As MoveOn's COO, I have to make tough decisions

With only 68 days before Election Day, we have to close our budget shortfall or force cuts to our work.

Dear MoveOn member, I’m Cheryl Zando, MoveOn's chief operations officer. I oversee MoveOn’s finances and operations. I'll get straight to why I'm writing to you today: MoveOn needs your help. I'm the person who ultimately decides if MoveOn can run the campaigns and programs we've planned for this year—or if we have to pull the plug on some of them because we don't have enough money. And right now, I have to make some tough decisions. But this is the worst time to have to do that, because there are less than 68 days before November 3—perhaps the most important Election Day in our lifetimes, given the rise of fascism in our country. MoveOn's fundraising has fallen behind by $690,000 this month. We're a scrappy and creative organization that knows how to stretch a dollar, and we spend our resources very wisely. But fighting back against MAGA and Republicans, and their seemingly limitless funding from corporate and dark-money donors, is incredibly expensive. So I'm asking: Will you please start a $5 monthly donation to MoveOn and support our work through the election? I desperately want to tell our team that we don't have to make cuts to our critical work. Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month. (If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately.) No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation. MAGA Republicans, their megarich buddies and corporate cronies—big money, Big Tech, and the rest—are expected to spend nearly a billion dollars to buy the election.1 Just one Super PAC, funded by Elon Musk, is planning to spend $120 million or more.2 As MoveOn's money person, I see those numbers, and I imagine what MoveOn could do with that kind of money to bring about progressive change and build a better future. But the reality is that this summer, MoveOn's fundraising hasn't kept pace with our expenses. So either we quickly close MoveOn's financial shortfall, or I'll have to force cuts to our work. And with what MoveOn and the progressive movement is up against, such cuts would have very bad outcomes. Andra. Please. Will you help close MoveOn's shortfall by donating $5 a month to MoveOn? Our team and MoveOn members and volunteers need the funding to do all we can to defeat MAGA Republicans in the midterms. Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month. (If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately.) No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation. This fall, we have a huge opportunity to vote out MAGA Republicans loyal to the billionaires and Donald Trump and elect progressive champions who will fight for an America we can afford. The House of Representatives is definitely up for grabs. And now, even the Senate is in play. If Democrats gain majorities in both chambers of Congress, they'll be able to block Trump in his last two years in office and finally make way for policies that help working-class families and everyday Americans. I honestly believe that if MoveOn can keep firing on all cylinders, we will usher in a massive change in November. But to run MoveOn's election program without cuts, we need your help. Before we launched our 2026 midterm election program, the MoveOn team and I carefully considered how much we'd need to effectively run it. That's how we arrived at a figure that would allow us to win big but was also achievable and wouldn't waste any resources: $27 million. This amount is a drop in the bucket for our opponents, but it's an amount that could make the difference between winning and failing to end MAGA control of the House and Senate. It's also an amount that we know that MoveOn members can give, based on past election cycles. I know that times are tough for many. But if you're able to help, please chip in $5 a month. Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month. (If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately.) No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation. With personal gratitude for all you do. –Cheryl Zando Sources: 1. "Exclusive: Musk plans massive push for GOP in midterms," Axios, July 29, 2026 https://www.axios.com/2026/07/29/musk-pac-midterm-election 2. "Musk Plans to Spend at Least $100 Million to Help Republicans in the Midterms," The New York Times, July 30, 2026 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/us/politics/elon-musk-midterms-republicans.html Want to support MoveOn's work? As millions of us continue to march, protest, and take care of our neighbors, we must also organize to make the 2026 midterms a landslide rejection of Trump and MAGA Republicans. MoveOn is planning the most sophisticated midterm election program in our 28-year history—designed to turn out voters at a scale that overcomes Republican voter suppression. Will you chip in to power a progressive wave in November’s election? If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: Donate: $5 monthly Donate: $15 monthly Donate: $50 monthly Donate another amount monthly Or make a one-time gift PAID FOR BY MOVEON POLITICAL ACTION, https://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. MoveOn Political Action - PO Box 96142, Washington, D.C. 20090-6142. This email was sent to Andra Patterson on August 27, 2026. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. MoveOn's privacy policy was recently updated. To read our new privacy policy, click here. To remove yourself from this list, unsubscribe. Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from MoveOn, please click here.