Don't Be Shy, Engage the Candidates!

This month we're hosting two webinars! The first is the perfect opportunity to brainstorm ways to use ballot measures to educate your clients and further your public policy goals.

Taking a Stand: Ballot Measure Advocacy for Nonprofits
Thursday May 10th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Many states put laws, constitutional amendments, and referendums on the ballot, asking voters to make critical public policy decisions at the polls. Often, the outcome directly affects our organizations and communities, so we have a vested interest in the results. Although nonprofits cannot endorse or oppose a candidate, they can take a stand on ballot measures. Learn how your nonprofit can benefit from engaging the public around ballot measures, as well as how to advance your advocacy efforts through ballot measure activity.

Featured Presenter: Nayantara Mehta is Senior Counsel with the Alliance for Justice in Oakland, California, and works to help strengthen the capacity of the public interest community to influence public policy and engage around elections. She conducts trainings throughout the country on the rules governing advocacy and lobbying by public charities and private foundations. She holds a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), an M.A. from the University of Chicago, and a B.A. from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. 

Webinar Materials on 501(c)(3) Guidelines Now Available

Yesterday's webinar, Being Nonpartisan: 501(c)(3) Guidelines for Voter Engagement Work, is now available!

You can watch the presentation on YouTube, and 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 resources on staying nonpartisan.

Now that you have a handle on the nonpartisan basics, consider taking the next step by registering for our upcoming webinar on May 10th, Taking a Stand: Ballot Measure Advocacy for Nonprofits. Don't miss this opportunity to learn about the do's and don't for engaging the public around referendums, initiatives, and ballot questions. RSVP today!

Reminder: Nonpartisan Guidelines Webinar

There's still time to register for this week's webinar on guidelines for staying nonpartisan while doing voter engagement work! Register now!

Being Nonpartisan: 501(c)(3) Guidelines for Voter Engagement Work
Thursday April 26th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Learn what it means to be nonpartisan and how it impacts the voter engagement efforts of nonprofits. We'll describe what your organization can do within nonpartisan limits to help your clients and community members register to vote and access information about the voting process, candidates, and issues. We'll even describe how to engage candidates on a nonpartisan basis! Register now and help raise participation rates in your community this year!

Featured Presenter: George Pillsbury is the founder and Executive Director of Nonprofit VOTE, as well as the author of "Nonprofits, Voting, and Elections: A Guide to Nonpartisan Voter Engagement for 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organizations". He also founded and directed MassVOTE and started several foundations dedicated to community uplift. His work in the fields of philanthropy, social investing, and voter and civic participation spans three decades.

Voter Registration Upgrades Needed

The Pew Center on the States recently released an issue brief on "Evidence That America's Voter Registration System Needs an Upgrade".

The report underscores the need for registration systems that better maintain voter records, save money, and streamline processes. The report notes that nationwide:

• At least 51 million eligible citizens remain unregistered--more than 24% of the eligible population.
• More than 1.8 million deceased individuals are listed as voters.
• Approximately 2.75 million people have registrations in more than one state.
• About 12 million records have incorrect addresses, meaning either the voters moved, or errors in the information make it unlikely any mailings can reach them.

However, since 2010, elections officials from several states have been working with Pew on plans to upgrade their voter registration systems. This includes comparing registration lists with other data sources--like motor vehicle and National Change of Address records--minimizing data entry by finding ways for voters to submit information online, and using protocols to better track and identify inaccurate records. 

Although nonprofits might not be able to fix all these registration issues, there's plenty we can do to ensure all eligible citizens are registered. Learn more about voter registration and how you can participate in National Voter Registration Day on September 25!

(Image Source) 

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!

(Image Source)

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!

April Webinar: Stay Nonpartisan

Want to give voter engagement a try, but aren't completely sure what it means to be nonpartisan? Register for our April webinar and find out!

Being Nonpartisan: 501(c)(3) Guidelines for Voter Engagement Work
Thursday April 26th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Learn what it means to be nonpartisan and how it impacts the voter engagement efforts of nonprofits. We'll describe what your organization can do within nonpartisan limits to help your clients and community members register to vote and access information about the voting process, candidates, and issues. We'll even tell you how to engage candidates on a nonpartisan basis! Register now and help raise participation rates in your community this year!

Featured Presenter: George Pillsbury is the founder and Executive Director of Nonprofit VOTE, as well as the author of "Nonprofits, Voting, and Elections: A Guide to Nonpartisan Voter Engagement for 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organizations". He also founded and directed MassVOTE and started several foundations dedicated to community uplift. His work in the fields of philanthropy, social investing, and voter and civic participation spans three decades.

County Elections Websites Need Improvement

In an average year, there are over 5,000 local ballot measures on ballots across the country

However, Ballotpedia recently reviewed 738 county election websites and found that as many as 32% don't display information on local ballot measures. The study reviewed 738 county election websites in 11 states--about 24% of the nation's 3,143 counties.

