Washington, D.C. – Today, in a testament to the power and enthusiasm of climate activists across the country who are eager to elect true climate champions, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Victory Fund and NRDC Action Votes announced more than $100 million has been raised and contributed for federal and state candidates through GiveGreen since the platform’s inception in 2009. More than 17% ($17.6 million) of that total has been raised for the 2021-2022 election cycle alone. In 2020, GiveGreen was the biggest single-issue progressive candidate fundraising platform and so far this cycle, GiveGreen has outperformed fundraising numbers from the 2018 midterm election and expanded to include municipal races for the first time in program history, recognizing how important local climate action is.
From 2009 to 2020, GiveGreen has helped elect 944 climate champions – winning in more than 70% of the races hosted on the platform – with the support of nearly 50,000 GiveGreen donors. After raising just over $1 million in 2010 and electing 50 environmental champions, to raising nearly $45 million in 2020 and electing 232 climate champions – the growth and momentum of this movement cannot be overstated. In 2022, there are currently 14 seats held by pro-environment Senators and 20 seats held by anti-environment Senators that are up for election. The support of donors through GiveGreen has been critical to our climate champions who were re-elected by narrow margins and the $17.6 million raised so far this cycle will play a critical role in defending those climate and environmental champions and electing new ones.
Some notable races where GiveGreen is having a big impact so far this cycle are:
“If we’ve learned anything in the past year, let alone the past couple of weeks, it’s that the need for more true climate and environmental justice leaders in Congress could not be more important,” said LCV Victory Fund President Gene Karpinski. “It could not be more crucial that we build a larger environmental majority in the Senate, hold the House, and invest in critical state and local races to achieve real change and protect our democracy. The GiveGreen community understands this and is showing up to ensure that we elect leaders up and down the ballot who will stand up to polluters instead of standing with them, prioritize people over profits and fight for the investments in clean energy, justice, and jobs that we desperately need.”
“GiveGreen donors have helped to make climate action a top-tier political issue,” said Kevin S. Curtis, Executive Director of NRDC Action Votes. “Their support for candidates who refuse to bow down to the fossil fuel lobby sends a strong message that the environmental community will be there for lawmakers who stand up and fight for healthy communities, good-paying clean energy jobs and a brighter future for us all.”
This milestone comes on the heels of both Senator Joe Manchin’s refusal to support climate action in the Senate reconciliation deal and the Supreme Court’s recent West Virginia v. EPA decision to prioritize polluters and their allies over the health and well-being of communities by limiting the EPA’s authority to address climate pollution. Considering the recent status of federal climate action and after another year of record-breaking climate-fueled extreme weather events – it is clear that climate is on the ballot in 2022.
GiveGreen.com is an online platform for environmental donors across the country to build power in the environmental movement by supporting climate champions for state and federal office. GiveGreen United Action was established through a collaboration between LCV Victory Fund and NRDC Action Votes, two of the environmental movement’s leading and most influential organizations.
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Paid for by GiveGreen United Action, www.givegreen.com, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.