Guide to assistance nonprofit leaders in becoming more politically engaged and better able to advocate for their organization and build relationships with their elected officials.

1. Building Relationships & Influence Through Political Engagement Presentation for the Providers’ CouncilBoard of Directors February 3, 2010

2. To continue, and to build upon, efforts to educate elected officials and key decision makers about the work of the human services sector To advance the campaigns and visibility of people who share our values and ideals. This can be done as time and choice allows for each board member. Objectives

3. Strengthening relationships between providers and elected officials Expanding influence of Council and the sector Increasing our role in state level decision making Building stature by supporting issues important to the Legislature and Administration Electing more officials supportive of human services Increasing understanding of political process and climate Possible Outcomes

4. Must be done on personal time of staff. Partisan activities during normal work hours, requires taking vacation or personal leave. Your 501c3 organization cannot support a candidate and should not be identified in any campaign materials as a result of personal work - with some qualifications. Board members and volunteers must follow the same rules as staff. Considerations

5. Examples of involvement(with help from MassVote) 501(c)(3) legal activities Voter registration Non-partisan voter education Candidate education / resources Ballot question education & advocacy Get out the vote! Help out voters on Election Day Support election reforms

6. Connecting with your current elected officials Volunteering for local, state, & federal campaigns where you live and/or where your agency is located Getting active in your political party Ways to Get Involved

7. Engaging Your Elected Officials Scheduling an office visit at the Capital or a local office (consider bringing clients or volunteers) Inviting electeds to visit your programs, attend voter registration efforts, participate in community events, come to annual meetings and special events, etc. Use as a media opportunity. Hosting Legislative Breakfasts Ask board members to write legislators about your community-based efforts

8. Campaign Opportunities Participate in caucuses Write a check or offer to join the finance committee Attend or host fundraising events, offer to join of form a host committee for an event Attend rallies and other campaign events Gather signatures for nomination papers Canvass, distribute bumper stickers, hold signs, phonebank Work the polls or help with GOTV Recruit other volunteers Request & share yard signs, bumper stickers, lit Find campaign committee contact info: http://www.efs.cpf.state.ma.us/RegisteredFilers.aspx (do not contact offices of elected officials for partisan activities)

9. Each party selects its nominees for office at its state convention Delegates who vote at the state conventions are elected by caucuses held by local committees (coming up in February) Attend your committee’s caucus to help elect delegates who support your candidate – or consider running to be a delegate at the convention In addition to elected delegates, there are add-ons for Youth, Minority, & Disabled delegates Campaign Opportunities: The Political Caucus Process Source: http://massdems.org/dsc/dscon_resources10.cfm

10. Registered Parties in the Commonwealth

11. Ways to Get Involved in Your Party Local: Town, Ward, & City Political Committees Connect with your party’s local committee chair Democrats: http://www.ocpf.net/guides/wtc_listing_dem.pdf Republicans: http://www.ocpf.net/guides/wtc_listing_rep.pdf State Party Committees State Committee Positions Subcommittees Party platform

12. Easiest Ways to Get Started from MassVote Find a party that interests you www.massdems.org www.massgop.com www.massgreens.org Look on their website for your city or town committee Find out when there will be a meeting GO!!!

13. Another Resource: Wellstone Action! Nonprofit, nonpartisan membership org. Wellstone Action! is a national center for training and leadership development in the progressive movement Website includes useful tips and important, practical ‘How-To’ information http://www.wellstone.org/organizing-tools

14. Getting Engaged in the Massachusetts Democratic Party

15. Massachusetts DemocraticParty: Volunteer Opportunities Source: http://www.massdems.org/involved/volunteer.cfm

16. “Town, ward and city committees are the foundation of Party organization and have the closest contact with the people.” Functions: endorsement of enrolled Democratic candidates in partisan and nonpartisan primaries, preliminaries and elections financial support of the State Committee and Democratic nominees adoption of resolutions and platforms raising and disbursing of funds for political purposes voter registration campaigns calling of caucuses for the purpose of endorsing candidates, adopting resolutions, or conducting other Party business Massachusetts Democratic Party: Town, Ward, & City Committees Source: http://www.massdems.org/about/charter.cfm

