Thank You for an Incredible 2013!

Before 2013 comes to a close, we want to a take a brief moment to thank our partners, our supporters, and nonprofits across the country for supporting voting.

2013 was an exciting year for Nonprofit VOTE:

• We debuted brand-new research on the impact of nonprofit voter engagement, including both turnout data and case studies. 
• The second annual National Voter Registration Day was once again endorsed by the National Association of Secretaries of State and embraced by secretaries of state across the country.
• We released the latest report in our America Goes to the Polls series as well as an accompanying report on voter turnout gaps. 
• We concluded another successful run of our annual webinar series, all of which can be watched anytime on our YouTube channel.

There will be plenty for nonprofits to do in 2014. In case you want to get a jump on things, you can register now for our January 23rd webinar on making a voter engagement plan.

Thank you for everything and Happy New Year from Nonprofit VOTE!

Girls Inc. She Votes 2012: Future voters, future leaders

A partner of Nonprofit VOTE, Girls Inc. is a national affiliate-based organization "inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold."

In 2012, 56 local Girls Inc. affiliates around the country participated in She Votes, enabling 4,424 girls to cast ballots in a mock election. Through She Votes, girls get hands-on experience with voting, and learn about voter registration, the importance of women in politics, who represents them at various levels of office, and how to run campaigns. In addition to the mock election, many affiliates hosted speakers and developed additional programming:

• In Sarasota, FL, girls ran for Mayor, Vice Mayor, Historian, Secretary, and Treasurer, complete with speeches. In order to strengthen girls' understanding of office, these newly elected officials will serve one-year terms and then face reelection. For this project, Girls Inc. of Sarasota partnered with the local county supervisor of elections and a local judge, who swore the girls into office. 
•  Girls Inc. of Kingsport, TN had two girls "stand-in" as candidates for a presidential debate, fielding questions from girls in the audience. 
• U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Gubernatorial candidate Maggie Hassan (D-NH) also spoke to Girls Inc. affiliates last fall, along with an array of county clerks, mayors, and other officials and candidates. 
• Girls Inc. of Southwestern Connecticut met the mayor and toured City Hall. 

In 2012, Girls Inc. also added a parent outreach component to She Votes. Staff created a "take-home card" that informs parents about the program and has a space for girls to track their age during each election until they finally turn 18 and are eligible to vote in a real election. The take-home card also reminds parents to be good civic role models by voting themselves and taking their daughter with them to the polls.

Read the report about Girls Inc. She Votes 2012 to learn more. 

Girls Inc. She Votes is a nonpartisan educational initiative that gives girls the skills and confidence to envision themselves as both future voters and future candidates. Started in 2004, this biennial project helps girls understand the American political system and prepares them for a life as engaged citizens.

2012 Spotlight: Boys & Girls Clubs of America

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America's 2012 "Our Voice, Our Choice" campaign effectively combined many elements of the Nonprofit VOTE voter engagement model.

1. Commitment from the top. "Character and Citizenship" is one of BGCA's six program foci, and the vice president responsible for this area was able to get institutional buy-in for voter engagement as a natural extension of this core commitment. This helped ensure the various campaign elements were seen as sanctioned and pre-approved.

2. Planning. High level buy-in was secured in part because the Director and Assistant Director for Character and Citizenship developed a thoughtful and organized multi-stage plan months in advance. They organized voter engagement activities into five "pushes," indicating different activities for staff and program participants, at the national office, and among affiliates. Unlike a spontaneous activity proposed last minute during the height of an intense election season, this prepared approach allowed for internal review, approval, and support.

3. Branding. BGCA developed an attractive "Our Voice, Our Choice" logo that became ubiquitous within and among BGCA affiliates (though it was not part of BGCA's external communications). The campaign tagline, "Great citizens start here," played off a familiar BGCA motto, "Great futures start here."

