Our Impact

“The work you are doing is not only critical. It is indispensable.”

Governor Deval Patrick ’78, HLS ’82

The Harvard Community Organizing for Democracy

Crimson Goes Blue is the nation’s first alumni-led organization dedicated to electing Democrats and safeguarding democracy. Since our founding in 2019, nearly 3,000 Harvard alumni, faculty, students, and staff have joined us — and we are growing rapidly. We combine strategic insight, curated information, and community-driven action to guide our members in their activism.

2024 Election Impact

In the 2024 cycle, CGB mobilized members across the country to support Democratic Senate, House, and down-ballot candidates in the most competitive races.

Through coordinated campaigning and strategic fundraising, we

  • Raised over $2 million for competitive, underfunded races and grassroots groups through the Crimson Goes Blue Portfolio

  • Hosted 46 separate phone banks for candidates in battleground states and special elections to educate likely Democratic voters and get out the vote, especially the youth vote.

  • Knocked on thousands of doors through single and multi-day canvassing initiatives we titled “Connect to Elect”

Our efforts helped limit the Republican House margin to just 3 seats, significantly constraining their power and improving the likelihood of flipping the House in 2026.

Through activism with Crimson Goes Blue, members witnessed both the strengths and limits of traditional campaign tactics. That experience catalyzed the launch of our member-led Innovation Lab, designed to improve electoral impact and counter authoritarianism through member-driven ideas.

“Crimson Goes Blue had exceptionally well-designed, maximum-impact volunteer opportunities. This has been the best experience I’ve had volunteering with any political action group.”

Spotlight: 2024 Crimson Goes Blue Portfolio Report Card

Our 2024 giving strategy targeted competitive, underfunded races that could change the balance of power:

98%

of House funds went to races decided by under 10 points (vs. 42% of all individual Democratic giving)

71%

went to races decided by under 5 points (vs. 28% overall

7 of 11

donor-supported races were decided by less than 1 point

The result: Democrats gained seats and held the GOP majority to a razor-thin margin — just 7,300 votes across the three closest races — constraining the MAGA agenda in 2025.

The Portfolio is also expanding the donor base. One in four repeat donors had not given to federal campaigns in the prior two cycles, demonstrating that our model builds both impact and donor confidence.

Fighting Authoritarianism

Since 2024, CGB has become a hub for members and their networks to oppose authoritarianism and engage in visible, values-driven resistance.

  • Educating members through events, newsletters, and Substack

  • Launching a Protest Team network — mobilizing members at major protests opposing the Trump regime in cities across the country

  • Expanding the Portfolio to include pro-democracy legal organizations fighting Trump in the courts.

  • Sponsored the Democratic Attorney’s General in person national election subversion project through our fundraising (see Spotlight below)

  • Collaborating with Crimson Courage in the drive to persuade Harvard to stand firm against the Trump administration’s demands for the university to compromise academic freedom

  • Advancing Innovation Lab projects addressing major challenges like preventing election subversion.

Spotlight: Preventing Election Subversion: A Class of ’78 Initiative

Led by members of the Harvard Class of ’78, the Crimson Goes Blue community rallied to fund a groundbreaking effort to help protect the integrity of the 2026 midterms in the spring of 2026.

Background: After months of research, CGB’s Strategic Taskforce for Election Protection concluded that Democratic Attorneys General are likely to be the most effective line of defense against attempts to disrupt vote counting or certification.

Action: The Class of ’78 stepped forward to support a national simulation organized by the Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA), that will bring together 75–100 Attorneys General, senior legal staff, communications leaders, and election officials to prepare for potential election-subversion scenarios and coordinate rapid responses in late spring 2026.

Outcome: Through energetic peer-to-peer outreach, the CGB community—led by the Class of ’78—mobilized donors to raise the $75,000 needed to convene this unprecedented exercise. The initiative serves as a powerful complement to CGB’s candidate-giving, helping ensure that Democratic victories in 2026 are not only won, but protected.

A Community Powered by Hope and Urgency

Crimson Goes Blue is more than a political organization. It’s a growing community of Harvard alumni, faculty, students, and staff who believe that the opportunities we’ve enjoyed come with a responsibility to help protect our democracy. From the start, CGB has been shaped by a distinctive culture that combines clear-eyed urgency about the threats we face with a strong sense of hope and action.

At a time when many people feel overwhelmed and sometimes powerless, our members bring curiosity, strategic thinking, and a commitment to tackling tough problems together. Through events, shared activism, class initiatives, volunteer leadership opportunities, and curated information about the best ways members can invest their time and funds, CGB has become an energizing and welcoming home for people who want to take action to protect our democracy.

The result is a community that reflects the best of the Harvard tradition—serious about the stakes, but optimistic about what people working together can accomplish. Hope and urgency, held together, are what power Crimson Goes Blue.

“Crimson Goes Blue is the group I’ve been looking for—joyful community-building and effective activism at a critical moment for our country.”

— Amy Brenneman ’86, Actress, Activist, CGB Board Member