The Washington, D.C. General Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World (aka "DC IWW") is a democratically-run, socialist labor union based in the DC metro area. Since re-chartering our branch in 2012, we have helped organize workers in various industries in and around the District, including food service and retail workers; non-profit staffers; municipal and public service workers; lifeguards; preschool teachers; and workers and students in higher education. We have also helped with solidarity campaigns for immigrant workers; assisted with legal defense for anti-fascist activists facing state repression in the wake of the "J20" protests at Donald Trump's 2017 inauguration; and have aided other, like-minded organizations looking to build working class power in the District.Operating as an all-volunteer, worker-run union local in DC greatly benefits our rank-and-file members, but it also comes with some disadvantages. A significant portion of the workers in our branch and our organizing campaigns are low-wage workers who make well below the District's ridiculously high cost of living. The continuous spread of gentrification in the DC metro area has also caused many of our members and supporters to have to travel increasingly far distances in order to make it to work. To make matters worse, the precarious nature of many of these low-wage jobs has caused several of our members to face chronic unemployment and even homelessness. And since the DC IWW runs on a fairly shoe-string budget, we simply don't have the funds to provide for our most marginalized and exploited fellow workers.This is where you come in! We're setting up a special Solidarity Fund to act as a safety net to workers who are facing job loss, under-employment, or other forms of economic hardship. A portion of the Solidarity Fund will be sustained by our union dues, but the majority of the fund's money will come from patrons like you, who believe in the concept of mutual aid. We will set different donation tiers for the fund, but even a modest donation of $5 a month can help ensure that a low-wage worker we're helping to organize can make their rent, pay their utility bills, or take care of other necessary expenses when they're facing hard times. Remember, this is solidarity, not charity! Your donation also means that we can continue our mission to organize marginalized and exploited workers in the DC metro area.Thanks for checking out our Solidarity Fund! To find out more about the DC IWW and the organizing work we do, please check out our website at http://www.dciww.org/