4. Built in, not tacked on. The BGCA campaign generally didn't require extra resources because most activities were incorporated into existing youth programs and leveraged existing policies:

• National staff: BGCA's campaign plan included a range of activities throughout the various stages, including: Pre- and post-campaign "We the People" quizzes with prizes; iCivics online games; "Lunch & Learn" with county board of elections officials; fun videos made in-house; red, white, and blue "jeans day"; cupcakes and sodas on Election Day; an online guide to activities, and; a special HR memo explaining their paid leave policy for voting.
• Local clubs: BGCA utilized existing communications channels--primarily their internal intranet "online communities"--to provide their 4,000 affiliates and 45,000 staff members with regular messages and reminders as well as well as links to Nonprofit VOTE resources and election information. Local clubs incorporated mock elections, iCivics quizzes and games, and voting activities into ongoing youth programs.

5. Having fun! From the start, the campaign was designed to be fun and festive. BGCA produced a man-in-the-street style video to find out what people know about voting, the national office hosted "Lunch & Learn" sessions, youth played iCivics games online, and Election Day itself was a celebration of democracy featuring balloons and festive attire.

Partner Spotlight: National Association of Community Health Centers

As the year comes to an end, we want to recognize the work of our many state and national partners, along with the local nonprofits who made an impact on voter turnout by registering and educating their communities.

In 2012, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) had 175 members that conducted voter registration activities. The participating health centers were located in 34 states--from Oklahoma to Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Hawaii--representing both urban and rural locations with mixed demographics. These health centers registered or re-registered over 25,000 voters and collected an additional 10,000 voter pledges.

Although NACHC has managed their Community Health Vote program for a number of years, in 2012 they made great strides in working to develop a reservoir of best practices to help additional health centers determine what strategies might be successful at their specific sites. Health centers engaged in a variety of voter registration, education, and get-out-the-vote activities: a health center in Philadelphia distributed educational materials on voter ID, while centers in Las Vegas and North Carolina provided transportation to the polls during early voting. Some health centers established voter registration and information kiosks in waiting rooms. NACHC also maintained a national number that voters could text to find their polling place which over 1,000 individuals utilized. A provider in South Carolina helped a 108-year-old woman register and vote for the first time.

The National Voter Registration Act requires health centers that enroll patients in WIC and Medicare to ask about voter registration. Thus, many health centers already offer voter registration on an ongoing basis and have used this requirement to consider how to expand voter registration to other points of service. Rather than episodic registration drives, some are considering how to maintain voter engagement efforts year round while expanding the work during general elections.

One barrier is that there is no template for doing this work at health centers because their staffing, foot traffic, services, and populations vary so much. A half dozen health centers participated in case studies to provide ideas and guidance for others moving forward. Like other nonprofits it is often left to the individual organization to determine what will work best for their constituents and community.

Thursday: Nonprofits Get Out the Vote! Web Event

Be prepared (and get excited!) about Election Day by joining Nonprofit VOTE for a special web event:

Nonprofits Get Out the Vote! Countdown to Election Day
Thursday, October 11th at 2:00pm Eastern
The final weeks leading up to an election are critical for voters, and during that time the potential to impact turnout is enormous.

Learn more during this exciting event featuring:

• National nonprofit leaders highlighting the sector's pivotal role,
• Nonprofit-specific strategies for the final stages of an effective nonpartisan voter engagement campaign,
• Examples from local nonprofits on how to successfully incorporate voter engagement into programs and services, and
• Tips and tools tailored to the final weeks before Election Day and Election Day itself.

Guest presenters include:

• Michael Weekes, President and CEO, Providers' Council of Massachusetts and Board Chair, Nonprofit VOTE
• Daniel Hawkins, Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Research, National Association of Community Health Centers
• Maria Teresa Kumar, CEO/President, Voto Latino
• Zach Markovits, Manager, Election Initiatives, Pew Center on the States
• Local nonprofit leaders

Register now for Nonprofits Get Out The Vote! Countdown to Election Day and join nonprofits across the country as we lift our voices and mobilize our communities to vote on November 6th!

