2028 PresidentialTue, Nov 7, 2028
790Days
2026 MidtermsTue, Nov 3, 2026
55Days
PRIORITY BIG IDEA

Consultant Class: TRUST

A transparent trusted-provider marketplace for the progressive ecosystem — the Democracy Directory plus TRUST Certification. Already more than halfway built.

WE ARE SEEKING~$1.25M / yrIllustrative · scalable · recurring — not a fixed ask or ceiling

We have built collaborative infrastructure for communications, for donors, for data and for issues. But we have never built collaborative infrastructure for people. GAIN Power exists to fill that gap.

— THE CASE FOR GAIN POWER · gainpower.org

THE CASE

The Case for Consultant Class: TRUST

Billions flow through political consulting, yet the progressive marketplace lacks a comprehensive, trusted place to find, understand, compare, research, and connect with firms and providers.

Consultant Class: TRUST is a transparent trusted-provider marketplace with professional standards and accountability — not merely a directory. The Democracy Directory is already more than halfway built, with 2,200+ firms in the network and CRM, and will soft-launch before November 2026 with or without new funding.

Funding is therefore for acceleration, scale, staffing, data verification, the RFP Exchange, standards, independent governance, certification, verified feedback, training, and the learning lab — not permission to begin.

TRUST is rooted in the Democratic and progressive ecosystem while remaining neutral about which participating firm a client selects.

2,200+
Firms in Network / CRM
2,291
Consultant & Vendor Employers
50%+
Democracy Directory Built
Pre-Nov 2026
Soft-Launch Window

Transparency, ethics, equity, and accountability for the consulting economy — rooted in the progressive ecosystem.

WHAT IT FUNDS

Investment Breakdown

Staffing & Benefits
Delivery capacity embedded across the initiative
$581K
Technology
Directory, CRM, RFP Exchange, and verification tooling
$220K
Programs & Operations
Standards, governance, certification, and learning lab
$450K
Total (illustrative)
Scalable and recurring — not a fixed ask or ceiling
~$1.25M
PHASED PLAN

Build in phases

2026–27

Standards & community

Democracy Directory, Substack, Slack, and RFP Exchange; claimable profiles and public endorsements — with no negative reviews initially.

2027–28

Verified reviews & certification

Pilot with 100+ consultants, 25–50 firms, and 50–100 campaigns and organizations. Publish a State of Political Consulting Report.

2028+

Scale

Scale toward 500+ certified consultants — standards, governance, and verified feedback operating at ecosystem scale.

INDEPENDENT GOVERNANCE
40%
Consultants
30%
Client organizations
20%
Independent experts
10%
Funders

TRUST is rooted in the Democratic and progressive ecosystem while remaining neutral about which participating firm a client selects.

NAMING
Initiative:Consultant Class: TRUST
Product:Democracy Directory
Credential:TRUST Certification
HOW TO SUPPORT

Give to Consultant Class: TRUST

GAIN Power LLC

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