Lucas,
Hi there!
After I made The Story of Stuff, I got a lot of invitations to join the boards of various progressive organizations.
As a parent — who travels to Boston and Bozeman, to Australia and Brunei, meeting everyday citizens and activists who have been touched by the Story Of Stuff Project — I had to turn down most of those invitations since they would have meant time away from my kid, even though I would have been honored to contribute in that way to some truly wonderful groups.
But when Robert Weissman asked me to serve on Public Citizen's Board of Directors, I just couldn't say no.
Public Citizen does so much good work — and is so effective at rooting out and fighting all the ways corporate power makes life more difficult and less healthy for the world's people — that I wanted to pitch in any way I could.
I'm proud to serve on the board of this outstandingly vital, one-of-a-kind organization.
I'm proud to have worked with Robert and the rest of Public Citizen's dedicated and talented staff on The Story of Citizens United v. FEC — which launched Season Two of the Story of Stuff Project in 2011 and has been viewed by well over half a million people who wanted to learn more about the history behind that travesty of a Supreme Court decision.
And I'm proud to help — along with hundreds of thousands of members and activists like you — build on the incredible work that Public Citizen has been doing for 42 years and counting.
I'll be in D.C. later this week for Public Citizen's semi-annual board meeting.
I and the other directors, along with Robert, will be mapping out Public Citizen's campaigns and programs for the next six months.
There always seems to be more we want to do than we can afford to take on.
But if we know that we can count on your support, then we can commit to forging ahead fearlessly on critical, can't-wait work.
So I'm asking you to join me in supporting Public Citizen with a generous donation today.
The board meeting is this Friday. I need to know you're with me when I sit down at the table with the other directors.
The more you give right now, the more ambitious we can authorize Robert and his staff to be over the summer and into the fall as they continue making progress on essential projects.
Like our Democracy Is For People campaign to overturn Citizens United.
Like our resistance to "too big to jail" and other preposterous-ness perpetrated by Wall Street.
Like the life-and-death struggle to avert climate catastrophe.
Like our righteous and unwavering push for single-payer, Medicare-for-all health care.
And everything else Public Citizen does to keep the needs of real people from being trampled by the corporate stampede to profits, profits and more profits.
Please contribute as much as you can right now.
Maybe you can give $5, or $50, or even $500.
Donate whatever feels right to you to share in all the work we're doing together.
Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
Annie Leonard
Author and Host, The Story of Stuff
P.S. If you donate $40 or more, I'll send you a DVD of The Story of Citizens United v. FEC as my thanks! Give now. Thank you.