Your link to the progressive netroots.
Always treat your supporters with respect. Whether it’s activism or fundraising, Summit Campaign Strategies combines progressive values with high ethical standards.
We don’t try and fool people with deceptive fundraising tactics. We’ll grow and activate your donor base while providing current and potential supporters with real, honest information, which reflects your positive message.
That’s what we strive to do on behalf of our clients every day.
With over 15 years of campaign and nonprofit fundraising experience, Ben combines a passion for progressive politics with a personal network of leading organizations within the progressive netroots.
As Bernie Sanders’s former Finance Director, Ben focuses primarily on supporting progressive issue advocacy non-profits and electoral campaigns ̶ directing their email campaigns, organizing online actions with partners and bringing his clients’ message to a wider audience.
While Summit Campaign Strategies primarily works with issue advocacy nonprofits, Ben was one of the first members of Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s original congressional campaign, continuing to run her email fundraising, right along with the email campaigns of leading progressive organizations fighting for economic, environmental, racial, and social justice.
A pioneer in digital engagement and distributed organizing, Charles spent over 15 years leading Democracy for America as Political Director, Executive Director and Chair, in addition to 2 years leading the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ foundation, Progressive Congress (now, the Progressive Caucus Center) in Washington.
His passion for mobilizing progressives online has raised millions of donations, voter contacts, and online actions resulting in electing over 1,000 progressive candidates at all levels of office nationwide and advancing critical progressive policy on income inequality, racial justice, healthcare and climate change.
Charles has built a vast personal network that includes grassroots activists, progressive organizations, elected leaders, and political celebrities both in D.C. and across the country. He is committed to leveraging his experience, connections, and personal leadership for our clients every day.
Since 2008, Mara Schechter has won campaigns for a wide range of progressive causes from local to international.
Through designing and implementing strategic advocacy campaigns, Mara has changed regulations, corporate behavior, and public opinion. These victories have raised the profile of the organizations and campaigns she’s supported — and made people’s lives better.
Mara has successfully managed groups’ email list growth, built long-running coalitions, collaborated with hundreds of organizations, crafted communications and campaign plans, managed projects through complex processes with varied stakeholders, and produced compelling content for progressive media outlets, organizations, and electoral campaigns.
Based in Oakland, California, Mara enjoys exploring the local arts scene, playing Boggle, and hiking in the redwoods.
She has utilized digital platforms to fundraise over $150,000, increase email list size by 55,000+, and managed a field office that knocked on 121,600 doors with a 22% contact rate during the 2016 election. During the 2020 presidential election, she managed a micro-influencer program targeted towards young voters of color that had a reach of 944,000 people with 1,117,396 impressions.
Through her work she has led campaigns that have elected pro-choice champions to statewide and federal offices, stopped the expansion of surveillance technology in Black communities, and gone after enablers of white supremacist groups.
Mary is a former Democracy and Movement Building Fellow with the Western States Center. She is also a former board member and grassroots organizer for the Texas Equal Access Fund and a former board member of the Abortion Fund of Ohio.
