Dear John,

The novel coronavirus has taught its hosts many tough lessons in the course of its short, but brutal, time on the planet, but perhaps none more important than this: If we are to be safe and to thrive, during the remainder of this pandemic and into the future, we must not only deem the women and men who keep the global economy running “essential” workers, we must also respect them and treat them as essential, too. And yet, the question remains: Can we build a world, and an economy, that puts that lesson into practice – not for a day or a month, but for decades to come?

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage, many are looking beyond the current state of emergency and toward solutions that can lead to profound transformation in the lives of essential workers. And for those who have spent the last decade alongside farmworkers building the Fair Food Program, we look no further than the Worker-driven Social Responsibility (WSR) model as an essential blueprint for securing human rights in an uncertain future.

Over the past month, we have called on YOU to help expand and share the lessons of the Fair Food Program with workers in other industries. As always, the Fair Food Nation has stepped up to the plate: We are 90% of the way to reaching our end-of-year fundraising goal of $100,000. And today, we’re thrilled to announce that longtime friend and ally to the CIW Travis McConnell has committed to matching the next $10,000 in donations, dollar for dollar. Don’t miss your chance to have your first gift instantly doubled — make a contribution today!

I want my gift doubled

The WSR model is built on two key components: Empowering workers as frontline defenders of their own rights, and ensuring real, enforceable accountability for violations of its human rights standards. Those twin pillars of the model’s unique success are rooted in binding legal agreements with buyers that establish the transparency and market consequences necessary to make the standards real.

After a decade of successful implementation and a continuous process of evaluation and adaptation, we have established an unparalleled track record of ending longstanding abuses and addressing generational poverty in multiple industries and cultural contexts, proving, beyond any doubt, that WSR is indeed an effective and enduring vehicle for change.

The WSR model has now taken root in three continents — Asia, Africa, and North America — driven by workers themselves and tirelessly supported by allies like you. But there's still so much more left to do in order to protect workers’ rights across the globe in 2022. Pitch in whatever you can today, and your gift will be doubled by a matching donation!

Donate by December 31