We are thrilled to share that this year’s Raffle, our fifth, sold out in early February, and want to thank every single ticket buyer who entered our fundraiser. On February 26th, we will announce the winners (you can tune in to our livestream here)!
The best part about this raffle though, is that even those who don’t end up winning one of the prizes, can rest assured that their contributions are going directly into making our work possible year over year; that is why we call this raffle a win-win! Without the ongoing support of our donors and those of you who entered the raffle, we would not be able to do what we do.
We certainly do not take this support for granted, especially after the incredibly trying year we’ve just been through; it is a massive honor that you continue to trust and fund our efforts.
So, we now turn our full focus to the ongoing work ahead, and want to share some of what we have going on this year. Our team of researchers, policy experts, communications specialists, and climate champions have remained hard at work ensuring that every dollar spent on a Tesla ticket over the past five months is used to maximize our impact in a year when climate policy is not only feasible, but imperative.
The state of the climate crisis, ongoing public health crisis, and economic recession all demand that we enact policy to support our communities and allow them to bounce back better and more resiliently. That is why we are currently focused on legislative opportunities in Massachusetts and Maryland, where we help lead coalitions in support of bills that reduce carbon pollution, support job creation, fund green infrastructure, and much more.
In Massachusetts, the raffle’s success has allowed us to fund and oversee the new Green Future Now! coalition, which is well positioned for success this session through a broad base of stakeholders, grassroots advocacy, business engagement, and legislative champions. In Maryland, our bill is supported by the Rebuild Maryland Coalition, and currently has endorsements from 41 organizations and businesses, and 290 individuals from across the state. It has already been heard in both the House and the Senate, and we hope for its passage before the end of the session.
This year, CXC is dedicated to helping states and communities rebuild from the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic through economic incentives reflected in green stimulus plans. Our Build Back Better report in Washington was well received and incredibly valuable. We are now developing a version of that research in Massachusetts, and states around the country — including Montana, Colorado and Connecticut — that are looking for reliable and comprehensive data to back their decision making in the coming months, have requested their own studies. We are also laser focused on ensuring that underserved communities have a voice at the table and that economic modeling and bill drafting account for household income levels, public health, and local needs and that key sector growth ignites community reinvestment.
Nationally, we are infusing resources into the State Climate Policy Network (SCPN) to empower advocates, educators, legislators, and business leaders engaged in climate solutions in their communities. We engage diverse stakeholders each month through our calls, webinars, and newsletter to enable them to learn from each other and share resources and best practices to strengthen our collective goals. The SCPN is one of the few resources available to support climate policy development at the state and local levels.
We are focused on both expanding our SCPN membership and deepening the level of support our members receive. We do so backed by the power of our largest cohort of student fellows in our organization’s history! Our aim is to continue to grow our audience tuning in every month and quarter to our Deep Dive webinars, legislator calls, and Pricing Carbon Dialogues for exclusive access to notable speakers and cutting-edge information. The SCPN’s primary goal for 2021 is to increase access to resources and best practices that will help climate campaigns succeed that might otherwise fail. Tesla lovers and climate champions nationwide can count on the SCPN for thought leadership, insider insights, and direct technical support in solving the complicated challenges inherent to campaign building.
When you support the CXC Tesla Raffle, you reserve your spot not just in the running for the most sought-after electric car on the market, but also in a network of individuals who have decided to take climate action into their own hands. You amplify the collective voice of the 11,000+ members of the SCPN, and help us continue to make ambitious and transformational climate policy a top priority across the country.
Thanks to you, we can continue to work on preventing the worst impacts of the climate crisis, while bringing forth a new and inclusive economy built on renewable energy, green jobs and community resilience.
With immense gratitude and unparalleled energy,
Peter Kirby
Board Chair & Acting Executive Director
P.S. If you would like to support our work beyond the raffle, donations to CXC (a 501c3 organization) are always welcome and may be tax deductible!