Accessible and informative elections websites are vital to educating voters and maintaining an accountable electoral system. This is particularly true at the county level, because counties typically administer elections for a variety of jurisdictions—including school districts, cities, towns, villages, park and recreation districts, and other special districts, as well as the county itself. The study found:

• The State of Washington consistently had the best information, while Missouri consistently had the worst.
• The county with the longest archival history was Benton County in Oregon, with election information dating back to 1852.
• Of the 738 counties checked, only 505 (68%) had election information available on their local websites.

See a detailed breakdown of how each state and each county was evaluated. Does your county have an elections website and, if so, how does it perform?

(Image Source)

National Voter Registration Day: Sept. 25

Nonprofit VOTE is part of National Voter Registration Day, a nationwide initiative to register all eligible voters on September 25, 2012!

In 2008, 6 million people failed to cast a ballot either because they didn't know how to register to vote or they missed the deadline. But in 2012, we want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to vote.

On September 25th, our coalition will lead a nationwide field effort to register voters at nonprofits, on campus, at work, in the community, and online. Together, we can ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to register and participate in this year's election!

Learn more about National Voter Registration Day, sign up for updates, and learn how you can get involved!

Find Voter Engagement Resources Now!

Nonprofit VOTE has redesigned our Find Resources section to make it easier than ever to locate resources on the topics that interest you!

With this system, you can quickly browse all of our guides, factsheets, posters, external links, webinars, and other materials on a particular subject to find what you need. Our materials are divided into nine topic areas:

• Voter Engagement 101
• Staying Nonpartisan: 501(c)(3) Guidelines
• Voting in Your State
• Nonprofits and Ballot Measures
• Candidate Engagement
• Voter Registration
• Get-Out-the-Vote
• Research
• Voter Turnout

In addition to our new approach to resources, we've added an Action Center to help you better connect with Nonprofit VOTE. Last month, we mentioned the redesigned Get Started page, but there's even more, so take another look! Visit our website today and see all the changes for yourself!

Materials from Voter Participation Basics Webinar

Last week's webinar, Nonpartisan Voter Participation Basics for Nonprofits, is now available!

If you have questions for our featured presenter, Ashley Herad, the Civic Engagement and Public Policy Director for the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations, you can contact her directly at ashley AT lano DOT org.

You can watch the presentation on YouTube, and 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 learn more about voting in your state.

Registration is now open for our April webinar, Being Nonpartisan: 501(c)(3) Guidelines for Voter Engagement Work. RSVP today!

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.

Register for Nonprofit Voter Participation Basics

There's still time to register for this weeks' webinar!

Nonpartisan Voter Participation Basics for Nonprofits
Thursday March 22nd, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Join us for an introduction to nonprofit voter engagement work! We'll cover the basics--like voter registration, voter education, candidate engagement, and get-out-the-vote efforts--and explain how to stay nonpartisan. The discussion will focus on ways maximize your impact while integrating outreach into services you already provide. Make sure your nonprofit is ready for the 2012 elections!

Featured Presenter: Ashley Herad is the Civic Engagement and Policy Director for the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations.

Get Started with Voter Engagement!

With Super Tuesday behind us, there's really no reason to delay in getting started with voter engagement! To help you kick things off, we've simplified our "Get Started" page to give you a few select options for learning more about talking to your clients and constituents about this year's elections.

We've also created a new two-page checklist for nonprofits interested in getting started with voter engagement. It covers the basics for what to consider when making a plan for the first time, as well as the benefits and importance to your overall mission.

No matter what you decide to do, just remember that the key to nonprofit voter engagement is integrating it into your mission and activities you already do! Whether you get the word out by hanging a poster in your lobby or host a candidate forum, your nonprofit is empowering your clients to become active participants in the democratic process.

So what are you waiting for? Get started today!

The Luck o' the Vote!

The first official celebration of St. Patrick's Day in the U.S. occurred in Morristown, New Jersey in 1780 and was authorized by George Washington.

Today it's often celebrated with parades, green clothing, and parties. But before you get your green on tomorrow, use today to think about "The Luck of the Vote" and its benefits. 

Did you know that voting is tied to a host of positive civic, health, and social outcomes? Voters are more likely to volunteer, contact their elected officials, stay informed about local affairs, and contribute to their neighborhood's "social capital". But who votes (and who doesn't) isn't a matter of luck.

Voting isn't an accident, and it doesn't happen by chance. A voter is made when someone offers them the chance to register. A voter turns out because someone reminded or encouraged them to participate on Election Day. When nonprofits talk to their clients about voting, they are not only more likely to vote, but they are also more likely to talk to their friends and family about voting.

Know what else isn't based on luck? Candidate appearances and attention. Candidates spend time and money in areas where turnout is higher and where residents are engaged.

So even though voting might make you feel lucky, you don't actually have to be lucky to reap the benefits! Your nonprofit can positively impact the lives of your clients and constituents simply by encouraging voter participation. Get started today so that your community can bask in "The Luck of the Vote" this November.

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.

(Image Source)

Partner Spotlight: NASS

Since 2010, Nonprofit VOTE has been an official voter participation partner of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS). NASS is the nation's oldest nonpartisan professional organization for public officials and serves as a medium for the exchange of information between states and fosters cooperation in the development of public policy--including elections and voting initiatives. In the past we've worked with NASS to help them maintain their Can I Vote? website. Learn more about your state elections officials and voting in your state!