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Mind the Gap

Mind the Gap is an American liberal super PAC based in Palo Alto, California aligned with the Democratic Party. Its FEC Committee ID is C00683649.

History

Mind the Gap was founded in 2018 by Stanford Law School professors Barbara Fried, Paul Brest, and researcher Graham Gottlieb to help flip the United States House of Representatives in the 2018 election to the Democratic Party.1) 2)

In January 2020, Vox published an expose based on a leaked memo to prospective donors.3) The memo revealed that MTG recommended donors direct their funds to the Center for Voter Information (CVI), the Voter Participation Center and Everybody Votes, another name for a network of organizations surrounding the Voter Registration Project.4) 5)

Mind the Gap provided recommendations on which organizations to contribute donations to for a network of political donors that included her own son, Sam Bankman-Fried, the cryptocurrency entrepreneur and former owner of defunct crypto company, FTX.6)

Organization

Personnel

Name Position Affiliation(s)
Barbara Fried Co-founder and President Mother of Sam Bankman-Fried
Paul Brest Co-founder and Board Chair Former President of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Graham Gottlieb Co-founder, Executive Director and Treasurer United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Marissa McBride Chief Executive Officer -
Beth Benjamin Chief Operating Officer7) Medallia, Center for Leadership Development & Research, Booz Allen Hamilton, RAND Corporation, McKinsey & Company
Brian Derrick8) - -
Mitch Mathias - -
Sabir Muhammad - -
Patrick Ramjug - -
Josh Rosmarin - -
Natalie Wheeler - -
Bruce Ives Consultant -

Finances

2021-20229)
Total raised Total spent Contributions to federal candidates Contributions from individual donors of $200 or more
$3,926,663 $2,435,203 $0 $3,346,300
2019-202010)
$1,673,930 $1,498,729 $0 $1,598,438
2017-201811)
$323,168 $271,939 $0 $322,967

Donors

In addition to the below-listed donors, some reports list Dustin Moskovitz and Eric Schmidt as being backers of MTG.12)

