The League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) staff works to promote the League’s mission and work at the national level, and to support over 750 state and local Leagues in their work on League priority issues. LWVUS staff can support state and local Leagues in the following areas:

Advocacy

• Federal Advocacy: The LWVUS board and staff set the legislative priorities at the federal level and national staff can work with state Leagues in establishing or updating their advocacy and lobbying plans. Fill out the Federal Action Form or email advocacy [at] lwv.org to connect with staff.
• LWVUS Lobby Corps: The LWVUS Lobby Corps plays a key role in promoting League issues and conducting direct lobbying around LWVUS positions to members of Congress.
• State Advocacy: On priority issues within the Campaign for Making Democracy Work®, LWVUS and LWV Education Fund (LWVEF) provide a wide variety of support to state Leagues, including toolkits & guides, strategic guidance and training, communications resources, and, when possible, pass-through grant funding. Clearinghouse: The League of Women Voters Education Fund Clearinghouse contains studies and research conducted by League members across the country.

Litigation

• Federal Litigation: Once the national office signs off on a state or local League’s participation in a federal action, national staff is available to review engagement/retainer letters, declarations, press releases, briefs, and court filings.
• Litigation Communications: The LWVUS communications team can provide talking points, writing/revision support for press releases, media contact lists, media training, etc., where the team deems appropriate and useful. State and local Leagues considering joining litigation as a plaintiff, intervenor, or amici at the federal level must complete the Federal Action Form.

VOTE411.org

LWV Education Fund (LWVEF) manages VOTE411.org, the League’s premier nationwide voter education resource. VOTE411.org serves millions of diverse voters every single year. National staff manage many aspects of VOTE411, including the technical needs, marketing the site, and promoting partnerships with other organizations and media partners. The VOTE411.org voters’ guide program enables local and state Leagues to publish information on the candidates and issues in their area on the website. For more information on how your League can create candidate information on the website, contact Megan Brown at mbrown [at] lwv.org. National staff maintains the site’s vast array of state-specific voting information (in partnership with key state and local Leagues) and provides training and technical support to the hundreds of Leagues who use VOTE411 to create voters’ guides across the country. LWVEF also maintains a private listserv for League admins who participate in the voter guide system. If a League member is the admin for the VOTE411 program in their area, they can email VOTE411+subscribe [at] groups.io  to subscribe.

VOTE411 Logos and Brand Standards

Logos, colors, and requirements for VOTE411 branding are available for download. The red and blue VOTE411 logo with raised hands has been retired and should be replaced with the purple speech bubble logo.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

With the League’s mission to empower voters and defend democracy, we commit to equity for all voters and the recognition that democracy is strengthened by the inclusion of all the diverse voices within the community. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are not buzzwords; they are commitments to our organizational mission and values. This starts with the organization’s DEI policy, which applies to all levels of the League.  Resources are available for individual reflection/learning, for organizational change, and for wider community engagement. 

Membership & Organizational Management

• Roster Support: The Roster Manager Portal is used to update your League’s information (membership, officers, location) in the LWVUS database. For technical assistance with the Roster Manager Portal, please email rostersupport [at] lwv.org
• Organizational Changes: Per the LWVUS Bylaws, the LWVUS Board must approve the formation, merging, and disbandment of League entities, as well as all League name changes and boundary changes. The LWVUS Board votes on organizational changes several times throughout the year. State and local Leagues should send any organizational change requests to the LWVUS Board via online form. Below is a list of forms for various organizational changes. A guide to forming a local League is available.  If you have questions about organizational changes, please reach out to your state League first, as it must approve any organizational changes before the LWVUS Board will consider them. For questions about how LWVUS processes organizational changes please contact governance [at] lwv.org
• Local League Recognition: For the formation of a new local League. Please also refer to the Guide to Forming a Local League and the League Governance Checklist for more guidance. 
• Withdrawal of Recognition: For the disbandment of a local League. You will be asked how any remaining funds and Per Member Payments were handled. Please make sure all federal, state, and local laws are followed with regards to closing down a nonprofit organization, including that all applicable IRS forms have been filed. 
• Request to Merge Leagues: For when two or more Leagues combine into one. There are further instructions for merging Leagues on this form. 
• Name Change Request: To request changes to a local League’s name. Please note that if your new name is also intended to reflect a change in service area, you will also need to fill out a boundary change request form. 
• Boundary Change Request: To request changes to a local League’s official service area. Please note that a boundary change request must be submitted and approved by the LWVUS Board in order for local Leagues to have their associated ZIP codes changed in the roster portal and in the “Find a League” search on the LWV website.
• Member-At-Large (MAL) Units: Rules and procedures for the formation and operation of Member-at-Large (MAL) units are the responsibility of state Leagues, and members of MAL units are recognized by the LWVUS Board as members of state Leagues. Therefore, organizational changes concerning MAL units do not require LWVUS Board approval and states are not required to report MAL unit organizational changes to LWVUS. However, if MAL units would like a League ID in the roster portal and/or an LWV logo, they need to fill out an online form for recognition by LWVUS, which will ask if the state League has approved the establishment of the MAL unit. Here is the Member at Large Unit Recognition form. If you have questions about Member-at-Large (MAL) units, please reach out to your state League first, as it must approve any organizational changes before the LWVUS Board will consider them. For questions about how LWVUS processes organizational changes please contact ediliberti [at] lwv.org

