We are delighted to inform you that in May we applied for and were awarded a 2016 Voter Service Martin & Brown Grant from LWVMN. The title of our grant is: Building Capacity to Create a Community of Voters and the rational for our application is:
“We understand that informing voters is a journey not an event. It can take many forms and it vital to helping citizens understand the power of their voices through information, engagement, and action. Using the $800 award for this grant, is our intention to build capacity by increasing our number of moderator-trained members; helping build future capacity for ourselves and LWV chapters in our region by training moderator trainers; and helping our partnering organizations learn to conduct appropriate and effective voter registration activities in their constituent communities. “
The grantors were very impressed by the network of organizations with which we collaborate and supported our efforts to continue to build our outreach capabilities by engaging communities in even more intentional and meaningful ways. With the funds provided, we will host a Moderator Training Workshop on October 1st and a Train-the-Trainer Moderator Training Workshop on September 30th for experienced forum moderators who wish to conduct training for future moderators. These events will be free and open to LWV members throughout Minnesota. We have already hosted two Voter Registration Training sessions for League as well as community members, and will host more throughout the fall as interest dictates.
Our League members are dedicated to the principal that voting is a citizen’s primary right and responsibility. They are active and highly motivated to do the work necessary to inform and educate our community about those rights and responsibilities. We have a well-earned reputation for the quality of our community outreach activities such as candidate forums and voter registration events.
Duluth has one of the highest percentages of voting by registered voters. The problem remains that communities of color and under-represented populations such as young, indigent, and disenfranchised citizens are not registered, and when registered often don’t vote. Building capacity in our partnering organizations, who are often members of those communities can help bring people into the voting booth. Our goal will be threefold: GET REGISTERED through our voter registration activities; GET INFORMED through our candidate forums and voter guides; GET OUT AND VOTE through the active engagement of our faith-based and community service organizations helping to bring voters to the polls
“We understand that informing voters is a journey not an event. It can take many forms and it vital to helping citizens understand the power of their voices through information, engagement, and action. Using the $800 award for this grant, is our intention to build capacity by increasing our number of moderator-trained members; helping build future capacity for ourselves and LWV chapters in our region by training moderator trainers; and helping our partnering organizations learn to conduct appropriate and effective voter registration activities in their constituent communities. “
The grantors were very impressed by the network of organizations with which we collaborate and supported our efforts to continue to build our outreach capabilities by engaging communities in even more intentional and meaningful ways. With the funds provided, we will host a Moderator Training Workshop on October 1st and a Train-the-Trainer Moderator Training Workshop on September 30th for experienced forum moderators who wish to conduct training for future moderators. These events will be free and open to LWV members throughout Minnesota. We have already hosted two Voter Registration Training sessions for League as well as community members, and will host more throughout the fall as interest dictates.
Our League members are dedicated to the principal that voting is a citizen’s primary right and responsibility. They are active and highly motivated to do the work necessary to inform and educate our community about those rights and responsibilities. We have a well-earned reputation for the quality of our community outreach activities such as candidate forums and voter registration events.
Duluth has one of the highest percentages of voting by registered voters. The problem remains that communities of color and under-represented populations such as young, indigent, and disenfranchised citizens are not registered, and when registered often don’t vote. Building capacity in our partnering organizations, who are often members of those communities can help bring people into the voting booth. Our goal will be threefold: GET REGISTERED through our voter registration activities; GET INFORMED through our candidate forums and voter guides; GET OUT AND VOTE through the active engagement of our faith-based and community service organizations helping to bring voters to the polls
| lwv-duluth_martin-brown_grant_app.pdf |