To say that this has been an eventful year for the ACLU of Southern California would be an understatement. When Ramona announced that she will step down next February after leading our organization to unprecedented growth, innovation and success for 38 years, we all needed a moment to catch our breath. It truly means that an era is ending and a time of transition has begun.

It has been a year of milestones for the ACLU/SC. Despite our accomplishments, though, we know well that much remains to be done. State budget cuts are threatening to seriously erode or even end programs that protect the poorest and most vulnerable Californians. And the Obama administration continues to disappoint those of us who champion civil liberties and civil rights, too often following the corrosive policies of its predecessor on issues of privacy and national security, among others. There is no more effective organization in the country to right these wrongs than the ACLU. There is none that has the kind of influence we do on such a broad range of important issues, either. Check out the stories we have to tell in this latest edition of our annual report; we’re confident that the more you know about us, the more you’ll understand what an amazing organization this is. And once you’ve read about us, please consider a donation or raising your level of support in any and every way possible. Liberty, justice and equality depend on us all.