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About

Welcome! We are committed Washingtonians over sixty who are determined to make “good trouble” protecting our planet and our democracy.

Third Act Washington (TAWA) launched in early 2022 as Third Act Puget Sound (TAPS). We recently changed our name to reflect our member community, which is growing in size (nearly 400) and geographical range. Whether you have been working on climate and democracy issues for decades or this is your first time getting involved, we welcome you. Together we will use our experience and resources to address the climate crisis and protect our democracy.

What We Do

We work closely with Third Act national to support country-wide campaigns which we implement on the ground in Washington State. We also focus on local issues, often partnering with local, mission-aligned organizations, including PSARA (Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action), Common Power, Climate Solutions, Divest Washington, the Washington Clean Energy Coalition, and others to have the greatest possible impact.

A top priority of TAWAs is to create opportunities for members to learn together. We recognize that many people care deeply about climate and democracy issues, but they aren’t sure of the best way to contribute, or even how to talk about these issues with family and friends. We are excited to equip our members with the tools and support to make a difference.

Join Us!

Sign up for our working group to receive updates about meetings, learning opportunities (i.e., book discussions, speakers), and local advocacy efforts. We can also help you connect with other Third Actors living in your community.

Volunteer to Grow and Sustain Third Act Washington

TAWA is an all-volunteer organization, which means we rely on members to contribute their time and skills to achieve our goals. In addition to campaign-related roles, volunteers design and publish our newsletter, manage social media and other communications, welcome new members, organize learning and social events, and more.

We have many ways for you to get involved! Below are our current projects.

Current Projects

  • Push Washington State to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
    Volunteers lead our Power Up! Washington campaign, supporting state legislation needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. These emissions targets were set by Washington’s 2021 Climate Commitment Act, which establishes a comprehensive, market-based program to reduce carbon pollution. We cannot afford to delay the transition to clean energy! Contact Tom Kraemer at tkraimer2@frontier.com or Chris Goelz at chrisgoelz455@gmail.com
  • Stop the Financing of Fossil Fuel Expansion
    TAWA members work together on campaigns and initiatives that target dirty banks and advocate for fossil free financing. Third Act and THIS! Is What We Did work together to provide support and resources to people who want to move their money away from climate-bad banks. We are proud that our working group launched the Costco-Citibank campaign in 2022. We were first in the nation to ask Costco, an important client of Citi, to pressure Citi to stop funding fossil fuels or drop Citi as its credit card issuer. Contact Anne Shields at anne.shields206@gmail.com.
  • Pass Legislation to Phase Out Public Pension Fossil Fuel Investments
    Volunteers on TAWA’s policy committee support all of our advocacy efforts, including support for Divest Washington in building a broad coalition to advocate for legislation to phase out public pension fossil fuel investments. In 2021, the Washington State Investment Board invested over $8 billion directly in fossil fuels and another $26 billion in dirty banks and index funds that include fossil fuel investments. Contact Mary Lou Dickerson at maryloudickerson@comcast.net or Kristin Edmark at kristinedmark@hotmail.com.
  • Saving our Democracy support TAWA efforts in voter registration and mobilizing people to show up at the polls in Washington and in battleground states. TAWA partners locally with Common Power on democracy education and actions. Contact Polle Zellweger at polle.zellweger@gmail.com. For postcarding efforts, contact Mallory Clarke at tiamalby@gmail.com.
  • More details about volunteer opportunities here.

Contact Us

Email us at washington@thirdact.org with your questions, ideas, and interest in volunteering.

Teams

We have the following teams, which are described in this Google Document:

Learn More About Third Act Washington

Read our blog

View past meetings and presentations (most recent at top):

Read our newsletters

Credits

Logo photos: Joel Rogers www.joelrogers.com

Banner design: Arlene Williams

Disclaimer: Working Groups are volunteer-run groups organized by affinity or by geographic location. Working Groups engage in campaign activities, communicate with their Working Group volunteers, and maintain the content on their Working Group webpages.