What Should Our Focus Be In 2025 & 2026?

Note #

(All of the following content was generated as responses from ChatGPT to the italicaized prompts)

I live in the United States. If I have 
finite time and money to contribute, 
which causes should I focus on in 2025 
and 2026? 
Choose from the five following causes: 
pro-immigrants 
pro-democracy
slowing climate change
campaign finance reform
healthcare reform

That’s a smart, grounded question — and in 2025–2026, with limited time and money, it's essential to focus on causes with the highest leverage and realistic pathways to impact.

Here's a breakdown and a final recommendation:

🔥 Top Priorities (2025–2026) #

🟦 1. Pro-Democracy ✅ HIGHEST PRIORITY #

Why:

• Authoritarianism, voter suppression, and disinformation are active threats.
• 2026 is a critical midterm — control of state legislatures and House districts could entrench minority rule or help restore democratic norms.
• Pro-democracy efforts also protect every other cause on your list.

Best use of time/money:

• Support orgs fighting gerrymandering, voter intimidation, and state-level election subversion (e.g., Democracy Docket, WFP, State courts, Ballot initiatives).
• Get involved in election protection, not just persuasion.

Leverage: 🟩 High
Momentum: 🟧 Mixed (but urgent)
Scalability: 🟩 Excellent

🟨 2. Slowing Climate Change ✅ TIED FOR SECOND #

Why:

• Federal climate policy depends on who holds Congress.
• Climate wins are now coming from state-level mandates, utility board elections, and city policies.
• This is a "now or never" decade.

Best use of time/money:

• Support state-level policy orgs (like Evergreen Action, local chapters of Sunrise, or Sierra Club Political Committee).
• Back climate-focused candidates for utility commissions, county boards, and state legislatures.

Leverage: 🟩 High (especially at state/local level)
Momentum: 🟧 Moderate (climate has attention but lacks scale)
Scalability: 🟩 Strong with targeted pressure

🟧 Secondary Priorities #

🟦 3. Pro-Immigrants #

Why:

• Immigration is a moral, humanitarian, and economic issue.
• Congress likely won't pass comprehensive reform, but executive policy and local sanctuary laws matter.

Best use of time/money:

• Local immigrant rights orgs, legal defense funds, and ballot initiatives (e.g., driver's licenses, city policies).
• If you live near ICE activity or state-level crackdowns, this is higher priority.

Leverage: 🟨 Moderate (high locally)
Momentum: 🟥 Weak nationally
Scalability: 🟧 Good via legal advocacy + policy

🟥 4. Healthcare Reform #

Why:

• Medicare for All is stalled; incremental reforms depend on Congressional balance.
• State-level reforms (like public options) are hard to sustain politically.

Best use of time/money:

• Back state ballot initiatives (e.g., Medicaid expansion where possible), defense against cuts, and drug pricing reform.
• Build pressure through aligned candidates (WFP, OR, etc.).

Leverage: 🟨 Low (unless targeted)
Momentum: 🟥 Low nationally
Scalability: 🟧 Medium with electoral work

🟥 5. Campaign Finance Reform #

Why:

• Citizens United still stands.
• Most progress is legal (e.g., court decisions) or municipal reform, not national law.

Best use of time/money:

• Support groups working to limit dark money at state and city levels.
• Invest in democracy reform first, which indirectly enables this goal.

Leverage: 🟥 Low short-term
Momentum: 🟥 Weak (overshadowed by broader democracy fights)
Scalability: 🟨 Long-term potential, slow pace

✅ FINAL RECOMMENDATION (2025–2026) #

Focus your limited time and money on:

🥇 #1: Pro-Democracy #

It protects all other causes. Without functioning democratic institutions, climate, healthcare, and immigrant protections all become harder or impossible.

🥈 #2: Slowing Climate Change #

Because the window is closing, and every state or local win matters — especially in energy, transportation, and land use.

If you still have room for a third priority, consider Pro-Immigrant work at the local or regional level — it’s morally urgent and often underfunded.

Here are high-impact organizations in Wisconsin/Madison aligned with your top priorities—Pro-Democracy and Slowing Climate Change—that are especially effective in 2025–2026.

