Funding Get-Out-the-Vote Toolbox Funding Your League s Election Programs What Can My League Raise Funds For? Voter registration drives Candidate nights/debates Printed and online (VOTE411) voters guides Voter education and protection materials Election observer programs Get-out-the-vote What are Leagues spending dollars on? Register to Vote signs and/or League banners Participation fees for VOTE411 candidate guide access Interns or PT staff to coordinate elections work Typical cost?* $200-$600 for several * $1,000-$2,000/semester Reminder postcards about Election Day and voting hours/rules (+postage) $200-$500 Translation of voter education materials into alternative languages Technical assistance for publicity, voters guide, etc. Newspaper/radio ads Billboard rentals to draw attention to key voter info Varies good possibility for partner work/in-kind donation $100/hour $200-$2000 per ad buy $1500/rental Portable printers/ipads for voter registration events $100-$5,000 Table & tents for events $300-$600 Mileage for volunteers (IRS rate for charitable organizations) Overhead/indirect costs for office rent, phone use, etc. that supports election programs Refreshments for voter registration tables $0.14/mile 10% $10-$20/event Printed training guides & refreshments for voter registration partners/volunteer $200/training trainings Post-Election volunteer appreciation parties $250- $500 *Costs vary widely by location and breadth of program Retrieved July 7, 2016, from LWVUS website at http://forum.lwv.org/member-resources/article/raising-funds-election-related-activities
How can my League start raising dollars? Ask. There s no way around it: you have to ASK for money in order to bring in money! Make a specific ask around one of your election programs. For example, send an email to your regular donors asking for help paying for Register to Vote signs for your upcoming election events, or ask high profile local members to help support your upcoming candidate debate by underwriting some of the specific publicity costs via a contribution to the League. Individuals are our best donors. Start with those who know and love you your members, then reach out to others in the community who value the work of your League and/or those who benefit from your work. Get to know your community foundation and follow up regularly with updates about what the League is doing. When the time is right, submit a proposal for funding around specific election related programs, with a focus on the impact your League can make with added support. Regularly engage your local donors and members and ask them to support your core efforts. Be specific about what their support will make possible for the League. Make this a regular cycle: ask for a donation, say thank you, tell them what their donation made possible, then ask again! Donors who are able to give at many different levels are needed to reach a large goal. Here s a sample of how your League can raise $1,000: 1 $250 gift 2 gifts of $100 3 gifts of $75 4 gifts of $50 5 gifts of $25 Other Ideas to Try: Ask local businesses to buy an ad in your voters guide to cover your printing costs. Cozy up to partners. By working regularly with partners in the community, you re more likely to be invited to participate in a joint proposal and/or hear about additional funding opportunities. For tips on working with partners, see next page. Read the League Update! LWVEF periodically announces grant funding and partnership opportunities via the League Update sent to League leaders every other Thursday. Don t miss out on potential funding help scan the Update email regularly.
Working with Allied Groups What Work Best Lends Itself to Collaboration? Many aspects of the League s work is best accomplished in partnership; for Election 2016, LWVUS encourages Leagues to specifically think about which partners can best help us reach our target audience, underrepresented/unregistered voters, in time for Election Day. Partners can help us: - Tap into large communities of potential new voters to register to vote. Work with organizations who have access to large numbers of: o Young people o New citizens o Minority/low income communities o Potential short-term volunteers who want to help at registration events - Ensure our voter education materials reach voters who need them. Think about collaborating with: o Partners with large networks of potential voters, who are willing to share information about League candidate events, voter guides, etc. o Partners with large social media/online reach o Partners with potential language translation or other technical ability o Partners with whom you ve already worked to do voter registration o Partners who share an interest in combatting any voter suppression or confusion in the lead-up to Election Day. Why Work in Partnership? Coalitions or partnerships are created to bring about collective action at the national, state or local level. Leagues have worked with other organizations/groups on a broad range of issues for years; often serving in the role of chief convener or spokesperson. These joint efforts can help maximize the League s effectiveness on many issues by: Empowering organizations to pool resources and brainpower to foster more strategic and effective action Enabling better communication and collaboration between like-minded organizations Increasing diversity by bringing together new or alternative voices Bringing about a greater impact than organizations could make on their own How Do We Get Started? Recruit Allies LWVUS recommends forging partnerships with organizations such as the following: Civic/Democracy groups Civil rights leaders, including members of the disability community Academics Reform or transparency-minded state/local officials Retrieved July 7, 2016, from LWVUS website at http://forum.lwv.org/member-resources/article/coalition-partners 1
Who is a Good Partner? This will depend on your League and your community. Use the chart below to map out the strengths and challenges associated with your current and prospective allies. As you identify potential new partners, keep in mind that nontraditional alliances or highly visible bipartisan efforts often gain attention and respect from the public, the media, and key stakeholders. Remember that our mission encompasses the whole community and it can be good to get out of our traditional or comfort zone. This chart can help you brainstorm and then narrow who you want to work and where you ll have the greatest impact. Who shares the League s goals? What strengths do they bring to the table? What function can they best serve in the partnership (e.g. funding, media) What are their weaknesses? Other Info? What Can We Do Together? Now that you have identified your best allies, pull everyone together to build a plan for success! Step One: Set Group Goals. What are the top things you want to achieve? What will success look like for the work of this partnership? Agreeing upon and articulating these goals are a critical first step toward establishing a successful relationship that succeeds in having impact. 2
Step Two: Identify assets and needs. What does the group have or need to achieve its goals? Perhaps partnership members have great political connections, but lack tools for reaching out to key media. Use this chart to take stock of resources: Step Three: Identify tasks and share the work. Be as specific as possible and remember that working with partner organizations can create a myriad of bite-size leadership development opportunities. Evaluate your partnership and celebrate your accomplishments. What is working? What isn t? Where should the partnership re-focus its energy moving forward? Make sure the media, the public, and state officials know what you ve done to help improve democracy in your community. While you re at it, make sure all partners including the League! are properly credited for their contributions. 3