Just before President Obama’s second inauguration, his campaign committee, Obama for America, transformed virtually overnight into Organizing for Action (OFA), a nonprofit "social welfare organization" that, under Section 501(c)(4) of the tax code, is exempt from federal income tax. Launched inaugural weekend to "support the president in creating jobs and growing the economy from the middle out, and in fighting for issues like immigration reform, climate change, balanced deficit reduction and reducing gun violence," the stated mission of OFA was to translate the president’s re-election victory into policy victories in his second term.
OFA was instantly a powerful force to advance the president’s agenda, with assets of 2 million campaign volunteers, 17 million email addresses and approximately 27 million Twitter followers at its disposal. OFA also has the political expertise and fundraising muscle of some of the president’s leading political advisers and campaign operatives, including, as its chairman, Jim Messina, the campaign manager of Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.
