Donald Trump’s second administration has moved quickly to consolidate power and dismantle democratic norms—purging oversight officials, freezing foreign aid, and expanding executive authority. As threats to workers, immigrants, and marginalized communities escalate, progressives must adapt fast—and technology will be essential in that fight.

At Higher Ground Labs, we’ve always believed innovation is key to building long-term progressive power. But in 2025, progress demands more than just better tech—it requires a new playbook. That’s why we launched the Higher Ground Institute: a space for experimentation, early adoption, and fresh thinking in political technology. This new playbook also means reflecting on learnings from 2024. That’s why we:
* Hosted the 2024 Election Tech Debrief, bringing together 300+ strategists, organizers, and campaign leaders for three days of insights and discussion.
* Ran our third Election Tech Survey to track how progressives use and purchase political tech.
* Released the Progressive AI Lab impact report to explore how campaigns are using AI and what’s next.

The people and tech behind our movement are resilient. With the right tools and strategy, we can meet this moment and build something stronger. Keep reading for key insights from our reports, innovations shaping this moment, and what’s ahead for the Higher Ground Institute.

— Betsy Hoover
Founder & Managing Partner, HGL

A note from the Institute’s Jose Cornejo and Oluwakemi Oso

In January, we launched the Higher Ground Institute with a clear goal: to build a hub for early innovation, experimentation, and technological adoption across the Democratic and progressive space. Combining the strengths of Higher Ground Labs and Cooperative Impact Lab, we're focused on closing the critical gap between technological innovation and strategic transformation.

Our work begins with three high-impact areas: transforming how we engage communities through media innovation, strengthening our movement's preparedness against the challenges of the new Trump administration, and accelerating AI adoption to reimagine traditional campaign tactics. Through research, experimentation, and strategic investment, we'll help organizations build lasting power and create meaningful change. Learn more about the Institute's vision. ([link removed])
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We want to hear your perspective: What do we need to do to break out of our old ways of doing things and drive meaningful innovation? Reach out to us at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) with your thoughts.
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Hands-On AI Training: Boost Progressive Messaging Online

Join the Higher Ground Institute on April 2nd at 1PM ET ([link removed]) for an AI training to boost progressive messaging online. This hands-on training, presented in partnership with Vocal Media, will equip you with practical AI tools and prompt engineering techniques that can dramatically speed up your content creation process. Learn how to leverage powerful platforms like Descript and Opus Clip to produce more content in less time, helping progressive messages break through the noise and compete effectively in digital spaces.
Register for the Training ([link removed])
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Building Power in a Time of Crisis

Across the country, grassroots movements, advocacy organizations, and progressive campaigns are mobilizing to resist Trump’s aggressive attacks on the government, democratic norms, and institutions that provide checks on his power. Technology is playing a critical role in these efforts, equipping activists with better ways to coordinate, track legislative threats, and amplify their message with precision.

Take a look ([link removed]) at some of the tools available right now to support our movement.
Tech Supporting our Movement ([link removed])
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2024 Progressive AI Lab Report

Since launching the Progressive AI Lab, HGL has played a major leadership role in advancing AI in campaigns and shaping the conversation around its responsible use. We believed, and still believe, that AI is poised to transform our society and industries as we know it. But for all of AI’s transformative potential, 2024 was clearly the experimentation cycle—not the widespread adoption cycle—for AI. Read the impact of HGL’s Progressive AI Lab ([link removed]) .
Progressive AI Lab 2024 Report ([link removed])
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2024 Election Tech Survey Findings

Every cycle, Higher Ground Labs releases the Election Tech Survey to assess how political technology is used and purchased by progressive campaigns and organizations. First launched in 2020 and now in its third cycle, this survey tracks trends in adoption, effectiveness, and persistent gaps in electoral tech. With more in-depth analysis coming soon in our 2024 Political Tech Landscape Report, take a look at some of the key findings from this year’s survey. ([link removed])
2024 Election Tech Survey Findings ([link removed])
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2024 Portfolio Impact

This year, our portfolio companies delivered transformative impact across the progressive ecosystem. Together, they’ve helped mobilize millions of voters, strengthen security, and drive innovation in the digital tools powering our movement. Read about Endaoment's fourth year of decentralized philanthropy ([link removed]) , including donation breakdowns, outbound grants deployed, and causes supported; Chorus AI's work helping nonprofits, campaigns, and advocacy organizations save thousands of hours ([link removed]) in 2024 through advanced document management, social media tool suite, research tools, and more; Social Currant's year partnering with creators ([link removed]) to bring important issues to audiences where they are; Oath’s work analyzing over 2000 races & directing more than $37,000,000 ([link removed]) to the races with the highest Impact Scores; and Quiller’s year powering campaigns and
organizations ([link removed]) of all sizes to draft and deploy high-quality, effective fundraising & outreach content.
Read the Impact of HGL’s Portfolio Companies ([link removed])
Portfolio Updates

Check out 40+ political tech job openings on the HGL Portfolio Jobs Board ([link removed]) . Apply to Director of Strategic Partnerships at Swayable ([link removed]) , Talent Partner at Clipbook ([link removed]) , Senior Research Strategist at Grow Progress ([link removed]) , and many more.
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GoodChange went live with their “Cover the Fee” program ([link removed]) , allowing donors to cover processing fees so 100% of contributions go directly to campaigns, maximizing impact and minimizing costs.

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Unified helps organizers and activists build a better future through their social network for progressive change. Check out their new features ([link removed]) including: web chat, trending posts, org management, and improvements to UX.

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People First's Influencer Impact Podcast is live ([link removed]) . Hosted by co-founders Ryan Davis and Nicole Dunger, each episode delves into the latest social trends and digital tactics for advocacy groups, nonprofits, and campaigns.

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Fathom helped PBS unlock the “why” behind viewer behavior ([link removed]) —at scale. With Fathom’s human-in-the-loop text analytics, PBS quickly analyzed thousands of open responses, revealing the themes, sentiment, and drivers behind audience behavior.

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New/Mode is providing deeply subsidized access ([link removed]) to the most impactful advocacy tactics in 2025. Claim your discount to access features like smart petitions, letters to the editor, click to call campaigns, and more.

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Civitech's founder Jeremy Smith was named #5 on the MO 100Top Impact CEOs list ([link removed]) by Big Path Capital. Congratulations, Jeremy!

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Enjoy our content? Follow us on LinkedIn ([link removed]) for regular updates on political tech, innovations, and events and opportunities. See you there!

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