SummaryoftheChelseaManning
DefenseFund(July2015–January2017)
CampaignVictoryPhase!
ThissummarycoversthetimeperiodofJuly2015throughthe
endoftheChelseaManningDefenseFund(andSupport
Network),January2017.
ByJeffPaterson,onbehalfofthe
ChelseaManningSupportNetworkSteeringCommittee
March7,2017
Background
AfewweeksafterthearrestofChelsea(thenBradley)Manning,backinMay2010,for
providingtheWikiLeakswebsiteclassifiedinformationabouttheUSwarsinIraqand
Afghanistan,CouragetoResist—incollaborationwiththeChelseaManningSupportNetwork—
begansolicitingfundsforChelsea’sdefense.
Dayspriortoleavingoffice,PresidentObamacommutedChelseaManning’ssentence.It’sstill
hardtobelievethatwewonChelsea’s(upcoming)freedom.ChelsearemainsimprisonedatFort
Leavenworth,Kansas,untilMay17,2017—70daysfromnow!
InourJanuary17,2017statement,“PresidentObamaCommutesChelseaManning’s
Sentence!”,Ishared:
Today’sfantasticnewsgoesalongwaytomakingamendsforthebrutaltreatment
ChelseawasillegallysubjectedtowhileawaitingtrialattheQuanticoMarineBrig.It’s
tragicthatChelseahadtospend7-yearsimprisonedforreleasingdocumentsthat
shouldneverhavebeenclassifiedinthefirstplace,andwereclearlyinthepublic
interest…AllofuswhoworkedonChelsea’sbehalfareoverjoyed.
Forarecapofourefforts,andthetensofthousandsofpeoplewhocontributedtothisvictory,
pleasetakealookatRaineyReitman’sblogpost,“LookingBackon6YearsofFightingfor
ChelseaManning”(goo.gl/ASLG0y).Raineynotes,“Chelseainspiredme,andheractionsforever
changedmylife,”andnamesafewnamesofthosebraveenoughtowinthisbattle—andsave
Chelsea’slife.
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Forourstatement“ChelseaManningSupportNetworkcomestoanend”:
Wewanttoextendourheartfeltgratitudetothemanythousandsofsupporters
worldwidewhojoinedtogethertosupportthiscampaign,goingallthewaybacktothe
daysfollowingChelsea’sarrestinIraq,June2010.Withyourhelp,wewereableto
successfullycover100%ofChelseaManning’slegalfeesthroughouthercourtmartial
(nearly$400,000)andmountahugepublicitycampaigntoraiseawarenessabouther
situation.Wearealsodeeplyproudtohavecontributedtowardtheongoinglegalfees
associatedwithChelsea’sappeal(over$400,000).
Ithasbeenourhonortodedicatethelastsixyearstoadvocatingforthefreedomof
ChelseaManning.Over25,000individualsdonated$1.5millionleadinguptoandduring
Chelsea’sinitialtrial.Duringthistime,wepaidherlegalbillsinfull,organizedover
600,000peopletosignpetitionsinsupportofChelsea,stagedhundredsofevents,
rentedbillboards,purchasedaNewYorkTimesad,andralliedthousandstotaketothe
street—atFortMeade,FortLeavenworth,QuanticoMarineBase,andaroundtheworld.
Weareextremelyproudoftheseefforts.
Webeganthefiscalperiodcoveredbythisfinalreport$25,809indebttoourfiscalmanager
CouragetoResist.Weendthedefensefundwithanetof$9,330.Wearecurrentlydiscussing
theseremainingfundswithChelsea,andhowbesttodisbursethem.
Inadditiontothefundsdetailedinthisreport,theSupportNetworkcollaboratedwiththe
FreedomofthePressFoundation,FirstLookMedia(publisheroftheIntercept),andjournalist
GlennGreenwald,toraiseover$200,000inlegalfeesinthefallof2015.
Wedidit!!!
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Aguidetoourfinalfiscalreport
It’simportanttonotethatthisisnotanannualreport,butafiscalaccountingoflastyearandahalf.
LegalfeeswerepaidtoChelseaManning’schosencivilianlegalappealsattorneyNancyHollander.
Campaign-specificemployeesandcontractorswerehiredexclusivelytocarryouttheworkofthe
ChelseaManningSupportNetwork.Theseindividualswereourdedicatedorganizersworkingtosupport
unpaidgrassrootsactivistsworldwide,builtandranourwebsite,managedsocialmedia,andworked
tirelesslyrelatingtomediainordertooffsetthemilitary’ssubstantialpublicrelationsmachine.
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CouragetoResiststaffcampaignreimbursementcoveredtheexpenseofdedicatingexistingstaff
positionstotheChelseaManningcampaign.Specifically,thishelpedpayforourOfficeManagerand
ProjectDirectorpositions.CouragetoResistrequiredthesefundstoremainfinanciallysolventandable
tomanagetheoverallcampaignfinancialsandstaffincarryingoutthedecisionsoftheChelseaManning
SupportNetworkSteeringCommittee.
“Estimatednetafterfiscal&creditcardfees”isan11.5%lineitemthatrepresentstheestimated
externalfeesthatweincuroneverydollardonated.It’sanaverageofcreditcardtransactionfees
(~3.5%)ononlinedonations,andtheprocessingfeechargedbyournon-profitsponsor,theAlliancefor
GlobalJustice(AfGJ).
Advertisingrepresentsafewtargetedadbuys.
Communicationswereexpensesprimarilyrelatedtothewebsite,Facebookads,andbulkemail
distribution.
Officeandshippingsupplieswereusedtoprintandmailletterstogovernmentofficialsinsupportof
Chelsea,includingpaper,toner,andenvelopes,aswellassuppliesforshippingcampaignmaterials.
Postage.Directmailfundraisingisstillacriticalaspectraisingfunds,despitetheever-increasingrole
thatonlinedonationsplay.Youstillneedtospendmoneytoraisemoney,andpostagewaslargestsingle
aspectofthat.Oneofourobjectiveswastoproducequalityandtimelycampaigntools(suchas
organizermanuals,stickers,posters,banners,etc.)andgetthemintothehandsofactivistseverywhere.
Inmanycases,postage/shippingcostswereoftenjustasmuchasproductioncosts—evenmoresofor
internationaldistribution.
Printingcoverscampaignmaterialsthatwedistributedwithoutcharge,orexpectationofdonation,such
asinfocards,leaflets,andpamphlets.
Promotionalmaterialswereitemsthatwegenerallyaskedadonationfor,suchast-shirts,bumper
stickers,andbuttons.WeusedUS-madeproducts,under“sweatshop-free”conditions,byunionlabor
wheneverpossible.
Thesmallamountspentonevents,isatestamenttotheresourcefulnessofouractivistsandorganizers
worldwide.
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