Pro-Obama nonprofit has $8.2 million quarter

Introduction

Organizing for Action, the nonprofit organization formed to push President Barack Obama’s political agenda, had an impressive quarter, raising $8.2 million, the group announced Friday.

OFA has raised $13.1 million from more than 237,000 donors since the group, which has ties to former Obama campaign officials, launched in mid-January.

The top second-quarter contributors to OFA were two major Democratic donors and bundlers for the Obama campaign in the 2012 election, Newsweb Corp. President Fred Eychaner and New York hedge fund manager David Shaw, each of whom contributed $500,000.

Eychaner was the largest donor to Democratic-leaning super PACs in the 2012 election, giving more than $14 million. That included $3.5 million to Priorities USA Action, which backed Obama’s re-election bid.

Shaw also contributed nearly $1.4 million to Priorities during the last election.

The largest individual contribution OFA received in the first quarter of the year came from New York philanthropist and longtime Democratic donor Philip Munger, who gave $250,000.

While Eychaner now appears on OFA’s donor rolls, other big Democratic benefactors in 2012, such as Jeffrey Katzenberg, James H. Simons, and Steve and Amber Mostyn, still have not given to the group.

As a 501(c)(4) “social welfare” organization, OFA is not required to disclose its donors. The group voluntarily posts the name and location of all donors who give more than $250 on its website.

OFA also collects employer and occupation information from its donors, but does not release that data to the public.

The organization refuses to accept money from corporations and lobbyists, but is willing to take contributions from unions.

Initially, OFA set its fundraising goal for the year at $50 million. After a slower-than-anticipated start, the group reportedly cut that figure in half.

One of OFA’s top priorities this year has been promoting the implementation of Obama’s signature health care law. The group launched a national television advertising campaign last month costing more than $1 million in support of the law.

OFA has also advocated for the White House’s position on immigration reform, gun control and climate change.