How Did Democratic Fundraising Get So Problematic, And Where Do We Go From Here? With Josh Nelson | Hello Merge Tag Ep. 15

“They ultimately A/B tested their way into some pretty unfortunate tactics.”

If you have an email address, or a phone number, you’ve likely received spam from some democratic group threatening that if you don’t donate immediately, you hate democracy. Or maybe they’re promising a 10,000 percent match, but only if you donate in the next 30 seconds.

These messages piss us all off.

But I’m not sure anyone is as mad about this current state of affairs as our guest today, Josh Nelson.

Josh has been working with Democratic digital programs for a long time. Amongst other roles, he’s served as vice president at CREDO Mobile, and led digital for Al Gore’s nonprofits.

Over the years, he’s watched firsthand as innovative techniques have been co-opted by bad actors, not looking to win elections, but simply looking to raise money. Sometimes at any cost necessary.

And while lots of us complain about the problem, Josh is actually aiming to solve it.

He currently serves as the CEO of Civic Shout, an email and SMS acquisition platform for Democratic campaigns and progressive nonprofits.

Since launching in 2022, Civic Shout has helped nearly 500 campaigns and organizations reach more donors and supporters, while respecting everyone’s data in the process.

I invited Josh on the pod to better help us understand how we got to this place. But also, to discuss how we can escape it and get back to a healthier and more thriving ecosystem where small-dollar donors don’t have to be weary of campaign emails and texts, but instead, excited to come together and make a difference in the world.

We walked through a timeline, starting with Howard Dean and his presidential campaign’s innovative work (on Meet Ups!), and followed that thread through Barack Obama and Ron Paul’s presidential campaign, up through to today.

We covered a ton of ground. And while the current state of affairs seems bleak, I think Josh shared a lot of optimism about a better future.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the issue, the episode or anything else. Drop us a line today, or leave a comment below.

Find all episodes at HelloMergeTag.com or wherever you stream podcasts.

Keep in touch with Josh

• josh@civicshout.com
• CivicShout.com/Partners
• Josh’s LinkedIn

An Infographic Breaking Down Josh’s Timeline of Digital Fundraising from Howard Dean, to Obama through to today: