Ilya Sheyman said Bernie Sanders' strong stance against big money and corporations appealed to their members.

Democratic candidates were invited to an online forum. They answered questions from MoveOn members by video. Senator Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley agreed to participate. MoveOn supported Senator Sanders for President. This was after 340,665 members voted online. 78.6% supported Sanders.

"United Against Hate" Campaign

During the 2016 election, MoveOn ran a campaign called "United Against Hate." This was in response to Donald Trump's words. They hired many organizers in important states. They used volunteers to contact voters. They also used online ads and videos. The goal was to influence the election. Famous people like Shonda Rhimes and Kerry Washington supported this effort. MoveOn said it helped promote a protest at a Donald Trump rally in Chicago. They also paid for protest signs. The campaign aimed to stop Trump. MoveOn saw him as a "dangerous" and "divisive" leader. Trump still won the 2016 election.

Organizing Against Trump

MoveOn organized its first protest against Trump the day after the 2016 election. They called for protests of "solidarity, resilience, and resolve." Protests were organized in many cities in less than 24 hours. MoveOn was active in leading protests against Trump's plans and words. This continued for all four years of his presidency. They pushed for his impeachment. They also worked to block his legislative goals. They defended democracy. MoveOn was very active in the "Nobody Is Above The Law" group. This group organized events to push for the release of a report about Trump. MoveOn helped organize many protests against Trump's actions. MoveOn was one of the most active groups in the anti-Trump movement.

2018 "Families Belong Together" Protests

MoveOn was a main group that called for protests in summer 2018. These protests responded to the Trump Administration's policy. This policy separated immigrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border. In over 750 cities, hundreds of thousands of people marched. They protested the policy.

2018 Midterm Election Program

MoveOn ran a big campaign for the 2018 midterm elections. They aimed to help elect Democrats and defeat Republicans. This was to help Democrats win control of the House of Representatives. One program was "Real Voter Voices." This aimed to convince voters to vote for Democrats. It collected and shared selfie videos made by MoveOn members. MoveOn was one of the top spenders on Facebook ads before the 2018 election.

2019 Campaign to Impeach Donald Trump

After a report about Trump was released in April 2019, MoveOn supported efforts to impeach him. They said "censure does not go far enough." This was notable because MoveOn was created to encourage Congress to "move on" and not impeach President Clinton.

2019 Leadership Change

On January 17, 2019, MoveOn announced that its leaders, Anna Galland and Ilya Sheyman, would leave. They had led the group for six years. On May 29, 2019, MoveOn announced Rahna Epting would be the next leader. She is the first person of color to lead the organization. She has held senior roles in other groups. She started as executive director on October 17, 2019.

2020 Election Campaign

MoveOn's 2020 election campaign aimed to "Mobilize, Inspire, and Protect" the vote. This meant getting people to vote, inspiring them, and protecting the voting process.

How MoveOn Communicates

MoveOn uses many ways to talk to its millions of members. They organize and get people involved. These methods include email, text messages, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. They also use videos online. They train leaders to help organize people on the ground.

MoveOn has advertised in new and old ways. This includes billboards, digital ads, bus signs, and bumper stickers. MoveOn has worked with other groups. They organize street protests, bake sales, and house parties.

Changes in federal election laws have affected groups like MoveOn. A law from 2002 changed how political parties could raise money. MoveOn, like other groups, found ways to work within these laws. In 2011, MoveOn.org launched SignOn.org. This was a free service for online petitions. In 2013, it became MoveOn Petitions.

MoveOn's Model

Spreading the MoveOn Model Globally

From the beginning, MoveOn.org combined online activism with real political action. As MoveOn.org grew, its model became useful to other groups. Ben Brandzel, a former MoveOn.org leader, helped spread this model. In 2007, he went to Australia to help a new online group called GetUp! GetUp! is a group that wants to build a progressive Australia. It wants to bring more people into democracy.

When Brandzel arrived, he saw that GetUp! faced similar challenges as MoveOn.org. Brandzel helped GetUp! use similar ways of organizing and campaigning. GetUp! achieved results much faster than MoveOn did at first. From this, he realized MoveOn.org's success was not just luck. It was a model that could be used in different places. It could help other groups achieve similar results in online and political activism. MoveOn.org's model helped shape GetUp!'s online campaigning and how it communicated. It also shaped their ideas on how to create real political change.

Fundraising Efforts

Since 1998, MoveOn has raised millions of dollars. This money has gone to many Democratic candidates. When Rahna Epting became the leader, she said MoveOn would spend $20 million. This money would be used to "defeat Donald Trump." It would also help end Republican control of the Senate. And it would help Democrats keep the majority in the House of Representatives. MoveOn said the money would be used for "creative and cultural actions." It would also fight "digital voter suppression online."