Center for Popular Democracy

What Center for Popular Democracy does

Center for Popular Democracy (operating under the trade name Popular Democracy) is a Brooklyn- and Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2012 that functions as a national network of approximately 47 affiliated grassroots organizations across 32 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The organization works to build political and organizing power for Black, brown, and low-income communities through community organizing, coalition building, civic engagement, electoral organizing, direct action, policy campaigns, and narrative/cultural strategy. It operates a parallel 501(c)(4) sister entity, Popular Democracy in Action, which provides additional giving channels.

The organization does not sell products or services and generates revenue exclusively through donations and contributions from individual supporters, with online giving tiers of $10, $20, $50, and $100, alongside larger donor and institutional giving. It has no proprietary technology platform, software product, or app; its "product" is the organizing network itself and the campaigns it runs (e.g., the 2025 Defend the 14th Amendment campaign, the ICE Out For Good Coalition). Marketing and supporter engagement are conducted via website content, email, SMS short-code (25463), social media (notably X/Twitter), press releases, a Substack newsletter, and direct action events.

The center is led by Executive Director DaMareo Cooper and Co-Executive Director Analilia Mejia, who jointly issue public statements on Supreme Court decisions, executive orders, immigration enforcement, healthcare policy, and other federal actions. It participates in large multi-organization coalitions such as the ICE Out For Good Coalition alongside ACLU, MoveOn Civic Action, Indivisible, Voto Latino, United We Dream, NDLON, Public Citizen, and others.

Name

Center for Popular Democracy

Legal name

Center for Popular Democracy Action Fund, Inc.

Website

https://populardemocracy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Center for Popular Democracy (operating as Popular Democracy) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 that runs a national network of 47 affiliated grassroots organizations across 32 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico to build political power for Black, brown, and low-income communities through organizing, coalition campaigns, and policy advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Justice Advocacy and Community Organizing Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Other Social Advocacy Organizations (813319)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA), Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD), Government Accountability, Ethics & Anti-Corruption Advocacy (BPAGAFAN), Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC)

Keywords

• Community organizing networks
• Policy advocacy campaigns
• Civic engagement programs
• Grassroots organizing coalitions
• Social justice advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Popular Democracy operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises funds through individual donations, online giving campaigns (such as Give 2025), and supporter contributions. They also reference a 501(c)(4) sister organization called Popular Democracy in Action for additional giving options.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Center for Popular Democracy (operating as Popular Democracy) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates as a network of 47 grassroots affiliate organizations across 32 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. It delivers community organizing, leadership training, policy advocacy, electoral organizing, and civic engagement campaigns on behalf of Black, brown, and low-income communities. It also coordinates national coalition campaigns (such as ICE Out For Good) and houses a sister 501(c)(4), Popular Democracy in Action, for additional advocacy and giving options.