Saturday is National Military Voter Readiness Day

In collaboration with the Heroes Vote Initiative, Nonprofit VOTE is pleased to announce that September 15, 2012 is National Military Voter Readiness Day.

The goal of Military Voter Readiness Day is twofold: 1) to raise awareness of upcoming state deadlines for military members to register to vote and request an absentee ballot, and 2) to encourage active duty military voters and their spouses to complete a Federal Post Card Application, which allows them to register and request an absentee ballot in one easy step. That application can be completed online in just a few short minutes.

Actively engaging military voters is critical because in 2008 less than 20% of 2.5 million military voters were able to request and return their absentee ballots and have that ballot counted. In 2010, that number was just 4.6%. (Learn more.)

Through National Military Voter Readiness Day and other efforts, we hope to ensure that all military voters--regardless of their location in the world--have the opportunity to register, request an absentee ballot, and cast their vote.

The Heroes Vote Initiative is a nonpartisan program of the Military Voter Protection Project, which works with local military and veterans groups, as well as state and local election officials, to motivate military voter participation and provide assistance to those members who need it.

Partner Spotlight: OhioVOTES

OhioVOTES, a project of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO), is hosting three voter engagement trainings in September. Ohio nonprofits are invited to either Cleveland, Columbus, or Cincinnati to learn how to mobilize and motivate your staff, board, volunteers, and the people your organization serves.

The trainings are free and will cover voter engagement guidelines for 501(c)(3) organizations, ideas for educating and motivating your community, and the latest election laws in Ohio. Nonprofit executives, board members, program staff, and volunteers are all encouraged to attend and CEU credits are available.

If you're a nonprofit in Ohio--or know one--register now for a September training in the city closest to you! OhioVOTES is a nonpartisan voter participation initiative that supports and expands the ability of nonprofits to get people involved in and excited about voting.

Vote 2012: The Nonprofit Difference

The following appeared in the Summer 2012 issue of The Provider, the flagship publication of the Providers' Council.

Many nonprofits see voter outreach as something beyond the scope of the services they provide, leaving their clients to instead rely on the efforts of candidates and party campaigns. As a result, many potential voters receive no assistance at all.

Factors like being nonpartisan, financial and time concerns, and a lack of resources and support further compound the situation.

Nonprofits CAN participate.

However, nonprofits can participate. It's true that 501(c)(3) nonprofits are required to be nonpartisan, but nonpartisan does not mean non-participation. Nonprofits are realizing that voter engagement doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. Many organizations now recognize the value of voter engagement as a key component in their advocacy toolkit and are no longer watching passively from the sidelines on Election Day.

Organizations like the Providers' Council—a long-time partner of Nonprofit VOTE—have led this transition in recent years by bringing voter engagement into the sector mainstream through initiatives like CareVote. The Council is joined by others like CalNonprofits which encourages California nonprofits to "Vote with Your Mission" and the National Association of Community Health Centers with its ongoing Community Health Vote project.

Participation is EASY.

Voter registration, voter education, and get-out-the-vote work is most effective when nonprofits incorporate activities and conversations into ongoing services. There is no need to develop a new voter registration program when organizations can simply ask clients about registering to vote during intake or while updating their information.

Participation is EFFECTIVE.

Perhaps most importantly, the agency-based approach is effective. Research conducted with human service agencies in Detroit during the 2010 midterm election demonstrated that when nonprofits talked to their clients about voting they were not only more likely to vote, but also more likely to talk to their friends and family about voting. This year Nonprofit VOTE has partnered with CareVote to conduct additional research in Massachusetts and ten other states to further explore best practices for nonprofit service providers.

Participation HELPS nonprofits' missions.

The ballot box is critical to nonprofits' larger advocacy and policy efforts.

Elected officials pay attention to which communities and which populations turn out and are generally more responsive to organizations involved in registering voters and encouraging turnout. Voting is good for the people nonprofits serve, as voters are more likely to contact elected officials, talk to their neighbors, and actively engage with their communities.

