credo action 2014 activism report

ACTIVISM 2014

Dear progressive friends,

Looking forward to 2015, the outcome of literally thousands

of fights will depend on what we can do together.

Thats because what weve learned in 2014 is the willing-

ness of President Obama and his fellow Democrats to

stand up for what is right often comes down to whether

progressives like us organize to hold them accountable.

In many ways, this past year has been a tough one for

those of us who care about social change. Democrats lost

control of the Senate in the midterms. Grand juries in

Ferguson and Staten Island declined to send to trial the

white police ocers who killed two unarmed African-Amer-

ican men. Our federal elected ocials continue to pursue

an all-of-the-above strategy on energy and as, a result,

arent doing nearly enough to stop the terrifying march of

climate change.

But its also been a year where weve seen our progressive

flank strategy work. Fighting for the change we want to

seenot merely compromise that often-cynical elites in

Washington, D.C. believe is possiblehas been key in

helping us win some crucial fights and lose less badly

in others.

The Keystone XL pipeline has still not been built as a

direct result of activism from coast-to-coast and along the

pipeline route, keeping some of the worlds dirtiest fossil

fuels in the ground. The presidents most recent public

statements are his strongest ever after years of avoiding

this topic. None of this would have happened without

intense local resistance backed up by nearly 100,000

activists who have pledged to risk arrest in peaceful civil

disobedience to stop this pipeline. One of the biggest and

most diverse climate marches in history was held in New

York City this fall and demonstrated the incredible

momentum our movement has. The White House could

not help but sit up and take notice.

After a year of intense pressure from activists, President

Obama came out in favor of the strongest possible rules

to protect Net Neutrality. And he finally announced an

executive order on immigration that protected five million

immigrants and their families from the pain of deportation

this was not all we asked for but theres no doubt that far

fewer would have been protected without the courageous

activism of those who would not give the president a pass

just because hes a Democrat. The president also took

steps to ensure that federal employees and contractors

couldnt be fired just because of who they love or their

gender identity.

Low wage workers nationwide have been leading inspiring

strikes for a living wage and have actually won a higher

minimum wage in Maryland, Minnesota, Chicago and

Berkeley. And the president raised the minimum wage for

federal contract workers.

As we look forward to 2015, its clear that our progressive

flank strategy will be key to blocking the Republicans from

making things worse and convincing President Obama and

Senate Democrats to use the power of the filibuster and

the veto pen to stop the worst excesses of Tea Party

Republican majorities in the House and Senate.

Cuts to our social safety net. Attacks on a womans right to

choose. More wars of choice in the Middle East. Climate

change. Racial injustice. Economic inequality. Its all on the

table and much of it is up to President Obama and a

progressive minority of Democrats in the Senate willing to

filibuster bad legislation and sustain the presidents vetoes.

Together, well also be pushing back against corporations,

organizing to win local victories for change, and providing

progressives with ways they can make a dierence on a

daily or weekly basis.

Frederick Douglass wrote, Power concedes nothing

without a demand. It never did and it never will. Its up to

us to issue that demand. If we dont, we almost certainly

lose. But when we do, we sometimes win.

What follows is a brief summary of our accomplishments

in 2014 and some of the victories you helped make

happen. It provides us with a strong platform for pushing

for change in 2015 in the crucial fights that lie ahead.

Thank you for joining us in this fight.

Dear progressive friends,

Looking forward to 2015, the outcome of literally thousands

of fights will depend on what we can do together.

Thats because what weve learned in 2014 is the willing-

ness of President Obama and his fellow Democrats to

stand up for what is right often comes down to whether

progressives like us organize to hold them accountable.

In many ways, this past year has been a tough one for

those of us who care about social change. Democrats lost

control of the Senate in the midterms. Grand juries in

Ferguson and Staten Island declined to send to trial the

white police ocers who killed two unarmed African-Amer-

ican men. Our federal elected ocials continue to pursue

an all-of-the-above strategy on energy and as, a result,

arent doing nearly enough to stop the terrifying march of

climate change.

