Holiday Giving Edition

Rage isn’t action, and despair isn’t an option.

Hi everyone, I hope you’re taking some time to enjoy the holiday season. We’ve got a rough road ahead, so please do whatever you need to rest and get ready. I’m going to watch my favorite movie, Elf, and spend time with my family and dear friends. Then, I’m going to get back to fighting!

Here’s my favorite Bette Davis line to help get you ready:

Watch it here.

We’re going to need to be smart, strategic, and resilient in the coming years. But first, take a deep breath.

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Things You Can Do Today

1. Sign my petition supporting Ben Wikler for chair of the DNC.

Sign the petition here.

There are 435 people who will elect the next chair of the Democratic Party. But we are the people who do the work—carrying petitions, donating, canvassing, and voting. We cannot be left out of this critical decision.

The other candidates (all white men, hmmmm) all follow the same old big-dollar/big-data model of politics that failed miserably this year. That’s not a pathway forward to building power from the ground up or organizing year-round in every county in the country.

Here’s what Wikler said when he threw his hat in the ring:

“We need a communications and organizing infrastructure that runs year-round, not just the final stretch, every four years. We need to take fighting at every level of the ballot seriously, because all of them can affect the final outcome, balance of power, and the ability of Democrats to deliver for working people.”

Please sign and share the petition!

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2. Support Women & Girls

Part of the reason we are where we are regarding reproductive rights is the abysmal historic underinvestment in efforts that support women and girls.

I don’t often reference my day job as President of Every.org in this newsletter, but we are hosting an amazing campaign that I think you will want to support.

On Tuesday, we launched Melinda Gates’ $1M match campaign. Melinda is matching donations to two amazing, small organizations that are having a huge impact:

• Vote Mama Foundation:
  Vote Mama supports moms of young children running for office. For instance, they’ve fought and won the right for candidates to use campaign funds for childcare.

  We need a LOT more moms in office to support policies like affordable childcare, universal pre-K, and support for small businesses (women are the majority of small business owners). Plus, we just need more women who understand what it’s like to be working moms—essentially doing two full-time jobs with never enough time in the day.

• The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers:
  This organization provides support and advocacy for the amazing work caregivers do. Nearly every person has been touched by a caregiver—these incredible individuals provide healthcare, emotional support, and love to people in need.

Please go to https://www.every.org/pivotal and donate to one or both of these organizations to help them get the most out of Melinda’s match campaign.

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Holiday Season Giving

In addition to my favorite causes, Plan C (always!) and ineedana, here are two amazing organizations that you can support today:

• The Online Abortion Resource Squad (OARS):
  OARS trains volunteers to provide information and support on the abortion subreddit. Visit the abortion subreddit.

  This is a space on Reddit specifically created to answer questions and provide information on services for people seeking abortion help. It is also a safe space for people to discuss their pregnancy, post-partum, and abortion experiences.

  As we face a landscape where extreme anti-democratic lawmakers in states like Idaho are trying to ban information about abortion, efforts like OARS must be available at all times.

• Abortion Bridge Collaborative Fund (ABC):
  ABC, housed at the Women Donors Network, provides fast, bridge funding for abortion efforts. It’s exactly the opposite of most philanthropic efforts, which tend to move at the speed of a snail made of molasses. The ABC fund is laser-focused on grassroots efforts and infrastructure building to ensure abortion access for everyone, everywhere.

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Wishing You Strength and Resilience

I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season. And I wish all of us ongoing strength and resilience to keep fighting for justice.