Printable Version Email to a Friend
Nonprofits can also sign up to participate in NVEN webinars. Held twice a month, these conference calls are designed to provide an overview of what the NVEN site offers and tips and suggestions for getting your nonprofit more engaged in the electoral process. |
New Website Promotes Nonprofit Voter Engagement
Nonprofits now have access to a resource that should make voter engagement easier. On April 1, the Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network (NVEN) launched a new website, www.nonprofitvote.org, designed as a "one-stop-shop" for nonprofit voter engagement resources. The new website is designed to offer a comprehensive assortment of tools and information needed by nonprofit leaders seeking to participate more fully in elections and in talking to and mobilizing voters. NPAction encourages all nonprofit leaders to take the time to explore the new website.
Why is this site so important? Nonprofit organizations have a major role to play in ensuring that the 2008 elections serve as a true referendum on Americans’ policy priorities. By registering and engaging voters, nonprofits can ensure that the voices of the marginalized and disadvantaged are truly heard this election. Voter engagement by nonprofits also ensures that the issues nonprofits care about become a part of the national discourse.
The site sponsor, NVEN, is a national, nonpartisan program of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits whose mission is to build the capacity of the nonprofit sector to participate in democracy and elections. NVEN explains the rationale for focusing on nonprofits: "Community-based nonprofits are uniquely suited to the job of helping their clients, constituents, staff and volunteers become involved in the electoral process."Some outstanding features of www.nonprofitvote.org include:
- State-specific election information, including voter registration guidelines and deadlines, links to help users find their polling place, links to state and local election resources, and names of state and local organizations working on voter engagement issues in your community;
- Profiles of nonprofits currently participating in voter engagement work under "Nonprofits at Work";
- NVEN publications, including their recently published A Nonprofit's Guide to Voter Registration which aims to help your nonprofit incorporate voter registration into its ongoing activities by taking readers step-by-step through conducting a voter registration drive;
- Current data and research reports on voter registration and turnout data and trends;
- A checklist of 501(c)(3) Permissible Electoral Activities;
- A section on "Why Nonprofits" describing why nonprofit involvement in elections is so critical;
- Comprehensive list of election-related, civic engagement, and voter turnout resources; and
- An online store so you can fulfill your voting merchandise needs!
At the launch event this past week in Washington, D.C., nonprofit leaders gathered to discuss the new NVEN website and the opportunity nonprofits have to improve their communities through voter engagement work. Patricia Read, Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs at Independent Sector spoke as a panelist, and urged nonprofits to get involved, saying, "Nonprofits can help ensure that more voters of all races, of all classes, of all genders register and vote this fall." Audrey Alvarado, Executive Director of the National Council of Nonprofit Association, also served as a panelist at the website launch event. Alvarado agreed with Read, saying, "As a nonprofit sector, we’re fragmented around issue areas. But we can elevate the power of the nonprofit sector by engaging in voter engagement activities."