Who Are We

Generation Progress is a political action committee that raises funds for forward-thinking Congressional candidates nationwide, by hosting social events for Boston’s young professionals.

What We're Trying To Do

Our mission is to bring together the young and civic-minded to support forward-thinking policies and candidates for office. Aside from hosting fundraisers, the GP community regularly gathers online and in person to discuss the ideas and issues impacting the Generation. We operate Discourse, a series of face-to-face discussion groups, as well as GP-Talk, an e-mail listserv where GP members share up-to-the-minute political news and commentary.

Why We're Trying To Do It

We operate on two proven principles.

1. That young, hip Bostonians are willing and interested in some level of political involvement, but cannot afford tickets to fundraising dinners at hundreds of dollars per plate.
2. That small donations from Boston donors can have a big impact on Congressional campaigns nationwide.

Michael DeRamo, Chairman

• Moved to Boston... 2004
• Created GP because... young people need their priorities aggressively represented in Congress, too.
• Works on... Strategic direction of the organization
• Studied... International affairs and political science
• Political interests... Foreign policy, national security, agriculture, trade
• chairman@generationprogress.org

Kristen Beilman, Community Chair

• Moved to Boston... 2006
• Joined GP because... I believe passionately in the responsibility we each have to our country and our communities.
• Works on... scouting out prospective self-professed "political nerds" to join the Generation!
• Studied... Political Science & Public Relations
• Political interests... The Military, Education, Homeland Security
• community@generationprogress.org

Adrienne Zack, Compliance Chair

• compliance@generationprogress.org

Dan Kamyck, Marketing Chair

• Moved to Boston... Summer of 2004
• Joined GP because... it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join with other young people to change the political culture of our generation.
• Works on... Telling the story of our great events
• Studied... Business administration and marketing
• Political interests... Food policy and agriculture; civil rights
• marketing@generationprogress.org

What is GP?  What is “the Generation”?

As our mission statement reads, Generation Progress is a political action committee that brings together the young and civic-minded to support forward-thinking policies and candidates for public office.

What does that mean?

1. GP is a political action committee (PAC). We solicit donations through fundraisers, then we contribute what we’ve collected to a candidate (or candidates) running for Congress.
2. GP brings together the young and civic-minded. We offer opportunities for Boston’s young professionals to engage with one another. The GP community gathers often to debate the issues of the day and advocate our priorities. We care about our country and our world, and we’re not ashamed to say so.
3. GP supports candidates for public office. Those candidates must champion the priorities of GP, and they must be viable enough that we aren’t wasting our hard-earned cash by supporting them. GP’s Political Affairs team conducts research and recommends candidates worthy of our support. The GP chairman then makes the final call.

So who is in “the Generation”? Well, you, if you’re young, civic-minded, and ready to engage with peers who care about the direction of our country. What are you waiting for?

What makes someone a GP member?  What do members do?

A member is anyone who has contributed money at a GP event, or who has helped the organization in other ways.

Members receive regular e-mail updates about GP activities, and are the first to receive invitations to upcoming events. Some members choose to volunteer behind the scenes as well. To learn more about how you can help keep GP running smoothly, please visit the Join page.

Federal law prohibits certain persons from contributing money; please visit the fine folks at the Federal Election Commission for more information.

Why should I donate to GP?

Strength in numbers. The more donations we receive, the more impact we have. Our fundraisers are low-dollar for a reason: so working young professionals like you and me can afford them. We can’t spare $500 for a dinner, so this is our way of making ourselves heard. Remember how all those small donations added up to push candidate Obama over the top in 2008? That’s the kind of collective action we’re talking about.

Not to mention that GP is fun! Our fundraisers are one-of-a-kind and world-class. We bring together people and organizations from around the Boston area to support our key causes. Come support us and get in touch with new friends and interesting neighbors you never knew you had. And do your part to nudge America one step forward.

Where does my money go?

GP takes members’ contributions (including proceeds from our events) and donates them to Congressional candidates who champion our core issues. Exactly how we define those issues, who receives our money, and how much they receive are all questions handled by GP’s Political Affairs team. To read more, please visit the Issues page.

What is GP’s ideology?  What are the “Issues of a Generation”?

The Generation believes in progress -- the application of innovative policy to address the most pressing issues facing our country. Some describe us as “progressive,” but we avoid the term. Like any political label, it enables quick assumptions that may not necessarily reflect our views or priorities.

The “Issues of a Generation” are the policy areas that we consider to be of urgent importance to us. Candidates who receive funds from GP must show willingness and ability to champion our interests on these topics. To read more, please visit the Issues page.

Do I have to be a member to participate in events/GP-Talk/Discourse?

Absolutely not! Our fundraisers are open to the public. We occasionally offer intimate members-only events, but even there prospective and new members are most welcome.

Both GP-Talk (our active online community) and Discourse (our live discussion series) are public as well. Please visit their respective pages for information on joining.

Does GP partner with other organizations?

We most certainly do. If your organization (or one you know) is interested in working with GP on a particular cause or event, please send an e-mail to Michael at chairman@generationprogress.org. We are always excited to make new friends in other groups and figure out how we can help each other grow.