Learn about Nonprofit Voter Registration!

There's still time to register for Thursday's webinar!

Ready, Set, Register: Nonprofit Voter Registration 
Thursday August 2nd, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Registering to vote is the first step to becoming an active and engaged voter. In 2008, nine out of ten registered voters cast a ballot; among those who did not vote, many reported that they encountered problems with their registration. Join us for more on how your nonprofit can ensure that your clients and constituents are registered to vote and able to participate in this year's election! We'll help you create a voter registration plan, develop strategies and tactics for registering community members, ensure you remain nonpartisan, and more.

Featured Presenter: Isela Gutiérrez-Gunter is the Nonprofit Outreach Coordinator at Democracy North Carolina. She has previously worked as an advocate for statewide juvenile justice policy reform in Austin, TX, and on local drug policy reform efforts in Seattle, WA. She has a BA in History from Scripps College, and will receive her MSW with an emphasis on Community, Management, and Policy Practice from UNC Chapel Hill in August 2012. 

Election Protection Webinar Materials

Yesterday's webinar, Nonprofits and Election Protection: Our role in helping our communities vote November 6, is now available. Thank you to Eric Marshall from the Lawyers' Committee for joining us to discuss how your nonprofit can help ensure that your community members have the information and resources they need to successfully cast a ballot in 2012.

Watch the presentation on YouTube. If you subscribe to our channel, you'll be notified whenever new content is posted. You can also download the PowerPoint presentation and the audio portion of the presentation, or browse all of our nonprofit voter engagement resources.

Learn how your nonprofit can register voters during next week's webinar. Join us on August 2nd for Ready, Set, Register: Nonprofit Voter Registration. RSVP today!

Upcoming Nonprofit Voter Registration Webinar

November is only a few months away! Help register your clients and community members to vote and ensure that their voices are heard in 2012! Register to learn more:

Ready, Set, Register: Nonprofit Voter Registration 
Thursday August 2nd, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Registering to vote is the first step to becoming an active and engaged voter. In 2008, nine out of ten registered voters cast a ballot; among those who did not vote, many reported that they encountered problems with their registration. Join us for more on how your nonprofit can ensure that your clients and constituents are registered to vote and able to participate in this year's election! We'll help you create a voter registration plan, develop strategies and tactics for registering community members, ensure you remain nonpartisan, and more.

Featured Presenter: Isela Gutiérrez-Gunter is the Nonprofit Outreach Coordinator at Democracy North Carolina. She has previously worked as an advocate for statewide juvenile justice policy reform in Austin, TX, and on local drug policy reform efforts in Seattle, WA. She has a BA in History from Scripps College, and will receive her MSW with an emphasis on Community, Management, and Policy Practice from UNC Chapel Hill in August 2012. 

Two Months until National Voter Registration Day!

The countdown is officially on with only two months until National Voter Registration Day on September 25th!

In 2008, 6 million Americans didn't vote because they missed a registration deadline or didn't know how to register. In 2012, we want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to vote. On September 25, 2012, organizations across the country will participate in National Voter Registration Day to contact and register tens of thousands of voters who would not otherwise be reached about this year's election.

Your nonprofit can tap into this special day by signing on as a partner to organize a voter registration activity or spread the word about National Voter Registration Day and voter registration.

It's a great one-day opportunity for any nonprofit to help register their staff, community, and the people they serve. Nonprofits who sign up will receive a National Voter Registration Day toolkit and support for conducting voter registration on the 25th.

Be part of a nationwide network of local organizations committed to registering their clients and their communities on September 25th!

Join today!

National Voter Registration Day is a nonpartisan event supported by the League of Women Voters, Nonprofit VOTE, Voto Latino, Rock the Vote, Tumblr, and a growing list of nonprofit and civic partners across the country.

Register Now for Nonprofits and Election Protection

There's still time to register for Thursday's webinar:

Nonprofits and Election Protection
Thursday July 26th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Your nonprofit can help ensure that your clients, constituents, and community members have the information and resources they need to successfully cast a ballot this year. We'll discuss tools like the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline and a new mobile phone app from the Lawyers' Committee. Learn how your nonprofit can direct voters to these and other resources for comprehensive voter information and advice on making sure their vote is counted. Other topics will include voter education and empowerment in this year's changing election law landscape, and how to become a poll worker or poll monitor.

Featured Presenter: As manager of legal mobilization, Eric Marshall is the chief organizer for the Lawyers' Committee and is responsible for creating and managing the infrastructure necessary to direct large scale pro bono resources to address modern civil rights issues.