But ultimately the only way to have representatives and laws that support your work is to vote and to encourage other people to do the same. Voting is an extension of your dedication to providing quality care and services, which is why it's equally important to encourage the people you serve to vote.

JOIN US. (And get stickers!)

As a member of the Providers' Council, your organization is already deeply involved in your community and invested in its future. We want to invite you to take the next step and support voting.

Your community contains distinct voices with specific needs. By conducting nonpartisan voter engagement your organization can help lift these concerns and empower your clients and constituents to participate in 2012.

Join a nationwide nonprofit campaign to support voting November 6 and send a message to your clients, constituents, and community. Plus every organization that signs on will receive a free "Vote November 6" kit and be eligible for weekly raffles for buttons and stickers to help raise awareness in your community.

This year, nonprofits in Massachusetts and across the country are engaging their communities around elections in greater numbers than ever. Nonprofit VOTE and the Providers' Council want to help you do more, both now and after the election. We have materials and resources to help you get buy-in, make a plan, and achieve success. With your added efforts, we can make nonprofit voices heard at the polls like never before.

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.

AIGA Get-Out-the-Vote Poster Competition

As part of their Design for Democracy program, AIGA--the professional association for design--is hosting a get-out-the-vote poster contest!

Their Get-Out-the-Vote campaign invites designers to create nonpartisan posters and videos that inspire the American public to participate in the electoral process and vote in the 2012 general election.

The initiative enables designers to engage in the public arena by contributing to a coordinated voter mobilization campaign, which is great news for nonprofits, as all of the posters can be viewed online, downloaded, and printed! Browse their current submissions or the 2008 gallery and hang your favorite(s) in a prominent location!

Partner Spotlight: U.S. Vote Foundation

The U.S. Vote Foundation (US Vote) is working to transform the complex domestic absentee voter process. Starting this month, US Vote will launch an online absentee ballot request process for all states. The site already features state-specific voter registration, election information, and a comprehensive election office directory. US Vote will help overcome the information and form completion barriers facing domestic voters to generate a complete absentee ballot.

US Vote is an initiative of the Overseas Vote Foundation (OVF), the leader in nonprofit voter services for overseas absentee voters. "It's rewarding to see that OVF's eight years of software development and voter services innovation will now benefit domestic US voters," said Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat, President and CEO of OVF. "Given the hurdles that US voters face, an accessible absentee ballot request service is long overdue."

Remember to Vote with Your Mission!

It's Election Day in California, where CalNonprofits' Vote with Your Mission campaign is officially underway! Last month, we described their efforts to achieve 100% participation among California's nonprofit staff and volunteers in the 2012 June and November elections.

As of today, more than 100 nonprofits have already signed on! Organizations represent the diversity of California's nonprofit community in terms of geography, size, community served, and type of services offered. They include direct social service providers, arts organizations, advocacy and policy groups, private foundations, and statewide and regional coalitions and associations. More than two dozen organizations have signed up as campaign co-sponsors, agreeing to reach out to at least 15 other nonprofits to encourage them to join the campaign.

Nonprofit VOTE serves as a campaign resource partner, providing nonpartisan voter registration and engagement materials and webinars to participants. We're proud to support this type of leadership effort to bring nonprofit voter engagement into the mainstream. Just remember, you don't have to be a California nonprofit to join the voter engagement movement or to encourage your affiliates to vote with your mission!

Partner Spotlight: Girls Inc. She Votes

She Votes 2010 participants in Santa Barbara, California.
Photo Courtesy of Girls Inc.

One of our national partners, Girls Inc., offers a variety of programs aimed to inspire girls to be strong, smart, and bold by equipping them to achieve academically, manage money, navigate media messages, lead healthy and physically active lives, and discover an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. Each year they serve 150,000 girls, ages 6-18.

Although they aren't yet eligible to vote, Girls Inc. is celebrating girls' voices. Since 2004, Girls Inc. affiliates across the country have been hosting mock elections through their She Votes initiative, actively engaging girls in elections and the political process. In 2010, more than 3,600 girls across the country participated in a mock election coinciding with the November midterm.