But its also been a year where weve seen our progressive

flank strategy work. Fighting for the change we want to

seenot merely compromise that often-cynical elites in

Washington, D.C. believe is possiblehas been key in

helping us win some crucial fights and lose less badly

in others.

The Keystone XL pipeline has still not been built as a

direct result of activism from coast-to-coast and along the

pipeline route, keeping some of the worlds dirtiest fossil

fuels in the ground. The presidents most recent public

statements are his strongest ever after years of avoiding

this topic. None of this would have happened without

intense local resistance backed up by nearly 100,000

activists who have pledged to risk arrest in peaceful civil

disobedience to stop this pipeline. One of the biggest and

most diverse climate marches in history was held in New

York City this fall and demonstrated the incredible

momentum our movement has. The White House could

not help but sit up and take notice.

After a year of intense pressure from activists, President

Obama came out in favor of the strongest possible rules

to protect Net Neutrality. And he finally announced an

executive order on immigration that protected five million

immigrants and their families from the pain of deportation

this was not all we asked for but theres no doubt that far

fewer would have been protected without the courageous

activism of those who would not give the president a pass

just because hes a Democrat. The president also took

steps to ensure that federal employees and contractors

ACTIVISM 2014

couldnt be fired just because of who they love or their

gender identity.

Low wage workers nationwide have been leading inspiring

strikes for a living wage and have actually won a higher

minimum wage in Maryland, Minnesota, Chicago and

Berkeley. And the president raised the minimum wage for

federal contract workers.

As we look forward to 2015, its clear that our progressive

flank strategy will be key to blocking the Republicans from

making things worse and convincing President Obama and

Senate Democrats to use the power of the filibuster and

the veto pen to stop the worst excesses of Tea Party

Republican majorities in the House and Senate.

Cuts to our social safety net. Attacks on a womans right to

choose. More wars of choice in the Middle East. Climate

change. Racial injustice. Economic inequality. Its all on the

table and much of it is up to President Obama and a

progressive minority of Democrats in the Senate willing to

filibuster bad legislation and sustain the presidents vetoes.

Together, well also be pushing back against corporations,

organizing to win local victories for change, and providing

progressives with ways they can make a dierence on a

daily or weekly basis.

Frederick Douglass wrote, Power concedes nothing

without a demand. It never did and it never will. Its up to

us to issue that demand. If we dont, we almost certainly

lose. But when we do, we sometimes win.

What follows is a brief summary of our accomplishments

in 2014 and some of the victories you helped make

happen. It provides us with a strong platform for pushing

for change in 2015 in the crucial fights that lie ahead.

Thank you for joining us in this fight.

Becky Bond

Political Director

Michael Kieschnick

President and CEO

$2,200,000ACTIVISM 2014

20,000,0002,000,000100,00065,00062,00046,000600

PETITIONS SIGNED

PHONE CALLS TO VOTERS

PLEDGED TO RISK ARREST TO STOP THE KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE

DOORS KNOCKED BY VOLUNTEERS IN THE 2014 ELECTION

PHONE CALLS TO POLITICIANS

DONATIONS TO THE CREDO SUPERPAC

DOLLARS GIVEN TO PROGRESSIVE NONPROFITSBRINGING THE OVERALL TOTAL TO $78 MILLION DONATED

PROTESTS, RALLIES, PUBLIC HEARINGS AND IN-PERSON PETITION DELIVERIES

ACTIVISM 2014

DELIVERINGOVER 20MILLIONSIGNATURES

At CREDO, we run hundreds of petition

campaigns each year with tens of millions of

total petition signatures. Once the petitions

have been signed, we take special care to

ensure that they are delivered to the appropri-

ate decision makers in the most eective way

possible.

Every single petition you sign is delivered to the targeted decision

maker.

