What Would Alice Paul Do?

In this episode, we are finishing up our five-part series by talking about fundraising. And groups like the League of Women Voters need more dollars to make an impact. We walk you through how to make an ask and fund the causes you care the most about.

At the heart of community organizing is relationship building and inviting people to join the movement. In this episode, we give you the 7 steps to have one-on-one conversations like a community organizer. With these steps, you’ll be able to connect people with their passion and help them find an outlet by jumping in work you are facilitating.

In this episode of the What Would Alice Paul Do? Podcast, we’re continuing our five-part activist series and talking about what a narrative is, when it is used, and how you can craft your own.

In episode 24 of the What Would Alice Paul Do? Podcast, we’re focusing on how you can craft your most effective story as an activist. This is part 2 of our five-part hands-on series on increasing your effectiveness in activism. And we have an important update on H.R. 1 to share.

In episode 23, we’re talking about passion, purpose and people and what that means in the League. And we have an activist tip to share.  

In episode 22 of the What Would Alice Paul Do? Podcast, we are talking about big wins from the 2018 Election and for an Activist Tip, we talk about #GivingTuesday campaigns.

In this episode, we interview Krysta Jones, an exceptional leader who develops other African-American women to lead their communities. Jones spearheads initiatives that focus on diversifying leadership. And In this episode we ask you to take on a new challenge to develop new relationships in diverse communities.

In episode 20, we’re talking about strategy! League of Women Voters’ board and committee retreats are happening now. We want to make sure you have the tools you need to make the next year impactful.

In this episode, we’re taking your questions and reflecting on our experience at the League of Women Voters' 2018 National Convention in Chicago. We also have an Activist Action Alert.

In episode 18, we talk with Pooja Tanjore, an emerging civic leader, Rise to Run volunteer and soon-to-be high school senior. Join us as we discuss the power of grassroots movements and importance in engaging young women in leadership.

In episode 17, we discuss the value of equity and inclusion and the power of creating women-centered spaces in politics. We are again joined by Jessica Rohloff, justice advocate and board member of the League of Women Voters of the United States. 

In episode 16, we take you on a crash course on how to run for public office. We are joined by Jessica Rohloff, justice advocate and board member of the League of Women Voters of the United States, who shares her experience of being an candidate. Learn more about why women need to step forward and run!

In episode 15, we talk about how to run a highly effective high school voter registration drive, and we share three activist alerts.

In episode 14, we’re reflecting on some of the activist work we’ve seen and how you can bring some of the tactics into your work. We also share an activist alert.

In episode 13, we breakdown town halls. These moments don't last long, so we talk about stradgies that will make a lasting impact.  

Happy 2018! In our special episode 12, we interview two new League of Women Voters members on why they selected this legendary civic organization to make a difference in their community.  

In episode 11, we talk about online tools that connect, energize and mobilize your volunteers and supporters.

In episode 10, we recap the 2017 election, share updates from the League of Women Voters' transformational journey, and urge action on the We the People Democracy Reform Act (SB 1880).

League Lingo Moment What is Local Action? When you can speak "for the League" Deeds Not Words - Local Action Find out more about the Campaign to Make Democracy Work approved at 2016 convention Start Your Local Advocacy efforts with these toolkits Redistricting Action Kit Money In Politics Action Kit  Climate Change Toolkit How to get started: Find out how this issue affects your community. Do research of League positions and other advocacy activities taken. Put together a list of common concerns about this issue. Learn about challenges and successes that previous efforts have faced. Get a team together. Make talking points to get you started, and use language from action alerts. Go to LWVUS action alerts or your state league’s action alerts. Join forces with a group already working on this issue. Let your elected officials know how you feel. Hold a candidates’ forum. Hold an educational forum. Attend lobby day or rally. Research which level of government to contact. Focus on one issue at a time. Be professional.  Provide your contact info and the bill number.  Be clear with your position.  Be prepared to counter opposing argument Humanize with personal stories. Being polite. Encourage them to reach out if they have questions Cultivate relationships Leave a one-pager. Flood the scene with your message. Followup with staff. Let your organizational partners know you are working on this issue.  Post alerts on websites and social media Speak with one voice Activist Alert - Dream Act  League Urges U.S. House to Pass Clean Dream Act Learn more about the League of Women Voters' position in Immigration CONNECT WITH US! Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to us on iTunes Subscribe to us on Stitcher LEAVE US AN ITUNES REVIEW! Music by OhmLab. HAVE A QUESTION OR IDEA TO SHARE? LEAVE US A COMMENT! LISTEN NOW!

