The PMOI/MEK’s 30th “Ham-yari” campaign raised $7.5 million in four days through voluntary contributions from a broad, transnational network of supporters (including large and small donors both inside and outside Iran), illustrating an endogenous financing model rooted in sustained political commitment rather than external investment. 

This grassroots structure is contrasted with media and political projects reliant on major foreign or regional funding (such as the closed Manoto network, Iran International, and efforts associated with Reza Pahlavi), which the article argues are more vulnerable to financial, structural and geopolitical disruptions. 

Organizational resilience is attributed to shared experiences of repression, intergenerational loyalty, transparent campaign management and the ability to rapidly replenish resources after setbacks, positioning committed popular participation as the true long-term capital of a political movement.

Introduction: The Clash of Two Organizational Models in Iran’s Political Landscape

Recent developments in Iran’s political landscape have made increasingly visible the divide between two fundamentally different models of organization, financing, and social mobilization. On the one hand, the 30th edition of the “Ham-yari” fundraising campaign for Simay-e Azadi(IranNTV) succeeded in raising $7.5 million from supporters around the world in just four days. On the other hand, media and political models dependent on large-scale investment and external financial resources have faced challenges concerning sustainability, autonomy, and the preservation of a durable social base. The closure of the Manoto television network offers a particularly instructive example of the vulnerability of media organizations lacking a sustained grassroots financial base when confronted with financial and structural difficulties.

Within this broader context, media outlets such as Iran International and political currents reliant on major international and regional financial backers—including the political project associated with Reza Pahlavi—represent another manifestation of this model. By contrast, the Ham-yari campaign is based on the continuous and voluntary participation of a transnational network of supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), both inside and outside the country.

This difference can be examined through the conceptual distinction between “endogenous commitment” and “external investment.” The former rests on the sustained participation of an organization’s supporters, while the latter........

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