Support our Tax Fairness Fellowship
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This week, the World Economic Forum in Davos kicks off again. Global elites will gather to discuss a wide range of issues, except their own tax avoidance and evasion.
2019 was the one and only time I attended the conference. For some reason, they never invited me back - was it something I said…? ;)
Ever since attending Davos, I’ve been thinking about what we can do in the campaign for Tax Fairness. The vast majority of people, from the left to the right, already support higher taxes for the superrich. But how do we make it happen? Clearly awareness alone is not enough.
I recently co-founded an organization – The School for Moral Ambition - that helps people to pivot their career and make a real difference. We like to see ourselves as the ‘Robin Hoods of Talent’: taking away the talent from the big corporations, and giving it to the most important causes of our time. (We’ve already started two fellowships in Europe to fight against climate change and Big Tobacco.)
Here’s our next plan: we’re exploring whether we can recruit a SWAT-team of 12 brilliant tax specialists, legal experts, policy wonks, communication specialists and investment managers to fight for Tax Fairness and a global billionaire’s tax. Last week, we received the feasibility study from our researchers (three fiscal specialists) about a possible Tax Fairness Fellowship.
Their conclusion? Yes, this could work. It will take a LOT of perseverance, and a long-term commitment, but it should be possible to make a substantial contribution. As Margaret Mead once said: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.’
Our main mission right now is to get this fellowship funded. I’m donating everything I earn from my forthcoming book Moral Ambition to The School for Moral Ambition, but we need more. *Every* dollar, euro, like and share counts. Going viral with a speech that ruffles the feathers of a few billionaires is nice, but building an effective lobbying effort to actually raise their taxes is far more impactful. So let's do this!
You can support us via this official Tax Fellowship GoFundMe. Thank you SO much for contributing, and don't hesitate to share this page with as many people as possible!
Dutchies who prefer to donate via iDEAL can do that here (we'll make sure to register your donation here as well, so that it counts towards our goal!)
Here's a bit more info about how the Fellowship would work:
Phase 1: Training (November 2025)
Fellows participate in an intensive training program to develop the knowledge and skills needed for their placements:
- Policy and Advocacy Expertise: Workshops on the tax code, international tax agreements, wealth redistribution initiatives, tax fairness programs, and effective lobbying strategies.
- Leadership Development: Training in coalition-building, strategic communication, and stakeholder engagement. Teambuilding, i.e. preparing fellows to spend years together to advance tax fairness.
- Community Building: Networking opportunities with thought leaders, policymakers, and advocates in the tax reform transition space.
Phase 2: Placement (December 2025 – July 2026)
Fellows are embedded in host organizations to contribute to high-impact projects, for example):
- Advocating for Policy Change: Accelerating promising initiatives like the campaign for an international billionaire’s tax.
- Building Cross-Sector Coalitions: Uniting stakeholders across the political aisle around bipartisan and popular progressive taxation efforts.
- Advancing Research and Development: Breaking down corporate barriers while fostering innovation and experimentation in progressive taxation models.
Strategic Placement:
- We pay stipends to our fellows, enabling them to work on mission-critical initiatives while reducing financial barriers.
- Host Organization Research: We will identify placements in NGOs, think tanks, and executive and legislative branches. Some of the fellows will take on placements abroad—such as at the OECD in Paris—reflecting the global nature of tax policy.
Phase 3: Career Development (Post-July 2026)
The fellowship culminates in a robust alumni network and continued mentorship to ensure lasting impact:
- Leadership Pathways: Ongoing support to help fellows transition into high-impact roles within the tax policy broader space.
- Alumni Community: Fellows become part of a network dedicated to implementing progressive tax reforms across the world.
- Playing the long game: Achieving meaningful progress in the fight for tax fairness demands unwavering perseverance. Our goal is to cultivate a dynamic social ecosystem of ambitious professionals who will dedicate significant portions of their careers to advancing tax fairness and creating lasting change.
Budget
The estimated budget for the US fellowship would be US $875K. Most of that money ($590k) would be for Fellow Stipends. Twelve fellows will receive approximately $4,500–$6000 per month (this is more or less the US median wage), ensuring financial security during their placements.
We estimate program operational costs at $235K (program manager defining & overseeing fellowship, media/marketing, legal consultations). The rest of the budget would be for the first training week in NYC and the second training week in Washington, DC.
We are currently crowdfunding $50k to further explore the potential of the fellowship and refine our pitch to prospective Founding Funders. This approach mirrors the successful strategy we used to finance our fellowships in Europe. In short: by donating right now you're helping us to unlock even more funding, to make this fellowship a reality.
Organizer
Rutger Bregman
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY