Momentum Rising is a women-led 501(c)4 civic organization founded to do what spontaneous organizing cannot: build durable infrastructure, train professional organizers, and deploy skilled civic leaders where they are needed most.
Momentum Rising equips women and civic leaders with the tools, training, and coalitions to defend rights, strengthen the republic, and serve their communities with purpose and integrity.
Momentum Rising grew out of a recognition that the civic energy surging across the country — real, powerful, and urgent — was not being channeled into the structures that produce lasting change. People were showing up. But showing up without training, without coordination, without infrastructure does not defend democracy. It exhausts people and then dissipates.
Founded by Karen and Catherine Hinks, Momentum Rising was built to be something different: not a protest organization, not a petition platform, not another newsletter. An organizing infrastructure — staffed by experienced professional women, designed to train civic leaders, and built to operate at the intersection of grassroots energy and institutional strategy.
Momentum Rising grew from its predecessor, Welead OC PAC, and was incorporated as a 501(c)4 civic organization to give it the full range of tools needed to do this work: voter rights advocacy, election integrity programs, civic leadership training, and the coalition building that makes all of it sustainable.
"The civic energy is real. What it needs is not more outrage — it needs organization, training, and somewhere to go. That is what Momentum Rising is for."
Karen brings deep experience in progressive organizing, institutional analysis, and civic infrastructure building. She founded Momentum Rising out of the conviction that durable civic power requires professional organizing — not volunteer burnout — and that women with experience must be at the center of the work, not the margins.
Her background spans coalition building, voter rights advocacy, and the strategic development of organizations built to outlast a single election cycle. She is based in the Washington DC/DMV area.
Catherine Hinks co-founded Momentum Rising alongside Karen, bringing organizational acumen and a shared commitment to building civic infrastructure that serves women and communities with integrity.
Together, Karen and Catherine bring the founding conviction that sustained civic change requires sustained organizational investment — and that the women who have been doing this work for decades deserve an organization built around their expertise, not despite it.
Momentum Rising is built on a premise that distinguishes us from most civic organizations: professional organizing requires professional organizers. We employ experienced women as paid staff — not because we can't recruit volunteers, but because we believe the work is too important to be done any other way.
Experienced organizers bring institutional knowledge, established relationships, and hard-won skills that volunteer rotations cannot sustain. We invest in people who can do this work for years, not months.
Volunteer-driven organizations collapse between election cycles. Momentum Rising is designed to operate year-round — building infrastructure, training leaders, and maintaining coalitions when the urgency isn't in the headlines.
Unpaid civic work is a privilege. When we pay organizers, we expand who can do this work — beyond those with spouses who support them, savings that cushion them, or jobs that flex around them.
Paid professional staff signal organizational seriousness to coalition partners, legal allies, and major funders. We are building an institution, not running a campaign.
Momentum Rising is governed by a Board of Directors authorized under our DC Articles of Incorporation, with provisions for board members to serve as compensated staff — reflecting our commitment to valuing the expertise of every person who leads this organization.
We are actively building our team. Momentum Rising is seeking experienced women organizers, civic leaders, legal advisors, and coalition partners who share our commitment to building durable civic infrastructure. If you believe in paid professional organizing and want to help lead this work — we want to hear from you.