In episode 8 of the What Would Alice Paul Do? Podcast, we go in-depth about running voter registration projects and the importance of National Voter Registration Day, and we share an activist alert.  Book Recommendations What We Do Now? Standing up For Your Values In Trump’s America, Dennis Johnson, editor  You're More Powerful than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen, Eric Liu Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln Doris Kearns Goodwin League Lingo Vote411 - http://www.vote411.org Voter’s Edge http://votersedge.org Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org Deeds Not Words - Deep Diving Into Voter Registration National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) is a great opportunity to run a voter registration drive. It is an annual event on the fourth Tuesday in September. NVRD Partner Toolkit NVRD Communications Toolkit Ideas on where to celebrate: Community colleges, universities, clinics, big thrift shops, churches that are hosting an event, apartments, grocery stores, transit and bus stops that have a lot of traffic, laundry mart, grocery stores, football games, rainy Saturday at bowling alleys, naturalization ceremonies, community festivals and carnivals, and coffee shops or bars that have a lot of patrons. LWVUS Toolkit: Get the Most out of Voter Registration (PDF) New Voter Registration Training Webinars from LWVUS Nonprofit Vote: Hold a Successful Voter Registration Event (video) Be sure to know your state's laws before you register. Check with your state's Secretary of State or Elections Department page Plan the day! Visit the location beforehand, figure out how the table should be set up, think ahead to what your volunteers need to be successful and feel comfortable, bring free giveaways, have plenty of pens and clipboards, have iPads to online registration or for fillable forms that can be printed and signed, bring lots of signage and wear clothes that make you stand out! High School voter registrations are better for the spring, as more students are old enough to register. Concentrate on community colleges and universities in the fall. Activist Alert - Election Integrity Commission League of Women Voters of the United States have given us more tools to fight Kris Kobach and his sham Election Integrity Commission. See the new talking points and Letter-to-the-Editor templates

In episode 7, we smash through the League of Women Voters terms so you are in the know and fully participate in League activities and leadership! We also share an activist alert. DEEDS NOT WORDS SEGMENT - LWV LINGO EXPLAINED What is Program Planning? Program Planning usually happens in the first of the year. Be sure to check out episode 3: value of nonpartisanship and episode 1: advocacy versus lobbying. Program planning is the first in the process to create an action agenda. For example, Campaign to Make Democracy Work For All from 2016 National Convention. Short summary of the League’s Public Policy Positions and LWV's Impact on Issues 2016-2018. What is the difference between "Program" (positions, action, advocacy) versus hosting programs like events or forums? What is Voter Service? Activities that include educational tools and events that help grow the electorate and help voters make informed decisions at the polls. It is the most sacred nonpartisan work we do. It can include creating voter guides for elections, voter registration, Vote411.org, hosting candidate and issue forums. What is Calendaring? Creating a plan for the year. Calendaring resources from LWV: 360 Degree Look at Calendaring for 365 Days and Calendaring Part 2 (PDF) What is Leaders Update? The LWVUS Leaders' Updates are sent out weekly to state and local presidents. These updates keep state and local Leagues informed about LWVUS actions, upcoming events, and opportunities. Visit lwv.org for more information, including how to sign up. Another tip: the state league will often also have a newsletter you can be added to. What is MAL? MAL stands for Members-at-Large and can be pronounced as an acronym or phonetically as "mal." It refers to League members may not belong to a local league chapter or the local league chapter is new and hasn't yet received its official status. Many leagues are now using the term "State Unit" or "Geographical Unit" in its place. Find out more in this PDF, Starting Strong for State Leagues: Building a League Presence and Local Leagues at the Community Level. What is a PMP? It stands for Per Member Payment and refers to the dues paid to state and national league from the local leagues. It is similar to a franchise fee. Find out more at LWV.org. What is forum.lwv.org? It is a member-focused section on the League of Women Voters of the United States' website. It is also called the League Management Site. Pro tip: Search for ideas on other local League websites using your favorite search engine like Google. What is the Clearinghouse? The Clearinghouse is a location for all Leagues to share their positions. You can do a concurrence of these positions, if you want to adopt them at your local league. What is an ILO? An ILO is a Inter-League Organization. Find out more at the Upper Mississippi River Region ILO. What is the difference between a debate and a forum? The Federal Election Commission (FEC) defines a debate as an event that (1) includes at least two candidates; (2) is staged in a way that does not promote or advance one candidate over another; and (3) allows the candidates to appear concurrently, in face-to-face confrontations, with opportunities to respond to each other. Non-Debate Candidate Appearances (also known as Candidate Forums or Speeches) are other formats outside those described above are considered “Non-debate Candidate Appearances” – defined as a place, meeting or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue are exchanged. Find out more at LWV.org. Why doesn't the League of Women Voters sponsor the Presidential Debates anymore? Find out more about the League and its history with the presidential debates and check out this LWV press release from 1988. ACTIVIST ALERT - STOP VOTER SUPPRESSION! Peeing in their boots! Stop Voter Suppression. Now more than ever! Election Integrity Commission, voter rolls, scare tactics. What is flippin' going on?? We are fighting back! Sign the petition and be counted! Alice Paul wouldn’t take this and neither will we! Call your U.S. Rep and your U.S. Senators to tell them the Election Integrity Commission is a sham and was only developed to create more suppressive election policies and to deny voters their right to vote. CONNECT WITH US! Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to us on iTunes Subscribe to us on Stitcher LEAVE US AN ITUNES REVIEW!