Please suggest specific organizations or 
campaigns in Madison Wisconsin that 
fit this focus.

🛡️ Pro‑Democracy #

1. Common Cause Wisconsin

   • Focus: Voting rights, fair maps, government accountability.
   • Actively engaged in education, legal advocacy, and election integrity efforts ahead of Spring 2025 elections (lawforward.org, commoncause.org).
   • Great volunteer options: canvassing, petitioning, poll-watcher training.

2. Law Forward

   • A Madison-based legal advocacy nonprofit fighting gerrymandering and election subversion.
   • Known for high-profile cases (e.g., fake electors, ballot drop boxes) (en.wikipedia.org).
   • Volunteer or donate to bolster critical litigation at the state level.

3. League of Women Voters of Wisconsin

   • Longstanding democracy champion.
   • Education, fair redistricting campaigns, Voter ID lawsuits (lawforward.org, en.wikipedia.org).
   • Ideal for community education and engagement roles.

4. VoteRiders

   • National group with a strong Wisconsin footprint.
   • Helps voters navigate Voter ID requirements—clinics, DMV accompaniment, direct support (en.wikipedia.org).
   • Volunteering = direct vote access for under‑served communities.

🌱 Climate #

1. Citizens’ Climate Lobby – Madison Chapter

   • Focused on federal carbon pricing, congressional advocacy, local outreach.
   • Friendly, structured volunteer network with regular meetings (democracyfirst.org, citizensclimatelobby.org, cleanwisconsin.org).
   • Great path to congressional action and stewardship.

2. Clean Wisconsin

   • Statewide nonprofit; fights air, water pollution alongside climate programs.
   • Engages in legal, policy, and scientific advocacy (cleanwisconsin.org).
   • Opportunities for policy research, advocacy, or grassroots campaigning.

3. 350 Wisconsin (formerly 350 Madison)

   • Grassroots climate-justice organization with strong racial equity focus (350wisconsin.org).
   • Action pipelines include community education, climate campaigns, and coalition-building.

4. Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change

   • Government-led program with the local Climate Champions initiative.
   • Works with nonprofits and businesses to meet the county’s net‑zero goals (danecounty.gov).
   • You can volunteer as a champion, serve on committees, or support outreach.

Common Cause In Wisconsin
Open now · Non-Profit Organization
152 W Johnson St, Madison, WI 53703
Voting‑rights, fair maps, election integrity work

Law Forward
Closed
222 W Washington Ave #680, Madison, WI 53703
Legal advocacy on gerrymandering & election subversion

League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Education Funds
Open now · Organization
122 State St, Madison, WI 53703
Voter education, ID law lawsuits, redistricting reform

Madison
Closed
Wisconsin
Lobbying Congress on carbon price & local outreach

Clean Wisconsin
Open now · Office
634 W Main St, Madison, WI 53703
Statewide climate + pollution policy advocacy

Wisconsin Historical Society
Open now · Library · 4.0 (34 reviews)
816 State St (at Park St), Madison, WI 53706
Grassroots climate‑justice organizing

Dane County Ramp
Open now · Parking
113 S Henry St, Madison, WI 53703
Local government climate‑action & Climate Champions

✅ How to Choose #

Pick one Pro-Democracy and one Climate organization to maximize impact:

• Pro-Democracy: Start with Common Cause WI or Law Forward—one focused on public education, the other on litigation.
• Climate: Choose between Citizens’ Climate Lobby (federal advocacy) or 350 Wisconsin (community organizing), depending on whether you want legislative or grassroots work.

🎯 What You Can Do Next #

• Volunteer: Attend a lobby training, go canvassing, or mentor in local campaigns.
• Donate: Even modest monthly contributions (~$10–20/month) help sustain advocacy and legal action.
• Stay Informed: Subscribe to organizational newsletters—especially around the 2025 spring elections and local county climate initiatives.

Would you like help connecting with one or two of these organizations directly, finding upcoming events, or drafting outreach scripts?

• Previous: Compare Indivisible vs Working Families vs Our Revolution, et al