As you may know, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $3 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2007.

This means that the $1,802,152 in donations that we have received from the 5,523 people who have donated so far this year will be doubled.

But as you can see, we are still a ways off from meeting the $3 million challenge — $1,197,848 off, which means that we need to raise $10,890 every day from today through the end of the year to make our goal.

So if you’re one of the approximately 94,500 people on this e-mail list who hasn’t yet given to MPP this year, please make a donation today, because we need your support to finance the following projects that we’re paying for this fall ...

 - Signature drives to place medical marijuana initiatives on the ballot in Arizona and Michigan, as well as assisting the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy with raising funds for a signature drive to place a marijuana "decriminalization" initiative on the ballot in Massachusetts. All three initiatives will be voted on in November 2008.

 - The launch of a new Outreach Department at MPP, which will use creative “viral marketing” techniques on the Web to attract new activists and donors from across the country to MPP’s ranks.

 - A new full-time staffer in our D.C. headquarters to organize our growing grassroots network in 50 congressional districts, with the goal of securing a record 190 votes for our medical marijuana legislation on the House floor next summer ... which would position us to pass the legislation in 2009, soon after a new president and Congress take office.

 - A new full-time staffer in California to help pass legislation in Sacramento to legalize the sale of medical marijuana statewide — landmark legislation that has never before been passed.

 - A full-time staffer in New Hampshire who is heading up a large team of voters to influence all presidential candidates to take public, positive positions on medical marijuana. So far, we’ve garnered positive positions in favor of medical marijuana access from all eight Democratic candidates and two of the nine Republican candidates.

 - A new TV/radio advertising campaign in Alaska to build on the existing level of support for taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol. Support for such a proposal is already ahead by a 53% to 42% margin (with 5% undecided) — the highest level of support in any state — but we need to increase the public’s support to beyond 60% in order to safely pass a ballot initiative to end marijuana prohibition entirely. This has yet to be done anywhere in the world, and we hope to do it in the next few years.

We’re at a critical juncture in our work, and we have a lot of expenses right now. Would you please help by making a donation today? Anything you can give will help us meet the matching challenge ... that is, your donation will be doubled.

Thank you for considering this request.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.