In this supersized episode, we talk about raising funds for your League of Women Voters projects, specifically, the how-tos of how to make it rain money! We also have a special guest, LWVUS Board member, Kim Lauth.  Check out episode 5 for our first part of this series on fundraising.

In Episode 5, we discuss fundraising in the League of Women Voters in this first part of a two-part series, and we share an activist alert and a book recommendation.  League Lingo Moment What is LWV Council? Two representatives from each state League were invited to attend National Council in June 2017. The work of the 2017 council was to help refine the “blueprint” for the League’s organization-wide transformation to strengthen the League of Women Voters’ role in the American elections process by 2020. Read more on LWV.org. Deeds Not Words Segment: Fundraising Part 1  Giving USA Report for 2017. See more in this infographic. We discuss the Fundraising Pyramid: Occasional Gifts, Annual Gifts, Major Gifts, Planned Gifts The Art of the Ask: It can feel difficult to make the ask, but having a plan helps ease anxiety.  We need to remember donors are investing in us. We talk about Board Giving. If you serve on a nonprofit board, including the League of Women Voters, give a gift that is meaningful for you. When asked to join a board, be sure to ask what is expected of you in terms of board giving. Fundraising is Relationship-Building. It can feel easier to ask corporations and foundations for money because it is transactional. But time needs to be spent cultivating relationships.  When you ask someone to give, you are inviting them to invest their money to making a difference with League of Women Voters. Consider giving to your local, state or national League of Women Voters. LWVUS has a monthly giving program, Partners in Democracy. Find out more here. Additional Resources Association of Fundraising Professionals - The Donors Bill of Rights   Do You Hate Asking for Money? Here’s a New Way to Look at Fundraising. Fundraising 101 – The League Way Book Recommendation The Soul of Money: Reclaiming the Wealth of Our Inner Resources by Lynne Twist. Visit the book's website.  Let us know your book recommendations for fundraising. Email us! Activist Alert Senate Reveals Nasty Health Care Bill.  Call Capitol Switch Board (202) 224-3121 (save in your cell phone!) and tell your Senators that the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 is not worthy of this great nation. CONNECT WITH US! Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to us on iTunes Subscribe to us on Stitcher Leave us an iTunes Review! Music by OhmLab. HAVE A QUESTION OR IDEA TO SHARE? LEAVE US A COMMENT! LISTEN NOW!

Examples of Negative Experience of New Volunteers • Bad emails • No communication • Not asking why they joined and what motivates them • Not inviting them to join with volunteer opportunities • Not defining volunteer role • No connections to other volunteers Tips to Remember: This Maya Angelou quote is good to remember: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Relationships are being built face-to-face and online. Examples of Positive Experiences of New Volunteers • Host a League 101 training • Explain volunteer roles clearly • Provide meaty and challenging roles (resume building) • Feel the activity is worth while • Refresher training / regional training / train the trainer workshops • Good Communications - if they don’t know an opportunity exists, then it doesn’t exist. It has to be polished and clear Tips to Remember: • Email Tips: Subject Lines important • Signupgenius.com and SignUp.com - for volunteer notifications • MealTrain.com - To organize meals • LinkedIn.com • Need to figure out what your community is on each social media platforms • Graphics - if you need help with graphics, check out canva.com • Don’t be afraid to send emails and reminders. Have the news be ongoing and how how active your League is. • Recognize volunteer contributions. A great example is from Oregon Bus Project, the “t-shirt that cannot be bought.” • Use Annual Meeting as a way to highlight the great work on your league - Tell the story of the volunteers Hands-On Tips • Use the phone to both call and text. • Cluster Mentorship - Have a group mentor setup with one seasoned members with a group of 3 or 4 new volunteers. • Have a rally on an issue - have a speaker and snacks • Host a Sips and Civility • Extraordinary Article and Film Discussion Club to reach people outside of the League • Civics Game Night • Twitter Takeover Activist Alert • Protect Our Care • Sign up for League of Women Voters Action Alerts Connect with us! • Follow us on Facebook • Follow us on Instagram • Subscribe to us on iTunes • Subscribe to us on Stitcher Music by OhmLab. Have a question or idea to share? Leave us a comment! Listen now!