Test Your Advocacy Capacity!

Bolder Advocacy (Alliance for Justice) has a new Advocacy Capacity Tool to help nonprofits and foundations assess their ability to conduct advocacy. The online survey can provide insights and help make your advocacy more effective.

Nonprofit voter engagement is a critical piece of your advocacy toolkit. Raising participation rates in your community can benefit both your organization and your constituents. While you may already be involved in lobbying or other advocacy efforts, voter engagement can play a key role in furthering all of your public policy goals.

This tool can help you identify areas of capacity to strengthen in order to accomplish your advocacy goals, plan for building advocacy capacity, and determine when to seek partners. It can help establish a baseline assessment and spark discussion about advocacy at your organization.

Remember, voter engagement complements the mission and goals of EVERY nonprofit! Get involved in 2012! 

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It's Summer, Don't Forget About SPF!

Summer is in full swing and while you're enjoying the seasonal fun, you shouldn't forget about SPF. While sunscreen is important for your outdoor activities, we're talking about a different kind of SPF--Start Planning for Fall! The November general election is just months away and there's plenty your nonprofit can do to help your community register and vote.

Whether you decide to conduct voter registration, educate voters, or focus on get-out-the-vote work, your efforts will be most successful if you plan them out ahead of time and determine staffing and volunteer needs.

• Start brainstorming now. Download A Voter Participation Starter Kit for ideas and tips. It's been updated for 2012 with the latest information and resources!
• Endorse voting and get a free "Vote November 6" kit, which includes a poster, buttons, and stickers! Encourage other nonprofits in your network to sign on too!
• Sign up for National Voter Registration Day on September 25th. Take part in a nationwide effort to register voters at your nonprofit and in your community!
  
• Register for an upcoming voter engagement webinar. Hear from special guests and experts in the field about best practices, new laws, and what you can do to encourage turnout.

These are just a few suggestions. Visit our resources pages for further ideas and materials. No matter what you approach you choose to take the key is to start planning now!

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Partner Spotlight: YouthBuild USA

One of our newest national partners, YouthBuild USA, is coordinating a 2012 National Voter Registration Campaign with the goal of registering 25,000 new voters in YouthBuild communities across the country.

Incorporated in 1990, there are now 273 YouthBuild programs in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands. 110,000 YouthBuild students have built 21,000 units of affordable, increasingly green, housing since 1994.

One reason YouthBuild cites for incorporating voter engagement into their work is a statistic from the last general election: less than 40% of youth ages 18-24 with the equivalent of a high school education voted, while over 70% of youth with a college degree or higher voted.

To close this gap, YouthBuild is working to educate their students and staff about state and national voting laws and to encourage discussions in their programs about the November election. Their goal is to have at least 20 YouthBuild programs active and trained in election protection and turnout this year. In May, staff held Voter Education Days for Washington state YouthBuild programs and are now working to replicate their success in other states.

YouthBuild is working to help raise the voices of YouthBuild youth and communities this November and beyond, and so can you! Learn more about nonprofit voter engagement.

Upcoming Webinar: Nonprofits & Election Protection

In addition to helping clients register to vote, nonprofits can play a critical role in ensuring our communities can actually cast a ballot.

Nonprofits and Election Protection
Thursday July 26th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Your nonprofit can help ensure that your clients, constituents, and community members have the information and resources they need to successfully cast a ballot this year. We'll discuss tools like the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline and a new mobile phone app from the Lawyers' Committee. Learn how your nonprofit can direct voters to these and other resources for comprehensive voter information and advice on making sure their vote is counted. Other topics will include voter education and empowerment in this year's changing election law landscape, and how to become a poll worker or poll monitor.

Featured Presenter: As manager of legal mobilization, Eric Marshall is the chief organizer for the Lawyers' Committee and is responsible for creating and managing the infrastructure necessary to direct large scale pro bono resources to address modern civil rights issues.

Voter Engagement Starter Kit: Updated for 2012

Now that your organization has decided to endorse voting, you might be wondering what to do next. Just in time to help you make your summer plans, we've revised our Starter Kit for 2012!

A Voter Participation Starter Kit for Nonprofits and Social Service Agencies is an ideal guide for helping kick off voter participation activities at your organization.

It not only covers how to make a plan that works for your nonprofit, but it also describes a variety of voter registration, education, and get-out-the-vote activities and ideas. Whether you're looking for tips on getting buy-in, ideas for organizing events, or want to collaborate with a partner organization, the Starter Kit can help.

Whatever your capacity and interests, voter engagement can complement your organization's mission and work. Download the PDF and get voter engagement underway at your nonprofit!

