HOW YOU CAN HELP

DONATE

Every contribution, no matter the size, makes an impact. And you can dedicate your donation to a facet of our work like Gaza, reproductive justice, climate or California office, to name just a few.

GET INVOLVED

Join us in sharing your own voice in the fight for justice.

SPREAD THE WORD

Share our message with friends, colleagues, and networks.

Double your donation during CLDC’s Spring Appeal Matching Campaign!

Civil Liberties Defense Center’s Spring Fund Appeal Matching Campaign runs between July 8 – 17^th ~ giving us just over a week to meet our $15,000 goal! During this time, a generous partner will DOUBLE all donations made on behalf of CLDC. Donations will provide funding for activist defense and new updated legal resources during the remainder of 2024.

Here is what one of our supporters has to say about our work:

“I support the CLDC because it effectively defends equal rights, freedom of speech, and due process, which all too often are ignored or trampled, both currently and in our country’s history. I’ve been acquainted with Lauren and Marianne for years, and I respect their vision, commitment, and ability.”

~ Neil K.

When you contribute to CLDC’s Spring Appeal Matching Campaign, every $25 gift turns into $50, $100 into $200, and $500 into $1000, all with the goal to:

Defend the Defenders!

In light of the recent Supreme Court decisions that have come out in the last week, the urgency of our mission has never been clearer. These decisions underscore the need to build our capacity to be prepared for the backlash and to protect those who stand up for justice and equality. Our work is more critical than ever as we strive to support movements seeking to dismantle the political and economic structures at the root of social inequality and environmental destruction.

DURING THE CAMPAIGN:

• Check out our Fund Appeal (below) for all the info you need to learn about our appeal!
• You can contribute online or via a good ol’ check*
• Our Matching Campaign is active between July 8^th to July 17^th ~ get your donations in today to double your impact!

Please note: CLDC will send receipts for your tax-deductible donation, and our amazing match-partner will get notifications of all of your generous donations.

We are tremendously appreciative to our Spring Fund Appeal Matching Campaign donor and to our other incredible supporters!! Thank you for ensuring that we have the capacity to represent as many environmental and social justice activists as possible.

*Mail donations to CLDC, 1711 Willamette St., Suite 301 #359, Eugene, OR 97401

Deadline to contribute is July 17th!

DEAR CLDC SUPPORTER,

Over the past several years, change has not only been imminent, it’s accelerating. To navigate the shifting tides of social and environmental changes, we need strength, adaptability, and solidarity. Currently, the U.S. faces strong polarization within, on multiple issues — reproductive rights, environmental protections, the war on Gaza, and more. It takes strength and intention to slow down, look inward, and determine what our own goals and needs are, what the communities’ needs are, and how we can be the most effective. It is easy to be fearful of all the changes we’re experiencing in our own communities. What we have learned and what we must remember, is that with change comes growth; something we can all appreciate.

At CLDC, we are in the midst of a period of change and growth. We are thrilled with the opportunity to rework our team structures and expand our capacity in order to scale up our work in a strategic and healthy way. One of the results is the restructure of our leadership model to reflect our vision for a more equitable workplace; moving from a traditional hierarchical structure to a more horizontal framework, reflecting our commitment to balancing power and responsibility. With multiple people offering various skills and strengths to lead our organization, our leaders will move into the future demonstrating what it looks like to be innovative, collaborative, and successful (as well as kind to each other).

CLDC has been working hard to find the right people to bring into our small, yet mighty organization. We are excited to introduce our new Director of Fundraising & Engagement, Carrie Tully, who joins our dedicated leaders from Humboldt County, California. However, we still have one important director position left to fill! We invite you to spread the word with trusted friends and colleagues as we search for a Director of People & Culture to complete our leadership team. Please check out our website, social media, e-news, or however you stay in touch, for more details on this Director position.

HOW WE ROLL

Throughout our 20-year journey, CLDC has stood firm in defending constitutional rights, representing the more radical edges of our movements, and advocating for environmental and social justice movements in the face of a broken carceral legal system and capitalist society. With support from donors like you, CLDC has successfully challenged unconstitutional laws and their application to political activism—the State can keep passing laws that do the industry’s bidding, and we will keep fighting to neutralize them.

That experiential knowledge certainly lends itself to today’s socio-environmental political landscape; as the election quickly approaches more people than ever are becoming engaged in social and environmental justice. At the same time, a new wave of anti-protest and anti-climate laws creep across the country. As the need grows, there seems to be a deficit of available lawyers to do this work, and many lawyers are not equipped to expertly defend activists. CLDC will continue to grow and strengthen our team, mentor future movement lawyers, and network with people who are committed to standing up to the challenges we’re facing today.

“I believe that the work that you all are doing is very important. Civil liberties in this country are under fire and we all have to do all we can to protect them. So, thank you for the work you are doing.”

WHERE WE’RE HEADED

In order to counter anti-protest and anti-climate laws, activists need legal education, defense in the courts, and other anti-repression support now. Communities rely on us to continuously provide expert resources, often with a rapid response required. Therefore, we must urgently grow our legal capacity to fill the gap in the movement by offering much needed free legal representation in the courts, as well as educational trainings and resources on the frontlines. In the next six months we hope to double the number of attorneys and bring on invaluable legal workers, fundraisers, and outreach staff. Adding organizational capacity will enable us to provide more of what movements need — and we are passionate about providing it.

Thanks to the addition of a California staff person, Carrie, as well as the burgeoning need for social justice lawyers up and down the west coast (and nationwide), we hope to open a second office in northern California in the near future. CLDC has a long history with activists in several northern California tribes (like the Winnemem Wintu!), forest defenders fighting to save the redwoods, and citizen activists SLAPP’d by a logging corporation. We work with many organizations and communities in California, and, although we currently don’t have a California-licensed attorney, for many years we have been representing California activists and orgs case by case, with local counsel, as allowed by local court rules (“pro hac vice”). By adding a second location and a California-licensed attorney, CLDC will be able to offer more of our legal and educational services to a broader network of people in an underserved area of the west coast that also has a vibrant activist community. Expanding our team enables us to empower a broad but interconnected spectrum of movements to become even more resilient, knowledgeable, and bold in the face of daunting threats.

With all this and more to come (stay tuned for an exciting summer 2024 video project release!), we hope that you will stay engaged, alert, and committed to social change – for the betterment of us all. Know that we’ll continue to have your back when the going gets tough.

Until all are free, we’ve got your back.In solidarity,

CLDC LEADERSHIP TEAM
Carrie Tully, Director of Fundraising & Engagement
Lauren Regan, Director of Litigation & Advocacy
Marianne Dugan, Director of Civil Litigation & General Counsel

“I was impressed by CLDC’s work. I just believe it is important to have legal representation available for activists, particularly as we see legislation in some regions that criminalize protests. How that is not a violation of first amendment rights is a mystery to me! I appreciate your ongoing work to enable activists to take the necessary risks to promote change.”