Courage Campaign States 60 Hours Are Left for a 2010 Fundraising Benchmark - Over Half of Goal Raised

An update titled "60 hours left to decide Prop 8's fate" was released today from the Courage Campaign on its goal to raise $100,000 by August 13 in order to test ballot language for a 2010 campaign.

Over the weekend, the call for repealing Prop 8 in 2010 grew louder in the grassroots. At the request of the Courage Campaign, Steve Hildebrand -- former deputy campaign manager for Barack Obama's presidential campaign -- spoke to a large gathering of marriage equality activists on Sunday in Los Angeles and said the following:

"I'd rather have your odds than the odds we had with the Obama campaign. Think about that... This community has to show the kind of courage that it has if you're going to go in 2010... If you go in 2010 -- and my outside perspective is that you should -- you've got to go in with all guns blazing."

Since we sent you the urgent message below, 1,027 members of the Courage Campaign community have raised $58,033 -- an average of $56.51 per person. And other grassroots organizations like Marriage Equality USA and Meet in the Middle have joined us as well, challenging their members to step up and help finance the research necessary to place an initiative on the 2010 ballot.

If 1,000 more people can raise $41,967 by August 13, we will meet the time-sensitive $100,000 goal we set for the Courage Campaign community -- and half of the $200,000 needed to launch this mission-critical research as soon as possible.

We have less than 60 hours to raise $41,967 from Courage members. Will you help us get over the top by donating whatever amount you can afford -- $25, $50, $100, $500 or more -- by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday? Please make a contribution before time runs out.

Many are keeping a sharp eye on the LGBT community's ability to raise funds for this first step towards a 2010 campaign. EQCA is expected to announce tomorrow its roadmap and timeline to bring marriage equality back to California, and it is expected that they will support a 2012 campaign.

Unite the Fight will continue to report on both Courage Campaign's progress as well as have a full report on EQCA's timeline tomorrow.