17. Membership “Town and ward committees shall have no fewer than 3 nor more than 35 members, who shall be elected at presidential primaries with filing for the office by individual candidates in conformity with State Election Laws” “Town and ward committees may elect associate members who shall not be limited to a maximum figure” “Vacancies in local committees shall be filled by vote of that committee. Associate members, if any, shall be the candidate(s) for filling any committee vacancies” “All members of the town, ward and city committees shall be enrolled Democrats” “All members should pledge a minimum of 40 hours in each 2 year election cycle to organizing or soliciting financial or grassroots voter support for Democratic candidates, at least half of which shall be in the general election time period” “Town, ward and city committees shall meet at least 4 times each year, at least once each quarter, at the call of the chairperson. Special meetings may be called by the secretary on receipt of signed petition from no fewer than 20% of the membership of the committee.” Contact your local Committee chair to get involved: http://www.massdems.org/getlocal/chairslist.cfm Massachusetts Democratic Party: Town, Ward, & City Committees Source: http://www.massdems.org/about/charter.cfm

18. “The Democratic State Committee (DSC) shall have general responsibility for the affairs of the Democratic Party” Functions: conducting the Party's state campaigns filling vacancies in the nominations for state-wide and congressional offices formulating and disseminating statements of Party policy raising and disbursing monies needed for the successful operation of the State Committee. Massachusetts Democratic Party: Democratic State Committee Source: http://www.massdems.org/about/charter.cfm

19. Each Senatorial District is represented by four DSC members One man and one woman shall be elected through the ballot during the Presidential Primary One man and one woman shall be elected through a regional conference of Democrats called by a group of local committees or the state committee District conferences take place the month following the presidential primary election Candidates must be registered Democrats residing in the State Senatorial District and have postmarked or delivered their letters of intent at least 5 weeks before the regional conference. Candidates cannot have publicly supported or contributed to any opponent of a nominees of the Democratic Party in the last two biennial elections. The State Chair and party shall make every effort to notify all Democrats of the availability of seats between 9-30 days before the deadline for letters of intent Conference participants made up of members of local committees in the district shall For more information, contact John Walsh, Chair, Massachusetts Democratic Party, 56 Roland Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, 617.776.2676, jwalsh@massdems.org Massachusetts Democratic Party: Democratic State Committee Source: http://www.massdems.org/about/charter.cfm & http://www.massdems.org/about/fouryear.cfm

20. Non-Institutional Opportunities for Membership (e.g. non-elected or -party officials) Members of the Democratic National Committee from Massachusetts 4 men and 4 women who are under the age of 36, and 2 men and 2 women who are members of the College Democrats of Massachusetts (when possible); these members shall be elected by the Democratic State Committee. Student members shall serve 2-year terms. Affirmative Action members not to exceed 10% of the entire membership not counting the Affirmative Action members and equally divided between men and women. 2 veterans, one male and one female 10 members representing organized labor, equally divided between male and female 5 men and 5 women who are gay and lesbian Democrats. 2 members representing the disabled (one of each sex) 2 French speaking members (one of each sex) 2 Portuguese speaking members (one of each sex) 2 Senior citizens (one of each sex) Massachusetts Democratic Party: Democratic State Committee Source: http://www.massdems.org/about/bylaws.cfm

21. Current DSC Subcommittees: Affirmative Action Outreach By-laws Campaign Services Caucus of Minority Democrats Charter Amendments Communications Disabilities GLBT Outreach Field Services JFK Scholarship Labor Outreach Personnel Public Policy Resource Development Rules Seniors Site Selection Veterans Women Youth Services Subcommittee membership shall not be limited to members of the State Committee and the Chairperson shall, to the greatest extent possible and with the advice of the Executive Committee and other members of the State Committee, seek to appoint ward and town committee members, Democratic office holders and other members of the Democratic Party as members of the Subcommittees, provided that said non-State Committee members shall not exceed 25% of the membership of any single Subcommittee Within Subcommittees, all members shall have equal voting rights. Massachusetts Democratic Party: DSC Subcommittees Source: http://www.massdems.org/about/bylaws.cfm & http://www.massdems.org/dsc/dsc_sub.cfm

