The Phoenix Project exposes right-wing money in local politics. We combine research and analysis to inform voters of the forces exerting undue influence on the electoral system.
Special interest groups are working tirelessly and spending lavishly to further their agenda, one that benefits wealthy individuals and large corporations at the expense of working San Franciscans. They hide behind feel-good names like GrowSF, the Abundance Network and Neighbors for a Better San Francisco, and use loopholes in campaign finance law and Internal Revenue Service regulations to mask their funding sources. To further enrich the already wealthy, they are willing to sacrifice government funding for essential services like public transportation and schools.
Our mascot is the Phoenix, an image emblazoned on San Francisco’s flag and a potent symbol of the city’s resilience. We believe San Francisco will not only survive this attack of moneyed special interests, it will be stronger for having overcome them.
The Phoenix Project has brought together individuals who care deeply about San Francisco.
Erin McElroy is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Washington. Erin’s work focuses on gentrification, technology, empire, and racial capitalism. They are co-founder of the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project and director of Landlord Tech Watch as well as the author of “Silicon Valley Imperialism: Techno Fantasies and Frictions in Postsocialist Times” and co-editor of “Counterpoints: A San Francisco Bay Area Atlas of Displacement and Resistance.”
Our advisors represent our city’s rich diversity of communities.
Tom Ammiano
Chris Arvin
Veena Dubal
Deepa Varma
Alex Lantsberg
Lincoln Mitchell
Otto Pippenger
Kyle Smeallie
Jamie Villoria
Brandon Harami
Our donors have demonstrated their belief in our work with financial contributions.
