March 20, 2025
As the 2025 Election Cycle begins, the NYC Matching Funds Program will play an important role in allowing New Yorkers to have their voices heard in our democracy. In the past few decades since its creation, the program has increased the power of small-dollar contributors and opened up new opportunities for people who may not have otherwise been able to run for city office including women, people of color, and young people.
How The Matching Funds Program Works
The NYC Matching Funds Program matches all contributions up to $250 at $8 to $1. When New Yorkers give to a campaign in the program, the person running for office receives the donation at 8 times the initial amount. So even a small contribution make a big impact.
If you give $10 to a local candidate running for a City Council seat, they receive $90 to fund their campaign – helping to cover the cost of expenses like paying staff, printing campaign literature, and website design.
Did you know: In the 2013 citywide elections, more than 90% of funds raised came from individual contributors, not political committees or unions. More than 2/3 of contributions were $175 or less.
Most candidates use the Program: In the 2021 primary elections, 94% of candidates participated in the Program. 84.6% of those candidates’s primary election contributions were “small contributions."
Your donation gives more candidates a chance to win.
How The Matching Funds Program in New York City Began
Former Mayor Ed Koch enacted the program in the 1980's as the country’s largest public matching funds program in order to curb the corrupting influence of big money in our local democracy and make it more equitable.
Did you know: The original NYC Matching Funds Program created in 1988 only provided candidates with matches of $1 to $1.
Similar programs have been created across the country to support democracy in other cities and states: A major program in Denver, Colorado matches contributions of $50 or less for candidates who agree to raise money in lower amounts and take contributions only from individuals and small contributor committees.
How Matching Funds Shapes NYC’s Democracy
Not only does the NYC Matching Funds Program get more New Yorkers involved in our elections, it also helps to make sure that candidates can rely on voters – not special interests – to fund their campaigns.
By increasing the power of small dollar contributions, it creates a strong incentive for candidates to finance their campaigns by engaging with average New Yorkers instead of seeking large contributions from special interests.
The NYC Matching Funds Program is also important in keeping candidates accountable to the people they serve. By providing more candidates with the ability to run competitive campaigns, the program ensures fewer incumbents get a “free pass” from voters.
Did you know: A study of the 2013 elections by the Center for Urban Research at the CUNY Graduate Center showed that city voters who contributed to a political campaign were three times more likely to vote in that election.
Matching Funds help all New Yorkers have an impact.
New Opportunities for Underrepresented Communities
New Yorkers from all backgrounds who want to serve their communities should have the opportunity to run for office and a real shot at getting elected. We know it takes a lot of resources – time, money, knowledge – to run for office. Historically, that has been a huge barrier for people from underrepresented communities who want to run, and made it so our elected officials didn’t often look like the average New Yorker.
The NYC Matching Funds Program allows New Yorkers from all backgrounds who want to serve their communities to have the opportunity to run for office and a real shot at getting elected.
It has opened up new opportunities for people who may not have otherwise been able to run for office – especially women, people of color, and young people. In fact, research shows that women and people of color rely on small contributors more often than their male or white counterparts.
With the support of the New York City Matching Funds Program, the City Council elected in 2021 was the most diverse in the city’s history, including the first-ever majority of women on the Council.
Did you know: People of color increased their representation on the council from 51 percent to 67 percent with the support of the NYC Matching Funds Program.
We know our democracy is stronger when everyone can participate. That's especially important in a city as diverse as this one.
Every New Yorker deserves to have a say.