Persistence – hoorah Th!rd Act!!

Newsletter

From the Founders Desk

Jeanne,

I don’t deal especially well with uncertainty—I want to know how it’s all going to come out.

Which means this is a hard period. We are less than two weeks away from elections of huge consequence, and we don’t know whether the results will slide us further into national chaos, or help us climb out. But we’ve done, and will keep doing, our part: between voter registration, phone calls, postcards, and letters, Third Actors have reached hundreds of thousands of potential voters. I’ll be with Rebecca Solnit in Reno, Nevada, on October 28 and 29 to mobilize voters and inspire volunteer canvassers and phone bankers, and letter writers – join me if you are in the area. Read below my signature for more actions you can take….

In a sense, elections are easy—at least they have a set date. Our other (and very much related) work on climate change works only on the timeline that scientists provide: we need to cut emissions in half by decade’s end. But it’s up to us to build the efforts that allow that to happen, and against great odds: right now, the banks we’re targeting are busily backing away from their climate commitments. It’s always going to be two steps forward and one step back—and that represents progress, as long as we don’t become discouraged to the point of giving up when we seem to be going too slowly.

Over thirty years, I’ve evolved my own sense of how to deal with this: keep one’s head down and trust that if we do the work in front of us, we will end up in a better place than if we hadn’t. And that’s one reason I really enjoy working with people my age: if we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that there are no instant victories but that pushing on is essential anyway. Persistence to me, seems the most important of virtues, even if it’s not the most flashy.

I’ll be on the way to Egypt for the global climate summit on election night. I’ll stay up late to see how it goes—to send congratulations to good people now in office, and commiserate with those who lost important fights. And then I’ll get up the next morning and push on, and I know you will too. Please join Third Act’s All-In Call on November 10th, when we’ll get to hear from our friend Robin Wall Kimmerer, and will share some big news about what comes next.

Thanks.

Bill

P.S. Read on for actions you can take right now to learn what Third Actors and the Team have been up to and what is coming next month…

Donate

Let’s Get to Work

How to Stop Election Sabotage We held an exclusive training workshop with our partner Scrutineers for Third Actors on How to Stop Election Sabotage, and it was a big hit! Watch the video and then register for more tools and guidance to observe ballot counts and serve as a democracy defender.

Watch the Video >>

Get Out the Vote

Third Act volunteers and our partners are amazing! Third Actors’ efforts with partners like Activate America, the Civics Center, and local League of Women chapters have led to sending upwards of 50,000 postcards to voters,recruiting more than 600 schools to conduct voter registration drives for high school seniors, and registering voters at in-person events.

There’s still time to GOTV and support voters!

Sign-up for phonebank shifts with Activate America
Join an in-person event with Rebecca Solnit and Bill McKibben in Reno, Nevada, on October 28 and/or October 29
Sign-up to be a poll watcher, poll worker, or voter hotline staff.

Protect Our Climate

“The Carbon Bankroll report by Bank Forward makes clear that the biggest environmental decision we make is where we choose to keep and invest our money. How our money and cash are used by big banks has a far greater impact on climate emissions than what kind of car we drive, for example.”
– Timothy Yee of Green Retirement and Gregory Wendt of Stakeholders Capital

Watch and Act

We kicked off our Responsible Finance Webinar Series last month with great interest from Third Actors. If you missed us, check out our guest blog and webinar recording from Timothy Yee of Green Retirement and Gregory Wendt of Stakeholders Capital. We hope to see you at the next Responsible Finance Webinar on November 2nd.

Register to attend >>

Are you an AARP Member? Urge AARP to step up and join the climate fight
With 38 million members, AARP is the largest member-based organization in the world with substantial political clout. If AARP were to support climate policy and action, it would be a political game-changer.

Third Actors Bob Loeb, a social and tech entrepreneur, and Harry “Rick” Moody, a retired AARP vice president and publisher of the newsletter and forthcoming book “Climate Change and an Aging Society,” wrote this guest blog persuasively arguing the merits of AARP stepping up its climate efforts. Please read their blog and – if you are an AARP member – sign the petition today! AARP listens to its members.

Supporter Spotlight

Third Act New York City’s Siu Li GoGwilt joined Third Act Founder Bill McKibben at Stop the Money Pipeline and others at bank rallies in Brooklyn on October 15, 2022, showing off their new slogan: “Damn right, we’re cranky!”

Check out the photo on Twitter >>

Upcoming Events

Responsible Finance Webinar: Better Banks and Credit Cards

Wednesday, November 2

4 – 5 pm ET/1 – 2 pm PT

Join the second webinar in Third Act’s 4-part series to learn practical tools and steps to help you find a better bank, credit union, and/or credit card. Bank for Good, Green America, and other speakers will explain the various criteria that define a “better bank,” what certifications to look for, what some of the current limitations and constraints are, and considerations for choosing the right banks and credit cards that will meet your needs. Panel members will speak to questions Third Act has received about credit scores and other elements of switching.

RSVP Today >>

November All-In Call
Thursday, November 10
8-9 pm ET/5-6 pm PT

Join us for our All-In Call post-election featuring Third Act advisor Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass and recently-named MacArthur fellow. We will celebrate and/or commiserate about the outcome and discuss what’s next for our work together to safeguard our democracy and protect our climate. Remember, our work does not end at the ballot box! And…we will have a big announcement to share about our Banking on our Future campaign!

Register Now >>

Cool Jobs Alert!

Third Act is hiring for two positions. We’re seeking people with a passion for Third Act’s issues, approach, and working principles; who are highly detail-oriented, can juggle multiple deadlines, are effective problem solvers, and want to work with an intergenerational team of committed, kind, and supportive professionals.

Please share these job announcements with your networks:

Network Campaigns Lead

Development Associate

Third Act
123 Main St
New York, NY 12345
United States

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