2022 donors13)
Name Affiliation Amount
Benjamin Appen Magnitude Capital $10,000
Andrew Beck - $25,000
Steven Berger NYF Properties $10,000
Barry Boothe - $1,000
Paul Brest Stanford Law School $30,000
Kathleen Burke - $10,000
Steve Clearman Kinderhook Partners $100,000
Fran Codispoti - $20,000
David Cohan - $25,000
Simone Coze - $75,000
Anthony Crabb Puma Springs Vineyards $3,000
Cedomir Crnkovic D.E. Shaw & Co $50,000
Dennisk Debroeck - $500
Gino DiGregorio Accenture $5,000
Samuel Dyer - $7,500
Victoria Elenowitz Bespoke Global, Zero Carbon Partners $50,000
Paul Finkle - $1,000
Anne Frahn - $1,000
Sibyl Frankenburg University of Washington $50,000
Andrew Frey - $1,000
Martha Gabbert Room & Board $275,000
Adam Geballe Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center $1,000
Marc Granetz JPMorgan Chase $10,000
Barbara Grasseschi Puma Springs Vineyards $5,000
Robert Haddock - $2,000
Edward Hamburg - $1,000
Kelly Harcourt - $500
John Michael Hemmer - $10,000
George Hume Basic American Foods $50,000
Susie Hwang - $1,500
Mark Jacobstein Immunai $20,000
Karla Jurvetson - $1,000,000
Jonathan Kerlin - $10,000
Steven Kessel Amazon $50,000
Dorothy Largay - $100,000
Nicholas Levinson Park Piedmont Advisors $500
Stephen Levy Central California School of Continuing Education (CCSCE) $500
Warren Lieberfarb Lieberfarb & Associates $250
Amy Lorowitz International Preschools $5,000
Jeffrey Lotspiech - $1,000
Patrick Mahoney - $300
Noah Mark University of North Carolina Charlotte $5,000
Bonnie Matlock - $2,500
Carter McClelland Union Square Advisors $60,000
Ed McKinley - $25,000
Stephen Mendel - $5,000
Anne O'Connell Stanford Law School $500
Ashley Pease - $1,000
Ellen Perecman - $250
Benjamin Rahn ActBlue $10,000
Michele Ritter - $1,500
Richard Robbins Wareham Development $25,000
Anne Roberts - $1,000
Claudette Roehrig - $500
James Rubin Meridiam, United States Department of State $100,000
Monica Salusky - $2,500
Sarah Sands Costanoa Ventures $10,000
John Sanger Sanger & Olson $5,000
Greg Serrurier Redwood Grove Capital $25,000
Nancy Serrurier Redwood Grove Capital, Whitman College $50,000
Ruth Sherer - $500
Nishad Singh FTX $1,000,000
Eric Sippel - $10,000
Michael Spertus Amazon $1,000
Lionel Spiro Charrette $3,000
Patrick Stanton - $2,500
Dirk Vos - $1,000
2020 donors14)
Andrew Ach - $40,000
Gypsy Achong 2050 Partners $1,000
Lisa Acree National Park Service $2,500
Ben Appen Magnitude Capital $50,000
Judy Aptekar - $500
Scott Asen Asen & Co $10,000
Brandee Barker - $5,000
Andy Bartholomew Airbnb $500
Alec Bash - $800
Trey Beck - $10,000
Kathleen Bennett - $1,000
Steve Berger NYF Properties $2,500
Adam Berman Urban Adamah $2,500
Anthony Bernhardt University of California Berkeley $2,500
Leslie Bhutani - $1,000
Larry Birenbaum Cisco $10,000
Allen Blue DigiDems, LinkedIn $1,736
Barry Boothe Raymond James Financial $2,500
Adam Borchert Bain & Company $5,000
William Bowmer Lincoln International $500
Jill Braufman - $10,000
Peter Brest - $1,000
Janice Brody - $1,000
David Brown Penobscot Management $2,500
Shona Brown Google $50,000
Kathleen Burke Stupski Foundation $5,000
Barton Burstein Pace Able Foundation $34,000
Gerhard Casper Stanford University $5,000
Wayne Chang Tailwinds $5,000
Matthew Chanoff Center for Effective Global Action15) $5,000
Natalia Chefer D.E. Shaw & Co $2,500
Daniel Chun ABC Studios $1,500
Steven Clearman Kindhook Partners $50,000
Fran Codispoti - $10,000
David Cohen Minerva Advisors $1,000
Josh Cohen Apple $2,500
Katie Connor Newview Capital $5,000
Ronald Conway SV Angel $50,000
Valerie Cooke Elliott Management $5,000
Simone Coxe Sutter Hill Ventures, CalMatters $30,000
Anthony Crabb Puma Springs Vineyards $3,500
Cedomir Crnkovic Brightscope $15,000
Jill Day - $500
Bartley Deamer - $1,000
Dennis Debroeck - $500
DigiDems - $1,821
John Donahue Stanford Law School $1,000
Jean Driscoll University of San Francisco $10,000
Susan Dunn WePay $1,000
Betty Dyer - $750
Samuel Dyer Samuel Dyer Architect $1,000
Louis Eisenberg Deck $1,000
Debra Engel - $1,000
Judith Estrin JLABS $10,000
Bill Falik University of California $2,500
Deborah Farb Stirling Associates $5,000
Mark Farley - $10,000
Lynn Feintech Liberty Building Co. $2,500
James Feldman - $1,000
David Fischer Facebook $5,000
Eddie Fishman D.E. Shaw & Co $5,000
Robert Fitterman - $12,000
James Forman Yale University $250
Aaron Frank University of San Francisco $500
Andy Frey Mayer Brown $1,000
Susan Galen - $10,000
Adam Geballe Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center $1,000
Theodore Geballe Stanford University $2,500
Graham Gottlieb - $3,021
Marc Granetz JPMorgan Chase $2,500
Robert Grant - $1,000
Barbara Grasseschi Puma Springs Vineyards $2,500