Product overview

Popular Democracy is a network organization rather than a product company. It operates as a collective of grassroots organizations united to build political power for Black, brown, and low-income communities. The core offering is the Popular Democracy Network itself — a coalition providing organizing infrastructure, training programs, narrative building, and collective action campaigns. Key components include the 45-affiliate network spanning 32 states, the Defend the 14th Amendment campaign, and various civic engagement and policy advocacy initiatives. The organization does not offer a software product or technology platform in the traditional sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Popular Democracy Network (Affiliate Network) A network of 47 grassroots affiliate organizations across 32 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico that collectively demands transformational change for Black, brown, and low-income communities through community organizing, policy advocacy, leadership training, civic engagement, and electoral organizing. The network is the central ongoing offering of the organization and is intended for community members, local activists, and partner organizations.
• Defend the 14th Amendment Campaign A national advocacy campaign dedicated to protecting the 14th Amendment and voting rights, mobilizing community members to oppose efforts to silence voters and undermine democratic principles. It is targeted at supporters, community members, and policy stakeholders and operates through the populardemocracy.org and defendthe14th.org channels.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IndivisiblecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndivisible is a core partner in the ICE Out For Good Coalition, working with Popular Democracy and other organizations on nationwide actions to demand accountability from ICE and advocate for immigration enforcement reform.
• MoveOn Civic ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoveOn Civic Action is a key partner in the ICE Out For Good Coalition, participating in coordinated nationwide mobilization efforts against ICE violence and for immigrant rights.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACLU is a partner in the ICE Out For Good Coalition, collaborating on advocacy efforts to stop ICE violence and protect civil rights and First Amendment freedoms.
• Voto LatinocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoto Latino partners in the ICE Out For Good Coalition to mobilize Latino and immigrant communities against immigration enforcement violence.
• United We DreamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited We Dream collaborates with Popular Democracy through the ICE Out For Good Coalition on advocacy for immigrant rights and against ICE violence.
• 50501coreStrategic or Co-development Partner50501 is a partner in the ICE Out For Good Coalition, participating in nationwide protests and actions to demand accountability from federal immigration enforcement.
• National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNDLON works with Popular Democracy in the ICE Out For Good Coalition to advocate for immigrant and labor rights.
• The Workers CircleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Workers Circle partners with Popular Democracy through the ICE Out For Good Coalition on advocacy for civil liberties and immigrant rights.
• Public Citizen / Not Above the Law CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic Citizen and the Not Above the Law Coalition are partners in the ICE Out For Good Coalition, working on accountability for immigration enforcement violence.
• Popular Democracy in ActioncoreOthersPopular Democracy in Action is the 501(c)(4) sister organization of Center for Popular Democracy (501(c)(3)). Donors can give to Popular Democracy in Action through separate giving options for those seeking different tax treatment.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Community Change: Community Change (formerly Center for Community Change) is a progressive national network organization that supports a federation of state and local affiliates to build power for low-income communities and people of color. Highly comparable to CPD in federated-network model, mission focus on Black, brown, and low-income communities, and civic-engagement strategy.
• Indivisible: Indivisible is a national progressive grassroots organization mobilizing local groups against the right-wing agenda, with deep civic-engagement and electoral organizing capacity. Directly comparable to CPD as a documented coalition partner operating the same federated local-group advocacy model.
• MoveOn: MoveOn is a large progressive digital-advocacy organization running rapid-response campaigns, petitions, and electoral mobilization. Directly comparable to CPD on online organizing, multi-channel supporter engagement, and progressive issue advocacy; documented CPD partner via MoveOn Civic Action.
• People's Action: People's Action is a national network of 1.2 million members and dozens of affiliates driving progressive campaigns on racial, economic, and climate justice. Closely comparable to CPD on multi-state federation structure, community-organizing methodology, and donor-funded advocacy model.
• Demos: Demos is a progressive public-policy organization combining research, advocacy, and litigation on democracy, racial equity, and economic inclusion. Comparable to CPD on the intersection of voting-rights/civic-participation advocacy and research-driven narrative work for Black, brown, and low-income constituencies.
• United We Dream: United We Dream is the largest immigrant-youth-led network in the U.S., organizing for immigrant rights and against ICE enforcement. Directly comparable to CPD as a documented ICE Out For Good coalition partner with parallel network structure and overlapping progressive issue focus.
• Faith in Action: Faith in Action is a national nonpartisan network of 1,200+ faith-based organizing groups advancing racial and economic justice. Comparable to CPD on multi-state federation of community affiliates, leadership-development programming, and donor-funded grassroots advocacy.
• Working Families Party: Working Families Party is a multi-state progressive political party that recruits candidates and runs electoral and issue campaigns on economic-justice themes. Comparable to CPD on multi-state organizing footprint, electoral-organizing activities, and democratic-participation mission alignment.
• National Domestic Workers Alliance: National Domestic Workers Alliance is a nonprofit federation of affiliate organizations representing domestic workers across multiple states. Comparable to CPD on the affiliate-network operating model, leadership-development programming, and policy advocacy targeting underrepresented workers.

Broad incumbents

• Center for American Progress: Center for American Progress is a large, established progressive think tank with adjacent organizing and advocacy functions on democracy, civil rights, and economic justice. Overlaps with CPD on policy advocacy and civic-engagement issues but operates at broader scale and with heavier think-tank orientation rather than a grassroots affiliate federation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/popdemoc
• Facebookfacebook.com/populardemocracy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Center for Popular Democracy