Young organizers are better than ever at moving public opinion on hot-button issues and getting millions to show up to support their positions. But we often end up fighting on a different scale than those who oppose us; while we shape the debate, organizations like the NRA and oil lobbies are funneling millions of dollars into winning key elections all around the country. This makes even widely-supported, common-sense action nearly impossible.
YouPAC sought to bring our fight to their turf, combining young peoples’ natural talents for organizing and advocacy with more traditional political strategies like fundraising and independent advocacy.
To found YouPAC, I researched relevant tax and campaign finance laws and filed initial paperwork and subsequent regular reports with the Federal Election Commission and IRS. I built the website, youpac.org, from scratch and worked with policy experts to develop comprehensive platforms on climate change, gun control, and federal student loan reform.
I created social media accounts and digital assets, blog posts, early draft advertisements, organizational profiles, a business plan, and other background documents. I organized a student volunteer to assist with branding and preparing for a large media and fundraising push to officially launch the organization.
I also learned some hard lessons along the way! Organizing is hard work and isn’t a one-person job, and while you can invest your time and effort to save money, eventually you’ll need some to get a program off the ground.
YouPAC was shut down in 2021.