22. Massachusetts Democratic Party: Disability CommitteeCo-Chairs: Cheryl Cumings & Robert Cassidy Source: http://www.massdems.org/dsc/dsc_sub.cfm?committee=Disabilities

23. Massachusetts Democratic Party: Veterans CommitteeCo-Chairs: William Dooling & NazliErbay Source: http://www.massdems.org/dsc/dsc_sub.cfm?committee=Veterans

24. Massachusetts Democratic Party: Seniors CommitteeCo-Chairs: Richard Brown & Mary Oroszko Source: http://www.massdems.org/dsc/dsc_sub.cfm?committee=Senior

25. Massachusetts Democratic Party: GLBT CommitteeCo-Chairs: Stephen Driscoll & Bonnie Winokar Source: http://www.massdems.org/dsc/dsc_sub.cfm?committee=GLBT

26. Massachusetts Democratic Party: Youth Services CommitteeCo-Chairs: Libby DeVecchio, Benjamin Downing, & PavelPayano Source: http://www.massdems.org/dsc/dsc_sub.cfm?committee=YouthServices

27. Massachusetts Democratic Party: Public Policy CommitteeCo-Chairs: Jamie Eldridge & Elaine Kamarck

28. The Party Platform is revised the year after a presidential election (e.g. next will be in 2013) “The Chairperson shall appoint a Platform and/or Political Agenda Committee and a Chairperson(s) for said Committee” for the purpose of updating the Party Platform “The State Convention shall be the highest authority of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, subject to provisions of this Charter. It shall be empowered to adopt Party Platforms…” For more information, contact John Walsh, Chair, Massachusetts Democratic Party, 56 Roland Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, 617.776.2676, jwalsh@massdems.org Massachusetts Democratic Party: Shaping the Party Platform Source: http://www.massdems.org/about/charter.cfm

29. Getting Engaged in the Massachusetts Republican Party

30. Massachusetts Republican Party: Volunteer Opportunities Source: http://www.massgop.com/index.php?id=132

31. The Massachusetts Republican Party shall be a statewide party, purposeful and strong in all counties, cities, towns and neighborhoods of the Commonwealth, and shall maintain the Republican Party as an instrument for the political realization of the concept of individual liberty on which our constitutional government is founded. “The State Committee shall establish the policies of the Party, provide a central headquarters, give leadership to the city, ward and town committees in electing Republican candidates to office, raise money for the purposes of the Party, and seek new members for the Republican Party.” Massachusetts Republican Party: About the Party Source: http://www.massgop.com/index.php?id=124

32. Economic Development: Lighten the load on businesses from burdensome regulation & taxes Healthcare: Citizens should have access to quality healthcare without excessive government intrusion Civil rights and individual liberty: Individual freedoms are the building blocks of our community. Family, community and the environment: There is nothing more important to the fabric of society than family and community. Massachusetts Republican Party: Party Principles Source: http://massgop.com/index.php?id=135

33. State Committee Membership Regular Members One man and one woman from each Senatorial District Each regular member holds office for four years Honorary Members State Committee may elect anyone who has given distinguished service to the party All former State Committee members, current Republican leaders of both branches of the General Court, or any former Republican Congressman or Governor from Massachusetts is an ex-officio (non-voting) honorary member Contact your local state committee member to find out about getting involved: http://www.massgop.com/index.php?id=153 Massachusetts Republican Party: Membership Information Source: http://www.massgop.com/extras/MRSC%20Bylaws%20111708%20_2_.pdf

34. Massachusetts Republican Party: Contact local officials Source: http://massgop.com/index.php?id=153

35. Massachusetts Republican Party: Contact party staff Source: http://massgop.com/index.php?id=220

36. Please let us know at the Providers’ Council how we can help you with your political engagement and outreach E-mail Michael Ripple at mripple@providers.org or call him at 617.428.3637 x112 We can help you get started, give you ideas on what you can do, work with you to set up events and help you get and stay engaged Additional Questions?