There's a heat wave on the rise in Washington, D.C., and it's not just the weather. Peacebuilding is heating up the nation's capital, and with your support, this summer we'll make peace sizzle.

Thanks to the committed efforts of you and other peace advocates over many years, peacebuilding has become an established force in our nation's capital- with two key initiatives gathering serious momentum. Now we need to transform Washington's approach to peacebuilding from interest to passionate commitment and action, before we miss pivotal opportunities to pass the Youth PROMISE Act and place comprehensive peacebuilding content into Foreign Assistance Act Reform.

Our dedicated team in D.C. is fired up and rearing to go, ready to capitalize on the opportunity your grassroots efforts made possible. Are you ready to take the next step and make the hottest investment of the summer? Join us in A Hot Summer in D.C., a summer-long grassroots fundraising campaign aimed at raising $50,000 for our organizational efforts.

Will you help us build the partnerships, public will and political pressure necessary to support and pass landmark peacebuilding initiatives this summer by enrolling your personal network to contribute to this important work?

You can sign-up today and start by creating your own quick and easy personal donation page on our website. (Watch your fundraising thermometer rise and win fun peace prizes for reaching your fundraising goal!) Over the summer we'll be rolling out additional opportunities to help, through house-parties, events, phone-banking and any other creative ways that inspire you to participate.

Why You, Why Now

For years, YOU have worked tirelessly to establish peace as a fundamental organizing principle in our society, both at the community level and in government. YOU have built a large and active grassroots network. YOU have boosted public awareness and support. And YOU have persistently lobbied legislators to back the research, development and deployment of peacebuilding tools and practices.

Now your work is about to pay off: The Youth PROMISE Act is primed for passage and we are at a critical moment in assuring that a strong peacebuilding component is incorporated into Foreign Assistance Act Reform (link to FAA). Both measures will advance the fields of domestic and international peacebuilding, respectively, by leaps and bounds. Each has the momentum to make an impact in the coming year, and once implemented, they will serve as critical cornerstones upon which we can build a record of proven peacebuilding efficacy. This record will help generate the overwhelming public and political will to establish comprehensive peacebuilding structures, such as the U.S. Department of Peace. Through the passage of these measures, we will further lay the foundation for a lasting peace infrastructure.

What your support will help us achieve:

• Continue building and establishing high-level relationships and key alliances in Washington that reinforce our grassroots activism
  
• A larger, more accessible Peace Alliance office. We are quickly outgrowing our current office space and need more room to support the activities of our staff, interns and volunteers.
  
• Expanded Staff:
  
• Grassroots field support to coordinate the efforts of our large and growing grassroots network and serve as a resource for more than 200 Congressional District chapters and 80 Student Peace Alliance campus chapters across the country.
  
• A team of six full-time, whip-smart student interns from around the country who will work out of our D.C. office this summer, helping to build our community outreach efforts and strengthen our strategic alliances with key leaders and organizations.
  
• An updated Peace Alliance website that is both visually appealing and functionally cutting-edge, incorporating the latest social networking, grassroots organizing and viral advocacy tools to better serve you and inspire new supporters. With your support we will invest in the most innovative online and mobile tools to complement the already well-received YouthPROMISEAction.org website and petition campaign.
  

• Personal appeals to cultivate new donors: Visit our new campaign webpage, A Hot Summer in D.C., to find tips, tools and materials to reach out to your personal network, plus simple step-by-step instructions on setting up your own personal donation page.
  
• Host a House Party/Local Event: One of the most fun and effective ways to share your passion for peacebuilding is to host a Summer house party/picnic. It's worked incredibly well for MoveOn.org and the Obama campaign. We'll provide you with all the materials you'll need to host your event (except the snacks!).
• Phone banking, running a marathon for peace, offering a matching grant, and much more!

If not, would you give a powerful donation to kick off the summer?  It will make an immediate difference.