Participate in National Voter Registration Day!

Yesterday's webinar, National Voter Registration Day: How to Get Involved, is now available. With so many great questions from participants, you'll definitely want to check out these materials!

Watch the presentation on YouTube. If you subscribe to our channel, you'll be notified whenever new content is posted. You can also download the PowerPoint presentation and the audio portion of the presentation, or browse all of our voter registration resources.

After you watch the video, visit the National Voter Registration Day website to learn more and get involved on September 25!

There's plenty your organization can do in addition to registering voters! Your nonprofit can also play a critical role in ensuring your community has the information and resources needed to successfully cast a ballot. Join us on July 26 for our next webinar, Nonprofits and Election Protection, to learn more. RSVP today!

Keeping Track of Your Nonprofit's Advocacy

Bolder Advocacy (Alliance for Justice) recently released Keeping Track: A Guide to Recordkeeping for Advocacy Charities. The guide is designed to help nonprofit staff and board members track the lobbying activities of their organization and accurately report those activities to the IRS. The guide contains sample forms and multiple options for tracking staff time, overhead expenses, and direct costs.

Remember that if your nonprofit takes a stand on a ballot measure, you are in fact lobbying and your efforts are subject to normal lobbying limits. This guide can help you better understand and comply with federal tax laws by tracking your lobbying activities.

Learn more about nonprofit ballot measure advocacy and download "Keeping Track".

Endorse Voting November 6!

Endorse voting November 6 and get your free poster, buttons, and stickers!

As 501(c)(3) nonprofits we can't endorse candidates, but we can endorse voting.

Join Nonprofit VOTE's 2012 "Vote November 6" campaign by endorsing voting! The nonprofit sector can spread a simple yet effective message: Vote November 6. Together we can ensure our communities make their voices heard in 2012 by registering and voting!

Every organization that signs on will receive a "Vote November 6" kit with a poster, stickers, and buttons to help get-out-the-vote. Visit our online store to grab t-shirts, water bottles, bags, and other "Vote November 6" gear! Buttons and stickers are also available in bulk.

Every organization that endorses voting will automatically be entered into our weekly drawing to win 100 free stickers. We'll be pulling one winner each week, so endorse early and increase your odds!

After you sign on, invite partners and other nonprofits in your network to join you and endorse voting.

National Voter Registration Day Webinar on Thursday

The only way to ensure that your clients and constituents can vote in November is to make sure they're registered! Join us on Thursday for:

National Voter Registration Day: How to Get Involved
Thursday July 12th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

On September 25th, 2012 thousands of nonprofits, businesses, and volunteers across the country will band together for National Voter Registration Day--an effort to encourage and assist all Americans to register to vote ahead of the November 6th presidential election. Join us to learn how your nonprofit can participate in this nationwide effort and utilize the opportunity to help register your clients, constituents, and community members.

Featured Presenters: Richelle DeVoe is the Field Director for the Bus Federation Civic Fund and is coordinating National Voter Registration Day's field efforts. She previously served as the Fund's National Field Coordinator for the first national Trick or Vote campaign, which successfully coordinated events in over 38 states. Jessica Reeves is the Marketing and Partnership Manager at Voto Latino, where she works on creative development, brand management, marketing, and strategic planning. She is a marketing and advertising specialist with experience in the general and Hispanic markets, and has helped build digital and social media campaigns for Kraft, Twix, Domino's, and other multinational corporations.

Get Involved in National Voter Registration Day!

The only way to ensure that your clients and constituents can vote in November is to make sure they're registered!

National Voter Registration Day: How to Get Involved
Thursday July 12th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

On September 25th, 2012 thousands of nonprofits, businesses, and volunteers across the country will band together for National Voter Registration Day--an effort to encourage and assist all Americans to register to vote ahead of the November 6th presidential election. Join us to learn how your nonprofit can participate in this nationwide effort and utilize the opportunity to help register your clients, constituents, and community members.

Featured Presenters: Richelle DeVoe is the Field Director for the Bus Federation Civic Fund and is coordinating National Voter Registration Day's field efforts. She previously served as the Fund's National Field Coordinator for the first national Trick or Vote campaign, which successfully coordinated events in over 38 states. Jessica Reeves is the Marketing and Partnership Manager at Voto Latino, where she works on creative development, brand management, marketing, and strategic planning. She is a marketing and advertising specialist with experience in the general and Hispanic markets, and has helped build digital and social media campaigns for Kraft, Twix, Domino's, and other multinational corporations.