Not Waiting for 2016
All of the election news this month has been about how the multiple presidential candidates are positioning themselves against each other and most communications from DC-based organizations appear to agree that “the upcoming elections” refer to a date in November 2016. It is as if the country is on hold for the next 14+ months. Nonprofits engaged in their communities know better, that thousands of important decisions will be put before voters between now and when the federal elections take place.
In the remaining months of 2015, more than 400 mayorships will be decided in 35 states. Voters in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi will be choosing governors and 19 other statewide officers. In Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as New Jersey and Virginia, 538 Representatives and Senators will be elected or re-elected. Come January - before the first presidential caucus and primary votes are cast - these officials will be making spending and other policy decisions that directly affect the lives of constituents and the work of charitable nonprofits in communities.
Many nonprofits recognize that elections are important events in the lives of their communities and are engaging in nonpartisan activities to raise their voices and promote democracy. For example, a coalition of nonprofits in Charleston, South Carolina is hosting a public forum and has invited all seven mayoral candidates to participate and share their vision for the future of the city. The “Your Charleston Mayoral Forum,” set for September 30, will explore issues related to "Quality of Life and Quality of Place," including the topics of the local economy, the city’s growth, and affordability.
The “why” and “how” of nonprofit nonpartisan election-related activities were on display during a recent webinar hosted by the Nonprofit Votes Count initiative. Nonprofit Votes Count is a nonpartisan campaign to encourage nonprofit employees, board members, and other volunteers to register and vote, and to build awareness among the charitable community about how many engaged voters are in our networks. During the presentation, Jan Masaoka of CalNonprofits, the state association of nonprofits in California, asked a simple question that puts the voter registration campaign in perspective: “Do you care about how this election comes out? Well then you really need to vote. Oh, if you are not registered then you need to register.”
On the same webinar, Jatrice Martel Gaiter of Volunteers of America laid out a comprehensive action plan for her organization that has included promoting National Voter Registration Day on September 22, and launching a social media campaign to encourage all staff of VOA to get registered and vote. She concluded by stating: “While being careful to be nonpartisan … we want people to understand that working at a nonprofit and voting and registering to vote, should all be in the same vein of making this world and this country a better place.”
The Nonprofit Votes Count initiative is based on the belief that when people working for nonprofits as paid staff, board members, and volunteers use our voting power, we can advance our missions, make our voices heard, and change the world for the better.
