Dear friends,

This letter violates all our precepts here at 350.org — it’s the time of year we do something we don’t much like, which is asking for money.

We don’t like asking for money for two reasons:

One: many of our supporters are in the poorest parts of the planet and have no money to contribute. Even in rich parts of the world it’s been a tough year. If you don’t have funds to spare, don’t even think about giving.

Two: Far more than we want people giving money, we want people taking action. That’s our first, second, and third priority — that’s what we ask for 9 times out of 10.

But we’ve had so many people taking so many actions this year that this whole 350 project has grown like crazy. It’s completely great. And it means we need the resources to coordinate it all, to make it more than the sum of its parts.

So today, we’re asking you to chip in to help the movement grow. Click here to donate whatever you can.

We’ve never had a busier year than 2011: we stopped a massive oil pipeline, ran activist trainings all over the world, had our third giant day of climate action, orchestrated a creative project to take over the airwaves, joined forces with the Occupy movements, and on and on and on. 

It truly was a banner year, and our crew has put together an amazing “Top 11 Moments of 2011” recap. Check it out here.

Next year is going to be big. We’re going to try and take on the oil and coal and gas companies directly — strip away their subsidies, and take away their political power. To do it we need not just your activism but, if you can swing it, your financial help. Most of us (me included) are volunteers, and the young people on the staff are paid too little. But they make up for it with big-hearted effort; if we can raise more money we can hire more of them, in every corner of the planet.

You’ve already helped this year — helped take the passion and creativity of thousands and channel it into real, tangible progress on our climate trouble. If you can help a little more before year’s end — well, we will put it to good use. Click here to make a donation.

This year surprised me a lot. I didn’t think I’d spend some of it in jail, and I didn’t truly think we could slow down the Keystone Pipeline. But I’m mighty glad we did — and I’m ready to be surprised again in 2012.

So many thanks,

Bill McKibben for 350.org

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