This year, your petition signatures have been delivered by striking

Walmart workers to their bosses. They were handed-over in person at

a White House meeting on immigration policy. They were submitted as

public comments via the ocial comment delivery process at the FCC

and sent directly to every single Congressional oce, to major corpo-

rate CEOs and nearly all state capitals.

CREDO gives our activists a voice and an easy way to reach the key

political and corporate decision makers we need to reach to create

progressive social change.

ACTIVISM 2014

FIGHTINGFOR NETNEUTRALITY

In the fight for Net Neutrality, CREDO activists made more than 25,000

phone calls and generated more than 1.5 million public comments and

petition signatures to Congressional Democrats, the Federal

Communications Commission and President Obama.

CREDO activists successfully pressured

President Obama to call on the FCC to protect

the open Internet by reclassifying broadband as

a public utility under Title II.

In 2014, CREDO members funded Demand

Progress ($52,390) and Electronic Frontier

Foundation ($41,996), which are working to defend

Net Neutrality and end unconstitutional spying.

The Internet is facing an urgent and complicated fight,

and CREDO is an important ally for winning it.

Demand Progress

ACTIVISM 2014

STOPPINGKEYSTONEXL PIPELINE

CREDO organized more than 300 rapid-response protest vigils after

the State Department released its wholly insucient draft Final

Environmental Impact Statement. We submitted

more than 180,000 public comments during the State

Departments final Keystone XL comment period.

We grew the Keystone XL Pledge of Resistance to

nearly 100,000 activists who are prepared to commit

civil disobedience to stop Keystone XL from being

constructed.

At the beginning of the year, we delivered a check to 350.org for

$66,141, a much-needed infusion of cash to help the organization lead

opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline during a crucial phase in our

fight. And we granted Rainforest Action Network, one of our key

partners in launching the Keystone XL Pledge of Resistance, another

$65,132. CREDOs total giving to environmental groups in 2014 was over

$600,000.

CREDO has been an invaluable ally and leader in the climate fight,

regularly pushing boundaries, moving nimbly, and taking a firm stance

when others hesitate. Working side by side with them on the Keystone

XL fight has meant a great deal to the movement. 350.org

ACTIVISM 2014

FIGHTINGFORIMMIGRATIONREFORM

CREDO activists have made more than 5,000 phone calls to members

of Congress in both the House and Senate in support of meaningful

immigration reform.

Nearly 300,000 CREDO activists have taken actions in support of

comprehensive immigration reform.

Just hours before President Obama announced the executive actions

he would take on immigration reform, CREDO helped deliver 260,000

petition signatures to the White House urging the president to use his

executive authority to engage all legal means available to expand

deferred action to immigrants who would have qualified for a path to

citizenship under the Senates immigration reform bill.

"United We Dream's creative, eective, and inspiring organizing has

been immeasurably supported by CREDO, making a robust

immigrant youth movement not only possible but real."

ACTIVISM 2014

WORKINGTO ENDPOLICEVIOLENCE

Working with ColorOfChange in the wake of the police

killing of Michael Brown, CREDO activists generated nearly 200,000

petition signatures demanding the Department of Justice intervene and

hold local law enforcement accountable for biased and abusive policing.

When police started assaulting protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, CREDO

put a livestream in place in partnership with the African-American-led,

Washington, D.C.-based radio station We Act Radio before national news

crews hit the ground. This livestream helped document police

violence, generate mainstream media coverage of the abuses, and

highlight the voices of local leaders including Fergusons representative in

Congress, Rep. Lacy Clay. The livestream was viewed by more than

35,000 people for a combined total of nearly 500,000 minutes.

Nearly 120,000 CREDO activists also urged the Department of Defense to

stop providing military-style equipment to local police departments. In

2014, CREDO members donated to groups including ColorOfChange

($49,323) and the Center for Constitutional Rights ($55,634) which is

working to end biased, abusive and militarized policing.

