The Militant (logo)  
   Vol. 67/No. 9           March 24, 2003  
 
 
SWP supporters on target
in $300,000 campaign
 
BY STUART CROME  
SEATTLE--"We got off to a fantastic start in 2003, with a January collection of $26,636," wrote Sara Gates in a letter to supporters of the Socialist Workers Party. Gates was reporting on the monthly supporters contribution campaign. With strong collections the last few months of 2002, the campaign is on target to meet the goal of contributing $300,000 annually to the SWP.

Gates reported that in 2002 supporters contributed a total of $294,645 toward the work of the party. This was nearly $17,000 more than the amount contributed the previous year, and $107,000 more than in 1999, the year the campaign was launched.

At the Socialist Workers Party convention last July, supporters of the party announced the campaign’s increased goal of contributing $300,000 annually. The response to this effort was enthusiastic and supporters around the country both raised their pledges and worked with SWP branches and organizing committees to recruit new contributors. In order to make the new goal, supporters aim to collect an average of $25,000 each month.

In cities around the country, supporters of the communist movement have worked diligently to collect the monthly pledges and get them into the SWP national office by the deadline of the 5th of the each month.

"The current campaign to raise $300,000 annually began in August and will end in July 2003," Gates reported. "This means we are right on schedule, and we must continue work to guarantee that our collection every month is over $25,000."

"This campaign has been a big achievement for the communist movement," said Dave Prince, the party’s financial director. "Since the campaign was launched in 1999, the supporters have met every goal they’ve set for themselves, so these funds can be confidently budgeted. Every accomplishment of this campaign contributes to the party’s ability to carry out our political work," he said.

A steering committee of supporters in Seattle oversees the campaign. Ken Kawakubo and Stuart Crome, along with Gates, are the members of the committee. They send monthly reports on the progress of this effort to supporters in 23 cities. They also work with supporters in each city who are responsible for organizing the collection.

"The key to success in this campaign is to keep up the steady and consistent pace over the next six months. We invite anyone who is not a part of the campaign to join us now in making a financial contribution that counts politically," said Gates.

If you would like to become a contributor to help in this effort, send an e-mail to Sara Gates at sjgates@attbi.com.

Nan Bailey contributed to this article.  
 
 
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