Not only did the girls get to vote on a national Girls Inc. ballot initiative, but many local chapters also included mock elections for Governor, Congress, and local offices. In Omaha, Nebraska, girls had the opportunity to use real voting machines, and in Shelbyville, Indiana, the girls campaigned among themselves to be elected President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

In Tarrant County, Texas, the mock election raised questions about the nature and purpose of elections with one girl asking "Why is voting secret? Is it to prevent voters from cheating off of one another?" These and other conversations helped participants better appreciate the importance of voting. She Votes also creates excitement around elections--with girls running through the door on Election Day and applauding for one another as they drop their ballots into the box.

While Girls Inc. focuses on direct service, they also appreciate the need for broader action through advocacy. Girls Inc. recognizes that public policy affects girls' everyday lives and opportunities, and that they can inform those policies. Although encouraging civic participation is not the focus of their work, programs like She Votes empower girls to speak for themselves and show that voter engagement can complement any public service mission.

Every election is a teachable moment, particularly because Girls Inc. wants girls to become active and engaged citizens and leaders. Their She Votes initiative shows that it's never too early to prepare future voters or inspire future candidates!

Candidates Talk Back with Candidate Questionnaires!

While nonprofits cannot support or oppose a candidate for office, there are a number of ways to engage candidates on a nonpartisan basis.

Consider creating a candidate questionnaire: not only will it allow you to communicate with candidates, but it will also let your clients (and the public) know what the candidates think about a variety of issues impacting your community.

Draft the questions carefully.

• Pose questions in a neutral manor so that they do not favor (or seem to favor) a particular candidate.
• Don't use the questionnaire to demonstrate whether a candidate agrees or disagrees with your organization's views.
• Keep it fairly short--you want candidates to respond and you want people to read their responses.
• Use open-ended questions and avoid yes/no or support/oppose formats.
• Do not include pledges (e.g. "If elected I agree to support all _____ issues.").

Distribute the questionnaire to all candidates.

• Be sure to send the questions to EVERY candidate in the race.
• Provide a word limit for responses--this helps avoid the impression of favoring one candidate over another.
• Set a deadline for replies, but leave a reasonable amount of time.
• Don't be afraid to follow up if you don't hear back.

Share their responses!

• Publish all responses in full (another reason for imposing a word limit). Do not paraphrase, summarize, or edit responses.
• All responses should be displayed in the same font, the same print size, and in an impartial way.
• Remember, do not compare the candidates' responses to your organization's views.
• Let the public know this information is available! Post it on your website, broadcast it in your communications, and make hard copies available at your nonprofit.

For further guidelines (like what to do if some candidates don't respond) review the Alliance for Justice's Candidate Questionnaire factsheet.

Ahead of their May 8th state primary, the N.C. Center for Nonprofits sent a list of 10 questions about key policy issues for the nonprofit sector to each gubernatorial candidate. They ranged from inquiries about personal experience with the nonprofit sector to questions about incentives for charitable giving, and plans to collaborate with and support nonprofits in North Carolina. A number of candidates participated, so check out their responses!

Consider writing your own questionnaire, and learn more about candidate engagement! Have you created a candidate questionnaire? Tell us about it!

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New Partner Spotlight: Kids Voting USA

Please join us in welcoming Kids Voting USA (KVUSA) to the Nonprofit VOTE network! Kids Voting USA is working to secure the future of our democracy by preparing young people to be educated, engaged citizens. They operate through a national network of community-based affiliates that partner with schools and elections officials to offer students in Kindergarten through high school a range of opportunities for civic learning and engagement.

By combining classroom instruction, family dialogue, and an authentic voting experience, KVUSA is working to create long-term changes in voting behavior. Students take part in a voting experience using a ballot that mirrors that of adults with the same candidates and issues, reinforcing civic knowledge and skills.

