A coordinated, targeted, fun, movement-building public event taking place all across the United States! Each action reflected the unique community where it is located, whether that included holding signs and cutting up credit cards outside banks, dressing up as a polar bear on an ice floe, staging a “Rocking Chair Rebellion” against a background of cherry blossoms, or playing bagpipes!
We aggregated actions across the nation, large and small to show our strength, raise visibility, and tell our story. We invited and coordinated with partner organizations and the community. We had fun making art, planning together, and gathering. We created an exclamation mark in our campaigning arc and put pressure on our target – the banks financing the climate crisis!
Because the foundation of organizing is that the WHOLE is GREATER than the sum of its parts!
People are inspired by being a part of something big and when we act together – all across the country – we can have greater collective impact. People-power can shift the narrative, change the zeitgeist, and plant the seeds for the change we need. We are more likely to get attention and media, both local and national.
A broad, distributed day of coordinated action from bank customers, frontline communities, and everyday people targeting the big, dirty banks effectively delivered our clear message – we don’t want our money used to finance climate destruction. The exercise of creating the day built our movement, our community, our partnerships, and our skills.
March was a great time because people could gather outside; we already presented the banks with our collected “Banking On Our Future” pledges in February, and it falls in advance of Shareholder Season, another opportunity to pressure the banks.
Many banks aren’t open on weekends, so a weekday was better. (And, let’s be honest – it’s such a catchy date!)
Yes! We had an option available to fax a letter to CEOs to stop funding climate chaos.
You can also sign and share our Banking on Our Future Pledge.
In addition, please feel free to share these actions on social media:
Use Hashtags: #StopDirtyBanks #32123 #ActOnClimate
Tag Third Act: @thirdactorg (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)
We also love seeing photos and videos of Third Actors holding signs or cutting up credit cards — please share them with us on social media as well!
For even more information on how to stay involved, please feel free to view our “Power of One” webinar and the associated resources.
Finally, for all the latest updates, please sign up for our email newsletter here.
We had a variety of resources available, including if this was your first time organizing an event!
Working groups are volunteer-run groups organized by affinity or by geographic location; these groups carry out organizing, communication and campaigns.
Visit this page to learn more about how to get in touch with established groups and to see which ones are in formation – more to come!
One of the themes of the Day of Action was to “move your money” from the big, dirty banks and open new accounts with better banks, credit unions, and credit cards. Third Act and our partners have many resources to help you get started on finding better banks, credit unions, and credit cards. You can:
Watch a recording of the Third Act webinar Responsible Finance #2 Webinar: Better Banks & Credit Cards
Read the resource guides and blogs with tips for avoiding impacts on your credit score, considerations for older people applying for new credit, what kinds of banks and credit cards will meet your needs, managing reward programs, and resources and lists for finding a better bank or credit card
Use the THIS! Is What We Did worksheets
View additional webinar series, blogs, and other tools to get started in Third Act’s Responsible Finance Resources Collection
Tell us about your progress and experience with opening a new account here
We delivered thousands of signed pledges to the banks in advance of the Day of Action and put them on notice that we demand change, and we’re continuing to add more signatures every day!
Please sign the Banking on our Future Pledge and tell the big, dirty banks that you pledge to move your money if the banks won’t commit to moving out of fossil fuel financing!
We had over 50 partners on board! Partner orgs can check out this link to sign on and ask any questions.
First, rest and celebration!
This Day of Action is one moment in our movement and we will have many more moments to take action together. Next steps will depend on many things – opportunities revealed by the Day of Action itself, banks’ responses to our campaign, your ideas and more!
So, the second step is to re-assess where we are:
Did a bunch of folks join our campaign? Did a public figure or banker make a statement that we want to highlight? Do any influential businesses want to divest from banks? Don’t worry, there are lots more things to do!
To stay involved with continuing this work beyond 3.21.23, sign up for our newsletter here!
For any other questions, please contact us at info@thirdact.org
