John,

When Paul Wellstone first ran for the Senate, he was a college professor with big ideas and a beat-up bus running against a powerful, well-funded incumbent. He was a long-shot candidate. But he won because he had a team of fantastic organizers who engaged their friends, neighbors, and communities in every corner of the state.

With so much at stake up and down the ballot next year, it’s never been more important for us to heed the lessons Senator Wellstone taught us.
That’s why, seven months ago, we launched the Wellstone Academy – a brand new program to train the next generation of organizers who will keep Minnesota blue in 2024 and beyond.

Our 30 Wellstone Academy fellows started their training learning core organizing skills, from recruiting volunteers to launching door knocks. They dove deep into our data and tech tools. And they spent weeks with top trainers from around the country to deepen their leadership and management skills.

I couldn’t be more proud to lead this first-of-its-kind program. I believe it will make the critical difference in next year’s elections, which is why I’m reaching out this morning.

Our fundraising team just let me know that we’re trailing significantly behind our budget targets for September. If we don’t raise $7,000 by tomorrow night, we’ll be forced to re-think our upcoming curriculum.

John, our Wellstone Academy fellows are approaching the final and most critical stage of their training. It would be devastating to come this far and not finish what we started.

As one of our most reliable supporters, I’m asking you to pitch in any amount you can this morning so we can keep the Wellstone Academy running at full capacity. Your support right now is critical.

Thank you, 

Alyse Maye Quade
Wellstone Academy Co-Director
Minnesota DFL