ColorOfChange has no better partner in the online organizing space

CREDO consistently step ups and speaks out on the critical civil

rights issues of our time. ColorOfChange.org

JUSTICE

MICHAEL BRO

WNfor

ACTIVISM 2014

DEFEATINGTEA PARTYEXTREMISTS

Last spring, CREDO SuperPAC launched a campaign to Save the

Senate. It was the first national campaign with oces on the ground in

key states focused on stopping Republicans. Through our ca,paign

oces we organized local volunteers to do thousands of volunteer

shifts, make 2 million phone calls and knock on over 65,000 doors.

Our campaign was powered by over 46,000 donations from CREDO

activistssome contributing every week in the final countdown to keep

these oces and organizers going. We did not want to wake up the

day after the election wishing we had done more. These local volun-

teers and donors from across the country helped put Democrat Gary

Peters over the top, and we held Michigan. But in North Carolina,

Colorado, Kentucky and Georgia it wasnt enough to close the gap and

now Republicans control not just the House but also the Senate.

ACTIVISM 2014

DEFENDINGWOMENSRIGHTS

More than 81,000 CREDO Action members signed a petition urging

National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell to take

violence against women seriously. CREDO activists also made more

than 700 phone calls to NFL headquarters demanding

that the league change its policy regarding

domestic violence incidents. CREDO members

have fought state abortion bans, challenged

local campuses and schools to hold students

accountable for sexual assault, and advocated for

equal pay for women.

Simply by paying their phone and credit card bills,

CREDO members generated $67,255 in donations to

NARAL Pro-Choice America, and also chose this year to support the

Ms. Foundation for Women with $64,557 in donations. CREDO also

funded Planned Parenthood and its aliates in 2014bringing our total

contribution over our entire history to more than $3 million and making

us the largest single corporate contributor to Planned Parenthood.

Thank you, CREDO, for always answering the call for womens

equality! Ms Foundation for Women

ACTIVISM 2014

SOLIDARITYWITHWORKERS

In 2014, CREDO activists generated more than four million petition

signatures in support of workers rights and a higher minimum wage.

This was part of a broader fight for higher wages that swept the

country in the form of fast food workers Fight for $15 campaign and

federal contactor walk-outs in the Washington, D.C. area.

In response to pressure from CREDO activists and

other local residents, Maryland, Minnesota, Chicago

and Berkeley raised the minimum wage in 2014.

After hearing from tens of thousands of CREDO activists,

President Obama issued an executive order requiring all

federal contractors to pay their employees a livable wage.

This year, CREDO members gave $61,269 to the Raise the Minimum

Wage campaign of the National Employment Law Project and over

$50,000 to OUR Walmart to aid in fights across the country.

CREDO is amplifying the voices of millions who work for a living,

and deserve to earn a living from work.

Raise the Minimum Wage campaign of the

National Employment Law Project

WORKERS

RIGHTS

STAND UPfor

ACTIVISM 2014

DEFEATINGFRACKING

For years, New York has been ground zero in our fight to ban fracking.

After CREDO activists submitted more than 400,000 petition

signatures and public comments, and made over 10,000 phone calls,

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in December that he

would implement a total ban on fracking due to health and

environmental concerns.

After this momentous victory, CREDO activists are putting Californias

Governor Jerry Brown on notice and amping up our campaign to ban

fracking in the Golden State.

ACTIVISM 2014

Together, we help lead the progressive movement.We generate activism and back it up with donations. We gave over $2,000,000 for change in 2014 and have given over $78 million since our founding.

When leaders in the progressive movement talk about the impact of CREDOs activism and funding, theyre talking about

you. Working togetherCREDO customers, CREDO Action, and the allies we supportwe are making a dierence on key

progressive issues. Thank you for everything you did in 2014 to be part of the change we want to see and for your continued

support in 2015 as we engage in fierce battles over the fate of our country and the planet.

CREDOs unique leadershipa combination of ontheground activism and resource supportis an incredibly valuable and trusted component of a strong and dynamic progressive movement.

Wellstone Action

When we know that we really need to make a big impact, we rely on CREDO.

League of Conservation Voters

credo action 2014 activism report

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