In episode 3, we talk about the value of nonpartisanship in a polarizing world and take a listener question. Deeds Not Words Segment: Nonpartisanship at the League of Women Voters The beginnings of the League of Women Voters as a women’s voting rights organization with Carrie Chapman Catt at the helm. How we form public policy positions The importance of consensus - “The feel of the room” Public Policy Positions of the League of Women Voters of the U.S. Check with your state and local leagues for their specific positions. What we are doing with our nonpartisanship policy? Candidate forum tips from LWV Washington, Voter Guide tips, Vote411.org, Voter Registration Drives for high schools (PDF), Naturalization Ceremonies (PDF), National Voter Registration Day and more. We are a political organization Civil discourse resources LWV San Diego LWV Oregon LWV San Luis Obispo County CA Nonpartsianship and social media - Watch our video on how you can change an image on a Facebook post you create. We are Nonpartisan Party Animals! Mailbag Does the League of Women Voters own this podcast? We are League volunteers who are doing this podcast on our own. We are grateful for the support of the League of Women Voters. More Resources Developing and Implementing a Nonpartisan Policy Messaging for Impact: What resonates with voters in 2016 (Video from LWV 2016 Convention) Connect with us! Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to us on iTunes Subscribe to us on Stitcher Music by OhmLab. Have a question or idea to share? Leave us a comment!

We're excited for our second episode of the What Would Alice Paul Do? Podcast! The response to our show has been overwhelming. Thank you for supporting our project! This is episode we share personal stories of leadership development in the League of Women Voters. Amy talks about starting a League of Women Voters in Sault Sainte Marie, MI (LWV Eastern Upper Peninsula, Michigan)  Melissa talks about starting Act One: Hands-On Civics in Cincinnati with LWV Cincinnati. Our Tips: Build Relationships "Bring the Party" - have food and conversations Use volunteers’ personal talents Use passion of volunteers to make a difference with the mission of the League versus the adminstrative work of the League Raise the visibility of the League of Women Voters and have multiple people helping with social media, creating flyers, radio interviews, letters-to-the-editor Be conscious with making the work-life balance with volunteers   Start small when developing leaders Provide a support system for new members. Find out more about LWV mentoring (Video) Outline expectations for leadership positions. Mail Bag We talk about this quote from a listener: “A good leader leads where the group is interested in going, with stretch.” More Resources Packet on Developing Leaders within the League of Women Voters, including the Leadership Development Ladder (PDF) 10 Strategies for recruiting active volunteers by Everyday Democracy Connect with us! Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to us on iTunes The music for this episode was by OhmLab. Have a question or idea to share? Leave us a comment!

League of Women Voters volunteers Melissa Currence and Amy Hjerstedt host the What Would Alice Paul Do? Podcast. In this episode, we talk about the difference between advocacy and lobbying. See the Public Policy Positions of the League of Women Voters: http://lwv.org/content/summary-public-policy-positions Lobbying is about supporting or opposing specific legislation. Tips include having facts with you so they can be shared and taken back to convince other legislators join in. The cost of these activities are usually covered by a League of Women Voters "general funds" (a.k.a. 501c4 money). Advocacy include educational opportunity to gain awareness around an issue. Activities can include forums on topics the community cares about. Funding for this type of activities are typically covered by tax-deductible funds (a.k,a., 501c3 money). See more about the Money In Politics Action Kit at http://forum.lwv.org/document/money-politics-action-kit A webinar for using these tools is available at https://youtu.be/J8WhAVRtWA4 Join the LWV Money in Politics Google Group at https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/lwv-money-in-politics Connect to the League of Women Voters by signing up for League of Women Voters Action Alerts at http://lwv.org/get-involved/action-alerts/ Join LWVUS on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/leagueofwomenvoters/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/LWV As part of advocacy work, you can complete legislative interviews. Here are tips & examples from local/state leagues. LWV of Pennsylvania: https://www.palwv.org/the-legislative-interview-process/ LWV Chester County, PA: http://lwvccpa.org/2016-legislative-interview-questions-and-information/ LWV of Florida: http://thefloridavoter.org/issues-2/legislative-questions/ LWV San Francisco: http://www.lwvsf.org/legislative-interviews/2017-legislative-interview-with-assembly-member-david-chiu/ We encourage you to check out Iron Jawed Angels, a movie about Alice Paul and the U.S. fight for women's voting rights. Find out more about the movie at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338139/ See resources for Educators: http://www.cincyworldcinema.org/ija_resources.php The music for this episode was by OhmLab. Continue the conversation at www.alicepodcast.com.