George Grumbach - $10,000
Geoffrey Gund - $5,000
Robert Haddock - $1,000
Elaine Hahn - $5,000
Victoria Hall - $5,000
Elisa Harris - $1,000
Renata Hesse Sullivan & Cromwell $2,500
Benjamin Hienemann Harvard Law School $1,500
David Hitz NetApp $50,000
Jeff Horing Insight Partners $25,000
George Hume Basic American Foods $10,000
Leslie Hume Basic American Foods $5,000
Fred Ilfeld Jr. - $1,000
Brian Jacobs Moai Capital $2,500
Mark Jacobstein Qualcomm iSkoot $10,000
Meryl Katz Pangaea Trading $1,000
Roberta Katz - $500
Russell Katz DataPrompt $1,000
Derek Kaufman New York University $5,000
David Keller David & Anita Keller Foundation $1,000
Kenneth Kelley Stanford University $2,500
Julie Kennedy - $250
Jonathan Kerlin - $25,000
Ahmed Khaishgi SquareTrade $7,500
Karl Kramer - $1,000
Melissa Kraus Lime $1,000
Suzanne LaFetra Collier - $1,000
Laura Lauder Lauder Partners $10,000
Abby Leigh - $1,000
Frank Levinson Phoenix Ventures $12,500
Warren Lieberfarb Lieberfarb & Associates $5,000
Selina Lo Ruckus Networks $10,000
Amy Lorowitz International Preschools $1,500
Barbara Mack - $500
David Mahoney - $1,000
Josh Makower ExploraMed $5,000
Wendie Malick - $5,000
Sue Mandel Zoom Foundation $50,000
Noah Mark University of North Carolina Charlotte $1,500
Robert Marshall - $500
Michael Martin Fordham University Law School $2,000
Gina Maya Human Rights Watch $20,000
Carter McClelland Union Square Advisors $25,000
Edward McKinley - $10,000
Stephanie McKown - $2,500
Roger McNamee Elevation Partners $30,000
Vaughan Meyer Lions Gate Entertainment $250
Robert Miller Cooley $1,000
Robert Mnookin Harvard University $500
Jacqui Morby TA Associates $1,000
Sascha Mornell GetMyBoat $5,000
Maryanne Mott B Bar Ranch $10,000
MTG Research - $50,000
Frank Myers - $5,000
Andrew Noble Bain & Company $250
Brad O'Brien Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati $2,000
Anne O'Connell Stanford University $750
John O'Farrell AH Capital Management $5,000
Judith Obermayer - $5,000
Dominic Orr - $40,000
Mary Page Northwestern University $1,000
Geoffrey Parker Tricida $25,000
Jill Parker Planned Parenthood $25,000
Peter Parshall - $500
John Parsons - $500
Thomas Perkins Perkins Investment Management $5,000
Lisa Peschcke-Koedt Cisco $250
Amy Rao Integrated Archive Systems $7,000
Roy Richards Moore & Van Allen $500
Virginia Richards Moore & Van Allen $500
Gar Richlin - $5,000
Ryan Rikfin Google $2,500
David Ring Eureka Information Services Group $1,000
Lawrence Robbins Robbins, Russell, Englert, Orseck & Untereiner $10,000
Richard Robbins Wareham Development $10,000
Theresa Rollins - $2,000
Gregory Rosston Stanford University $250
Kevin Ryan AlleyCorp $25,000
Tom Sadler - $7,500
Monica Salusky - $1,000
Sheppard Salusky - $2,000
Kevin Salwen - $1,500
Sarah Sands Costanoa Ventures $5,000
John Sanger Sanger & Olson $5,000
Michael Santullo - $5,000
John Savage Growthpoint Technology Partners
Evan Schwartz Joremi Enterprises $10,000
Nancy Serrurier Dodge & Cox $50,000
Ruth Shaber - $10,000
David Shainok D.E. Shaw & Co $10,000
Connie Shanahan - $2,000
Ronnie Sharfman - $800
Ruth Sherer El Camino Hospital Mountain View $1,000
Russell Siegelman Stanford University, Global Innovation Fund $50,000
John Silberstein - $500
William Simon Stanford University $40,000
Richard Smallwood - $1,000
Graham Spencer Google Ventures (GV) $10,000
Mike Spertus Amazon $250
Lionel Spiro - $1,500
Emily Spitzer - $2,500
Patrick Stanton Clean Economy $5,000
Rob Stavis Bessemer Venture Partners $25,000
Isaac Stein - $1,000
Diane Steinberg Jefferies Financial Group $30,000
Lisa Stuart Sageview Capital $10,000
Garrett Swart Oracle $260
David Sze Greylock Partners $10,000
Terri Tachovsky - $4,000
Sandra Thompson - $10,000
Robert Trahan Prosper Bakery $10,000
Beth van Schaack Stanford Law School $1,000
Christopher Vargas Emerging Cities $10,000
Mike Vernal Sequoia Capital $500
Mara Wallace KLA $10,000
Diana Walsh University of North Carolina $50,000
Lowell Weiss Cascade Philanthropy Advisors $250
Katie Weitz Weitz Family Foundation $1,000
Cheryl Westmont Gardenscapes $1,000
Ruth Wilson - $1,000
Michael Woo California State Polytechnic University Pomona
Phyllis Yale Bain & Company $1,000
Sheila Young Young & Young $1,000
Merryl Zegar Zegar Family Foundation $10,000
Brianna Ziff Ziff Brothers Investments $25,000
2018 donors16)
Iris Brest Stanford Law School $25,000
Paul Brest Stanford Law School $25,000
Susie Tompkins Buell Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation $1,367
Ronald Conway SV Angel $50,000
Anne Deveraux-Mills - $100,000
Judith Estrin JLABS $20,000
Robert Fitterman - $1,000
Barbara Fried Stanford University $75,000
Graham Gottlieb - $5,600
Miles Rubin - $20,000

