Andrew Yang Steps into the Non-Profit World

Andrew Yang addresses a rally of 5,000 supporters in MacArthur Park during his 2020 presidential bid, Monday, Sept. 30, 2019. Los Angeles, Calif. Yang has since announced the foundation of his non-profit. (Kiran Baez / The Corsair)

Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang made an appearance on the daytime television show “The View” on March 5 where he announced the launch of his non-profit, Humanity Forward, that wants to build a "Human Centered Movement." Endorsing political candidates who share the same platforms as Yang, such as Universal Basic Income (UBI) and data privacy protection, lay the foundation for this movement. The non-profit has already secured $3 million for these projects and issues important to Yang and those who join Humanity Forward.

Yang’s version of UBI, which he calls the Freedom Dividend, proposes that $1,000 is given to American citizens over the age of 18, every month in order to take the stress off of American workers being replaced by automation and technological advances. UBI would provide a “basic income” for necessities as those workers seek out other opportunities to support themselves and their families. This is a platform Yang stood on during his campaign and still does with this non-profit.

Through Humanity Forward’s site you can donate to help the “grassroots campaign in the months ahead,” as Yang seeks out recipients to begin the UBI movement. Humanity Forward has already received celebrity endorsements, including Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian Sr. and comedian Dave Chappelle.

Yang has stated that he will be choosing an early donor to be a recipient of the UBI trial for one year, in which they will receive $1,000 every month for twelve months. Yang hopes to expand this, as Humanity Forward pledged to donate half a million dollars in UBI to an unnamed city in New York. 

Another issue Humanity Forward is working to tackle is data privacy protection, with an aim to “empower Americans to retake control of their data and get compensated for its use by big tech companies.” Yang believes our data is our property and it is our right to protect it and decide how it is used.

Humanity Forward also strives to appeal to the younger generation and people who are economically marginalized in order to activate new voters through endorsing candidates as well as starting a podcast in the near future.

The non-profit Humanity Forward is not meant to be confused with the Super Political Action Committee (PAC)*, the “Humanity Forward Fund,” that was initially launched in July 2019. Although Yang accepted the backing of the Humanity Forward Fund, Yang’s campaign site has promised if he were to become president, he would “Eliminate super PACs and vessels for corporate intervention in campaigns.” Regardless of Yang's stance on Super PAC's, the non-profit Humanity Forward is its own entity as it has been met with a great amount of support.

Yang will not only implement change through his own non-profits hands', but hopes to do so with plans to run for Mayor of New York City. As Yang declared during his presidential drop out in New Hampshire, “This is a beginning…this is         just the starting line…”

*A Super PAC is a political action committee that can raise funds anywhere from individuals to big corporations, without any legal cap on how much they can accept, and spend that money for a campaign or candidate. Super PAC’s are required by the Federal Election Commission to report their donors.