June 2021
THE EVIL GENIE DID NOT GET PUT BACK IN THE BOTTLE
Thank you for being a believer in the power of bottom up work to change this country. Your generosity helped our Airlift groups turn non-voters into voters to win a squeaker in November and another one in January. There have been many victories, but the battle has entered a new and equally dangerous phase. This issue of The DROP highlights how our new portfolio is meeting the challenge. This is a call to action.
The GOP has launched an all-out war on democracy. McConnell and his Senate minions filibustered the commission to investigate the January 6 assault on the Capitol, and are tripling down on obstruction. Gerrymandering is alive and well. Trump’s Big Lie has metastasized into a full-blown campaign of voter suppression. This fight needs to come from the people. This is why Airlift is so important now. These are the groups that local voters know and trust.
Our groups know how to fight. Airlift’s partners fight all year long for issues local people care about. They are filing lawsuits, lobbying state legislators, pressuring corporations, exposing the lies. And fighting to pass Senate Bill 1 – The For the People Act – a massive federal voting rights bill approved by the House and currently stuck in the U.S. Senate. Airlift groups have the leaders, the programs and the track record to break the logjam that threatens our democracy. But they need our support.
AIRLIFT'S NEW MAP FOR 2021-22
A strategic approach to giving. This is Airlift's third electoral cycle. Early on in each cycle we look at key races in battleground states, consult with our national and in-state advisors, and identify the strongest groups. In 2022 our groups will play a key role in flipping or defending 13 House seats and 7 Senate seats. Plus flipping governorships in Florida, Georgia and Arizona.
Check out Airlift’s website to learn more about all of our groups.
A special welcome to Dream Defenders, Airlift's new Florida group. Perhaps you’ve heard about how Governor Ron DeSantis proudly signed a new Florida law cracking down on the right to protest. Dream Defenders, our newest group, immediately called him out and filed suit. Organizing Black and Brown youth to build power across the state, Dream Defenders is Florida’s true Power and Light. Their agenda, the Freedom Papers, advances a vision of safety and security away from prisons, deportation, and war and toward healthcare, housing, and jobs. Dream Defenders, with 10 chapters and 27 full-time organizers, has a strong leadership team that’s been together since occupying the Florida statehouse for a month after the trial of George Zimmerman. With your support, Dream Defenders is well-positioned to become a real powerhouse for progressive change.
SPOTLIGHT:
Airlift’s Groups in Texas and Arizona
fight voter suppression
MOVE Texas stares down egregious voting bill. The defeat of the Texas voter suppression bill on May 30th did not happen on its own. Due to the relentless organizing work of MOVE Texas and their allies, Democrats walked off the floor of the Texas House to break quorum just prior to the deadline for voting on the most egregious attack on voting rights in Texas history. The walk-off was led by Black, Brown and Asian-American legislators who represent the communities at the heart of our strategy. MOVE Texas was ready for the fight.
LUCHA wins battle against driver’s license numbers on absentee ballots. Eighty percent of Arizonans vote by mail. A bill in the Arizona Senate would have required absentee voters to add social security and driver's license numbers to their ballots, making voting harder and potentially compromising voters’ personal information. LUCHA led the fight against this with a massive lobbying effort at the State Capitol--part of a long-term effort to win over susceptible Republicans. This bill died when two Republicans crossed the aisle to vote against it.
Arizona group sends 300 canvassers to Georgia. CASE (Central Arizonans for a Sustainable Economy) managed the only full-scale, Covid-safe canvassing program used by Democrats in 2020. Knocking on 800,000+ doors, their efforts were instrumental in putting Arizona in Biden’s column, as well as electing Mark Kelly to the U.S. Senate. Then they offered up another miracle, sending 300 Spanish-speaking canvassers to Georgia to turn out the vote for Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. Back in their home state, CASE is fighting Arizona’s voter suppression effort and amping up the pressure on Sinema.
Check out Airlift’s most recent Deep Dive #6 featuring CASE.
THE POWER OF YOUR GIVING
Airlift groups are on the ground where it counts right now. But they can’t do it alone. We find the authentic, fiercely independent groups that are playing the long game. And your Airlift contributions fund their organizing (over 100,000 hours to date!) in off years when they build power, and in election years, when they get record numbers of people to vote. This year-round work needs year-round dollars. This is why we ask you to become a sustaining donor.
THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO GIVE TO AIRLIFT
Use your checking account's auto bill pay function to make monthly donations. This is the most effective way to donate. It gives us the flexibility to target money where it does the most good. Your donations are completely private, you avoid credit card processing fees, and you can easily make changes. Set up your automatic payments for Airlift, PO Box 617, Corte Madera, CA 94976.
Become a recurring donor on ActBlue: it's fast, effective, and easy to share on social media. You can split your donation equally among all our groups, or customize it. There is a 4% fee to cover credit card processing and support ActBlue's work. Here's the place to go.
Make tax-deductible contributions. Get money to our groups through your Donor Advised Fund or Qualified Charitable Donations from your IRA. Ask at info@airlift.fund.
Write a check to Airlift and send it to PO Box 617, Corte Madera, CA 94976.
Want to do more? Or not able to give money right now? Airlift is looking for supporters to introduce friends and colleagues to our portfolio. Chances are people in your network are as worried as you are about the GOP's assault on democracy. Volunteer for the Airlift team. We can particularly use people who are tech savvy, but whatever your skills, please let us know by emailing us at:
