Across the country, communities are grappling with rising costs, economic uncertainty, and growing questions about whether government can deliver for ordinary people. Too often, a small number of wealthy interests shape the decisions that affect our lives, making it harder to build an economy and democracy that works for everyone. Increasingly, Americans are recognizing this imbalance. Recent polling found that 53% of Americans believe billionaires threaten American democracy, while Pew Research continues to find that the role of money in politics ranks the public’s top concerns, with nearly three quarters of Americans saying it is a very big problem facing the country. This reflects growing concern concentrated wealth is distorting our political system and must be addressed.

This moment demands more than any single campaign or organization can provide. It requires stronger connections across the field by bringing together organizers, policy advocates, researchers, communicators, and funders to learn from one another, coordinate strategies, and seize opportunities as they emerge.

That is why Piper Fund convened nearly 80 leaders from 25 states in Philadelphia this June for People Over Billionaires: Building Power That Wins. The gathering reflected our growing commitment to strengthening not only individual organizations, but also the broader movement working to curb the influence of big money and build a more responsive democracy.

Why Building the Field Matters More Than Ever

Throughout the day, participants shared candid lessons from campaigns across the country, from Seattle’s Democracy Voucher program to legislative victories in Hawaiʻi, ballot initiatives in Michigan, California, and Montana, coalition building in North Carolina, popular education efforts exposing the toxic influence of billionaires in Pennsylvania’s local politics, and organizing campaigns connecting money in politics to housing, utility costs, and corporate accountability.

While every state faced different political realities, several themes emerged again and again.

• This is a moment to think bigger. Public frustration with a political system that favors the wealthy is creating new opportunities to connect money in politics to people’s everyday concerns: from rising housing costs to utility bills and corporate influence. The challenge is to meet that moment with solutions that build power, not cynicism.
• Long-term change requires multiple strategies working together. No single reform or organization can counter the scale of concentrated wealth in our politics. Progress depends on policy advocacy, organizing, communications, accountability campaigns, litigation, and research reinforcing one another while building and advancing a shared long-term vision for structural reform.
• Power is built through people and relationships. Winning campaigns don’t begin when legislation is introduced or signatures are collected. They are built over years of trust, coalition building, leadership development, and shared learning. Convenings like this help organizations exchange ideas, strengthen relationships, and respond faster when opportunities arise.
• Narrative is essential to building power. Participants spent significant time discussing how we communicate about money in politics. The conversation went beyond messaging and focused on the long-term narratives that shape how people understand power, corruption, and democracy. Rather than asking people to care about campaign finance as an abstract policy issue, successful narratives begin with people’s lived experiences, connect those experiences to who holds power, and show that ordinary people can create change together.

The challenge before us is to meet this moment. The urgency of this moment is clear. The influence of concentrated wealth on our democracy is growing, but so is the opportunity to build a broader movement capable of responding with public support at an all-time high. By investing in organizations, relationships, and shared strategies, we can help turn today’s frustration into lasting democratic change.

The Work Ahead

The challenges facing our democracy are evolving, and so must the movement working to meet them. The Philadelphia convening was not an endpoint; it was the next step in Piper Fund’s long-term commitment to strengthening the money in politics field.

We will continue investing in relationships, learning, and collaboration that help organizations achieve more together, by:

• Continued investment in state and local innovation. This includes supporting ongoing traditional efforts for reform such as public finance, ethics reform and transparency while pursuing broader strategies that reduce the influence of big money and build a more responsive democracy.
• The launch of our first Money in Politics Narrative Cohort, bringing together five organizations to develop, test, and share narratives that connect money in politics to people’s everyday lives while building hope, agency, and collective action.
• Expanding the research infrastructure the field needs. We are partnering with Public Agenda to support its Money in Politics Research Accelerator program, connecting researchers and practitioners to identify priority questions and produce actionable research that strengthens advocacy and reform efforts.
• Build stronger connections across the field, by continuing to convene organizers, researchers, communicators, advocates and funders. This includes supporting monthly Small Donor Finance calls, national Money in Politics Hub calls, research convenings and peer learning spaces.

That means investing both in the infrastructure that equips leaders with the tools they need to succeed and in the state-based strategies that translate those investments into meaningful reforms. We hope you’ll continue the conversation with us through our upcoming webinar series: