Dear,

Irene Kao here, executive director of Courage California.

A lot has happened this year, but what I will always remember about 2020 is the way Courage members like you showed up to take a stand against white supremacy, corruption, and misinformation. You showed up in the streets, on Zooms, and with your ballots to fight for equity, justice, and accountability. And you’ve inspired me, our team, and the world to keep the faith in each other and our shared vision: a California and a nation that represent and work for everyone.

I want to give you a small snapshot of what you accomplished this year:

42,050 of you engaged with our Your Power Is Your Vote online voter hub, contributing to historic voter turnout in California. In the general election, 80.7% of the over 22 million registered voters cast a ballot, a turnout rate we hadn't seen since 1976.

607,000 of you -- 1 in every 29 people who voted in California -- used our Courage Voter Guide in the general election, launching several of our endorsed candidates into office: Los Angeles Supervisor Holly Mitchell, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón, Los Angeles Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, and San Jose Assemblymember Alex Lee. In their first days in the 2020 legislative session, Assemblymember Jones-Sawyer introduced a bill to raise requirements for police officers, and Assemblymember Lee introduced a bill to ban corporate contributions to California candidates.

2,108 of you contributed $43,289 to publish an ad in the Los Angeles Times helping Black Lives Matter L.A. hold former Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey accountable, and, ultimately, electing Gascón to replace her. DA Gascón has already met with Black Lives Matter LA and rolled out a series of critical reforms, including ending most uses of cash bail, prioritizing resentencing for inmates serving excessive prison terms, and calling for a Use of Force Review Board.

13,608 of you took the pledge to #BlackOutBezos to demand better worker protections for Amazon employees, many of whom work in warehouses in the Central Valley and the Inland Empire, where there have been COVID-19 safety violations and outbreaks. California is now suing Amazon to force its compliance with an investigation into its COVID-19 violations.

2,000 of you signed a petition to Governor Newsom with the National Union of Healthcare Workers to advocate for more PPE for frontline workers in our health-care system. Doctors, nurses, and other frontline workers are now receiving the first COVID vaccinations.

We proved in 2020 that we will not be defined by the pandemic or Trump or white supremacy. We are instead defined by how we acted and who we fought for, and that is what makes me proud to lead Courage California. You give me hope for what 2021 will bring and what we can do to move California toward a representative democracy in the 2022 election.

We need your support now to get the next year started right and keep this work going. In early 2021, we’ll start a multiyear campaign to pass health care for all in California, launch our newest Courage Score, and convene partners around the state to coordinate 2022 election strategies. We’ve already raised $13,000 of our $50,000 end of year goal, and every dollar you contribute will be matched, doubling your impact.

Will you donate to help Courage California hit our year-end fundraising goal and fund our work for 2021? Your donation will be DOUBLED by a generous donor.

Don’t worry if you can’t contribute now. We know it’s been a hard year, and we will always value you as a member of Courage. We’re in this for the long haul, together.

Thank you for all you do as a Courage member. Keep showing up, engaging with our partners, and letting us know how we’re doing. Thank you for being an important source of hope, inspiration, and humanity for me in my first six months here, and in such a year.

Have a safe and joyous holiday season, and see you in the new year!

With gratitude,

Irene, on behalf of the entire Courage team