Learn more about all of our state and national partners. 

Partner Spotlight: CWLA

Nonprofit VOTE is pleased to introduce one of our newest national partners, the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA)! CWLA is a powerful coalition of hundreds of private and public agencies serving vulnerable children and families since 1920.

CWLA leads and engages its network to advance policies, best practices, and collaborative strategies that result in better outcomes for vulnerable children, youth, and families. Encouraging civic and voter engagement is one of the ways CWLA helps advocate for children and youth, as well as the communities that care for and support them. Their expertise, leadership, and innovation helps improve the lives of millions of children in all 50 states.

Find out how voter engagement can help your organization better meet the needs of your clients and constituents!

Who Better than Nonprofits?

Earlier this month, Susan Dreyfus, the president and CEO of the Alliance for Children and Families--one of Nonprofit VOTE's national partners--blogged about the importance of voter engagement in the nonprofit community.

With November speeding toward us, she urged the sector to consider how it will help ensure that all Americans can exercise their right to vote. Dreyfus asked:

• Will this sector provide opportunities for folks to register to vote?
• Will we provide information on how to vote? 
• Will we offer opportunities to learn about the issues and consider the positions of the various candidates?

For Nonprofit VOTE and for the Alliance, the answer is yes. What about your organization? Whether your nonprofit serves 10 families, houses 200 residents, or feeds 5,000 people, you can improve the lives of your clients and constituents by encouraging them to be active in the democratic process.

Our role is not to influence how people vote, but simply to ensure that they do. "Who better than the nonprofit human services sector to embrace participation in the democratic process as a part of how we achieve our missions?"

Up for the challenge? Voterize your nonprofit and get started today!

Community Health Vote 2012

This week, one of our partners, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) is launching Community Health Vote 2012--a national nonpartisan voter engagement campaign to establish voter engagement as an ongoing effort at as many health centers as possible.

Marc Wetherhorn, NACHC’s National Advocacy Director, blogged: "Health centers are in a unique position to help our communities be more civically engaged because the very nature of health centers makes them an integral part of how low income Americans are involved in their communities and society."

Like other nonprofits, many health centers have been doing voter engagement for years, seeing it as an extension of their mission. This year, NACHC is urging all health centers to participate because "Every health center has the power to dramatically increase voter participation in its district."

To help health centers get started, NACHC has crafted a Health Center Voter Engagement Tool Kit. Learn more about Community Health Vote and read the full blog post.

Partner Spotlight: The Arc

We're pleased to introduce our newest 2012 national partner, The Arc! The Arc is the largest national community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. As a leader in disability rights, The Arc boasts more than 140,000 members and more than 700 state and local chapters.

The Arc's mission is to ensure that every individual and family living with an intellectual or developmental disability in the U.S. has access to the information, advocacy and skills they need to participate as active citizens of our democracy and active members of their community. One of the ways The Arc does this is by encouraging voter participation. They are hosting a Disability Policy Seminar next month, which will include a session on best practices in voter engagement, featuring Nonprofit VOTE's George Pillsbury, as well as leaders from national disability organizations.

N.C. Hosts Nonprofit Voter Registration Month

With March Madness gripping the nation, you might not have heard that in North Carolina March is also Nonprofit Voter Registration Month!

Democracy North Carolina, one of our state partners, is working on a 2012 Nonprofit Voter Engagement Project to encourage and support nonprofits conducting voter outreach.

Although this can take many forms--like distributing nonpartisan educational materials or mobilizing clients, staff, and volunteers to vote--this month's focus is voter registration. With a May 8th state primary (which features an amendment on same-sex marriage) coming up now is the perfect time for N.C. nonprofits to register their clients and constituents to vote. 

Democracy North Carolina can provide training, voter education materials, up-to-date information on election laws, partner with you to mobilize voters, and brainstorm and strategize with you about how to tailor a voter engagement plan to fit your organization. Don't wait! Contact Isela Gutiérrez at isela AT democracy-nc DOT org for more information.

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