Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How can I donate to Three Point Five PAC to support their initiatives?
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You can contribute to Three Point Five online via this link: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/three-point-five-pac-1?refcode=websitefaq.
If you wish to donate by mail instead, please send a check to Three Point Five PAC, 312 Clay Street, Suite 300, Oakland, CA 94607. Contributions to Three Point Five are not tax-deductible.
How does Three Point Five PAC select the candidates and issues they support?
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There is a five-step process for candidate endorsements (you can read more on the Endorsements page):
Campaign completes online endorsement questionnaire
The Three Point Five endorsement committee reviews the application and conducts a background check
Three Point Five interviews the candidate in person or via video
The Three Point Five endorsement committee reaches consensus
The candidate is notified, the endorsement is announced to the Three Point Five community, and supporters are mobilized.
Issues are chosen by team consensus.
We apply a “hell yeah” standard: everyone on the team must be overwhelmingly enthusiastic about working on the race or issue, or we’ll pass.
What is Three Point Five PAC's mission, and how do they aim to achieve it?
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Three Point Five exists to close a structural gap in progressive politics. While national organizations compete for the same high-profile races, hundreds of down-ballot offices — the seats controlling energy policy, water rights, public land, and soil conservation — go uncontested or under-resourced. We're changing that.
We do it two ways. We build a multi-issue progressive email list that connects donors and advocates around interconnected issues: democracy, opportunity, safety, and accountability. That list is our engine.
We run a rigorous down-ballot endorsement program — identifying races with low turnout and high resource control, assessing candidate viability, and directing early money, messaging, and infrastructure to the candidates who need it most. For races at this level, that kind of investment doesn't just level the playing field. It shifts it entirely.
The two programs are built to work together. The list fuels the endorsements. The endorsements give the list a purpose.
We believe safety, prosperity, and freedom should be guaranteed for all people — and that the path there runs through elected offices most people aren't watching. Brick by brick.
Who are the leaders behind Three Point Five PAC, and what are their backgrounds?
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Three Point Five is led by Monique Teal, Rachel Colyer, and Amanda McKay.
Collectively, we have held roles at every level of political campaign, giving us firsthand knowledge of what it takes to win. Our work includes deploying Howard Dean’s 50-state strategy, flipping congressional seats from red to blue, developing the public pressure campaigns to win net neutrality and secure the Iran Nuclear Deal during the Obama era, leading unionization efforts in red states, fundraising millions of dollars to provide Tribal IDs, building funder bases to provide abortion care post-Roe, and more.
We get results by combining deep experience and expertise with strong relationships across the Democratic and progressive landscape. We don’t just assess candidate viability—we help create it. We don’t simply hope for a representative democracy—we help build it.
What does the '3.5 percent rule' mean in the context of Three Point Five PAC's strategy?
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The "3.5 percent rule," coined by researcher Erica Chenoweth, holds that nonviolent movements succeed when they reach a critical mass — just 3.5% of the population. That threshold isn't magic. It's momentum. When enough people show up and refuse to back down, those in power can no longer ignore or stop them.
That's the theory behind everything we do.
Our multi-issue email list is how we build that critical mass — connecting donors and advocates around the issues that are already linked, even when our politics treat them as separate. Democracy, opportunity, safety, and accountability. When people see those connections and act on them together, collective power compounds.
Our down-ballot endorsement program is where that power gets applied. The offices controlling energy policy, water rights, and soil conservation don't make national headlines — but they shape daily life. Small investments in low-turnout races move outcomes in ways that big-dollar, high-profile spending can't.
Protesting, donating, voting. Each one matters. Together, they're how ordinary people transform systems and institutions. Brick by brick.
What are effective strategies for building an inclusive democracy through digital fundraising?
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Inclusive democracy isn't just a goal — it's a series of choices, made every day. Every decision about how you raise money either opens the door wider or narrows it. Here's how we think about it.
Make giving accessible to everyone. Whether someone gives $3 once or $10 a month, their contribution moves the needle. Small-dollar donors aren't an afterthought — they're the whole point.
Build tools that work for everyone. Donation forms and emails should be compatible with screen readers and other assistive technologies. Communicate in imagery that reflects the communities you're fighting for.
Activate your network. Give supporters the tools to fundraise within their own circles. When people share a cause with someone they trust, that's how grassroots movements actually grow.
Show people where their money goes. We don't just send fundraising emails and go quiet. We keep our community updated on which races or causes you're investing in, why you chose them, and what changed because of it.
Protect your donors' data. Use secure, trusted payment platforms. People should never have to wonder whether their financial information is safe.
How do small-dollar donations impact local and state-level political campaigns?
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Broad participation in the electoral process is vital for democracy. Donating is a form of activism and an entry point for many Americans who want to show support for a candidate or cause but aren’t able to volunteer.
Small-dollar donations (typically under $200) significantly impact local and state elections by increasing participation and amplifying constituent voices. In lower-cost municipal races, these contributions can secure a win, while in larger races, they signal candidate viability and influence institutional support.