Zohran Mamdani's allies launch new nonprofit, 'Our Time,' to capitalize on grassroots momentum of mayoral campaign.
More than 650 people joined a mass call for "Our Time," a newly formed 501c4 social welfare organization, in the first hour. The group aims to build support for Mamdani's policies and will launch a series of door-knocking campaigns starting with universal child care. Our Time plans to engage hundreds of volunteers across 17 neighborhoods and eventually lobby state lawmakers.
Jeremy Freeman, executive director of Our Time, emphasizes that the organization's mission is to continue growing the movement that began during the campaign. However, some watchdog groups are concerned about the potential for "pay-to-play" and suggest that Mamdani's allies should tread carefully. John Kaehny, executive director of Reinvent Albany, warned that even idealistic democratic socialist mayors can fall prey to pay-to-play.
Our Time aims to be more transparent than required by law, excluding donations from entities with business before the city and publishing donor names on their website. The group's structure has drawn comparisons to Organizing for America, which was criticized for weakening local Democratic Party organizations and failing to stop Republican gains at the state and local levels.
To recreate the kind of civic engagement that propelled Mamdani's campaign, Our Time plans to dispatch hundreds of volunteers for door-knocking campaigns and recruit 15,000 volunteers for trips to Albany. The group also aims to organize a week of action in January and a day of action in February with other organizations.
More than 650 people joined a mass call for "Our Time," a newly formed 501c4 social welfare organization, in the first hour. The group aims to build support for Mamdani's policies and will launch a series of door-knocking campaigns starting with universal child care. Our Time plans to engage hundreds of volunteers across 17 neighborhoods and eventually lobby state lawmakers.
Jeremy Freeman, executive director of Our Time, emphasizes that the organization's mission is to continue growing the movement that began during the campaign. However, some watchdog groups are concerned about the potential for "pay-to-play" and suggest that Mamdani's allies should tread carefully. John Kaehny, executive director of Reinvent Albany, warned that even idealistic democratic socialist mayors can fall prey to pay-to-play.
Our Time aims to be more transparent than required by law, excluding donations from entities with business before the city and publishing donor names on their website. The group's structure has drawn comparisons to Organizing for America, which was criticized for weakening local Democratic Party organizations and failing to stop Republican gains at the state and local levels.
To recreate the kind of civic engagement that propelled Mamdani's campaign, Our Time plans to dispatch hundreds of volunteers for door-knocking campaigns and recruit 15,000 volunteers for trips to Albany. The group also aims to organize a week of action in January and a day of action in February with other organizations.
, like they're trying to recreate the magic from Zohran's mayoral campaign! 650+ people joining in the first hour is crazy talk 
and i love that they're planning all these community events, like door-knocking campaigns and a week of action in Jan 
. it sounds like they're really committed to building support for Mamdani's policies and getting more ppl involved in the democratic process 
. i do hope they can stay true to their mission and not get too caught up in the fundraising game though 
, we need more transparency and accountability from orgs like this!
and yeah, I'm all for universal childcare, but let's not forget that this is just a PR stunt to keep the momentum going. 
. It's great that they're being transparent about their finances, which is a good step. I mean, who doesn't want to see where their donations are going? 
The door-knocking campaigns and volunteer recruitment efforts could really help build support for Mamdani's policies, especially on issues like universal child care. It's also smart that they're engaging with state lawmakers, because that's where the real power is, right? 
My only concern would be making sure that these organizations aren't getting too caught up in playing both sides and losing sight of what's really important – helping people, you know? 
. It’s cool that they’re planning some grassroots outreach efforts and are transparent about their donors 
. The door-knocking campaigns could be super effective in getting more people involved 
. My only concern would be that they don’t get too caught up in the excitement and forget to listen to other perspectives 
. But overall, I think it’s a great move to try and keep the momentum going and push for some progressive policies 
And 15,000 volunteers for trips to Albany? That's a lot of people getting mobilized! But how do they plan on keeping all those folks engaged and not just tokenizing them? 
so zohran's people r tryna capitalize on the grassroots momentum but idk if its all good... like yeah they wanna build support for his policies but at what cost? watchdog groups r warning about pay-to-play and it makes me skeptical tbh... and whats up with their structure drawing comparisons to OFA? doesnt sound too transparent to me 
. It sounds like they're doing a great job by being super transparent about their donors 
. Those door-knocking campaigns and volunteer recruitment efforts sound like a solid way to build community engagement 
. It's like, we don't want any of our politicians getting too cozy with big donors and losing sight of the people they're supposed to be serving. I get that 'Our Time' is trying to be transparent, but it's also true that some groups have been criticized for being a bit too slick and successful.
. Part of me wants to see them succeed and bring about some real change, but another part of me is like 'hold up, let's keep an eye on things'. Oh well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out 
But at the same time, some watchdog groups are raising concerns about pay-to-play and whether they're being too careful with their funding... it's like, you want to make sure they stay true to their cause but not get too caught up in the system, right? 
. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for universal child care and stuff, but if people are just gonna donate because they want to influence policy, then isn't that kinda the opposite of what democracy's supposed to be about? 
I guess I'll be watching this space closely...
. The fact that they're taking steps to avoid conflicts of interest is a big plus 
I mean, seriously though, if they can make it work without being too pay-to-play, it could be pretty cool to see more people getting involved in politics. But let's be real, the real question is whether these volunteers are gonna get their coffee funded by the city or not 
.
"Our Time"... seems like a legit move to keep the momentum going 
! I'm low-key excited about their door-knocking campaigns 
and volunteering plans 
. They're being pretty transparent too, publishing donor names online 
.
. And what's with all these "door-knocking campaigns"? Just gonna be some faceless volunteers knocking on doors trying to sell a politician's platform? It feels like more of the same old thing... where's the real engagement from ordinary people?