Expenditures

These people and organizations received money from Mind the Gap during the listed year.

2022 expenditures17)
Analyst Institute $45,150
Automatic Data Processing $348,500
Beth Benjamin $249,800
Bridgette Bruno $67,034
Deck Technologies $45,000
Graham Gottlieb $168,156
Mitch Mathias $106,444
Marissa McBride $285,572
Josh Rosmarin $187,323
Natalie Wheeler $59,327
2020 expenditures18)
Name Amount
Analyst Institute $65,850
Automatic Data Processing $339,778
Berger Hirschberg Strategies $32,052
Beth Benjamin $153,826
Grahanm Gottlieb $296,393
Hemenway & Barnes $50,746
Jill McCarthy $72,514
Hadar Sachs $89,390
Abigail Scully $26,610
Erica Slates $112,462
2018 expenditures19)
Analyst Institute $3,128
Automatic Data Processing $14,065
Barbara Fried $5,953
Beehive Research $21,000
Civis Analytics $90,000
Graham Gottlieb $99,224
Hemenway & Barnes $24,812
Max Wertheimer $7,000
Obitz $2,367
San Vincente Bungalows $2,286
1) , 12)
Schleifer, T. (2020, January 6). Inside the secretive Silicon Valley group that has funneled over $20 million to Democrats. Vox. https://archive.vn/iDkg9
2) , 4)
Fried, B., Brest, P., & Gottlieb, G. Overview of Mind the Gap. Capital Research Center. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://web.archive.org/web/20221208090124/https://capitalresearch.org/app/uploads/Mind-The-Gap-Internal-memo.pdf
3)
Schleifer, T. (2020, January 7). How Silicon Valley’s secretive donor group plans to beat Trump. Vox. https://archive.ph/2YGtC
6)
Yaffe-Bellany, D., Kelley, L., & Vogel, K. P. (2022, December 13). The Parents in the Middle of FTX’s Collapse. The New York Times. https://archive.ph/Pqr04
7)
Beth Benjamin. LinkedIn. Retrieved February 18, 2023, from https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-benjamin-a923b27/
8)
Mind the Gap, Inc. (2023). FEC Form 3X Report of Receipts and Disbursements. Federal Election Commission. https://web.archive.org/web/20230219014503/https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/853/202301319575288853/202301319575288853.pdf
10)
PAC Profile: Mind the Gap. (2021, April 1). OpenSecrets. https://archive.vn/aObOl
11)
PAC Profile: Mind the Gap. (2019, June 10). OpenSecrets. https://archive.vn/MfhSM
13)
Organizations Disclosing Donations to Mind the Gap, 2022. OpenSecrets. Retrieved December 23, 2022, from https://web.archive.org/web/20221223233215/https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/detail/2022?cmte=C00683649&tab=donors_all
14)
Organizations Disclosing Donations to Mind the Gap, 2020. OpenSecrets. Retrieved December 23, 2022, from https://web.archive.org/web/20221223085604/https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/detail/2020?cmte=C00683649&tab=donors_all
15)
Matt Chanoff. LinkedIn. Retrieved December 23, 2022, from https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-chanoff-3525076/
16)
Organizations Disclosing Donations to Mind the Gap, 2018. OpenSecrets. Retrieved December 22, 2022, from https://archive.vn/5FPCj
19)
Expenditures by Mind the Gap, 2018. (2022, November 17). OpenSecrets. https://archive.vn/QUkbS
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