• 50-year Membership Certificate: For members who have reached their 50-year mark, LWV provides a certificate. For more information, email lwv [at] lwv.org
• Organizational Emergencies: If your League is facing an emergency related to leadership, governance, inter-member conflict, or in your community, contact execadmindistr [at] lwv.org.
• Business Cards: The LWVUS communications team has created a template for League business cards to be used for professional printing.  Additionally, Leagues may order customizable business cards from the LWVUS Merchandise Portal. For questions about business cards and this template, contact communications [at] lwv.org
• Data & Evaluation: LWVUS's evaluation & outcomes department focuses on promoting and creating a culture of effective data use at all levels of League. For questions or more information on evaluation & outcomes, contact Amilcar Guzman, Director of Evaluation & Outcomes, at aguzman [at] lwv.org

Brand and Image Assets

• Brand Standards: The LWVUS communications team is responsible for monitoring the digital presence of the League’s brand across multiple platforms. Leagues should regularly review their use of the LWV brand using the Brand Standards outlined on the League Management Site.
• Logos: Current LWV logos are available for download on the League Management Site.. Leagues can email the communications team at communications [at] lwv.org  with specific questions.
• Standard LWV logo. Downloadable standard (not League-specific) LWV logos can be found on the League Management site along with brand standards for their usage.  
• State & local logos. Logos for every state and local League are available for download.
• VOTE411 logos and brand standards. Logos, colors, and requirements for VOTE411 branding are available for download. The red and blue VOTE411 logo with raised hands has been retired and should be replaced with the purple speech bubble logo.
• Photos and Graphics: As a reminder, when including images in League materials, be sure to review each image’s permissions closely before incorporating it. Using photos and graphics in League materials – including social media posts and newsletters – without the appropriate permissions can open up the League to legal action or fees. Even if your League has used photos in the past without permission, you can still be charged thousands of dollars in retroactive licensing fees. Incidents like these are not unique, and all Leagues should make efforts to avoid these types of situations. For a full explanation about image use, visit our Image Use Guide. For questions about image use, email communications [at] lwv.org  Here are some recommendations from LWVUS: 
• Use your own images. You always have ownership of the photos you take – you can never go wrong with using something your League has created. You can use our photo release template to get permission from photo subjects.
• Use images from the LWVUS Flickr site. All of these images are owned by the League of Women Voters and licensed for use by local and state Leagues. 
• Use free stock photos from legitimate websites that are licensed for public use. Pay special attention to any requirements on these images. Some images require an image credit back to the website and/or photographer. Here is a list of several of these reputable free image sources. 
• Review your website for copyright infringement. Follow these steps to prevent your League from receiving a copyright infringement claim.
• Merchandise Portal: LWVUS has created the LWVUS Merch Portal, where Leagues can bulk order LWV-branded products created by the national office. It’s important to note that LWVUS will not be profiting from this Merch Portal, but we have created this site in order to provide brand consistent products for Leagues nationwide to easily order online. Leagues are not required to use these products and can continue to customize their own items using the official logos and brand standards.

Digital Communications

• Social Media Toolkit: Guidance on how to use social media for League work can be found in the Social Media Toolkit on the League Management Site.
• Website: There are various options available for local and state Leagues to use for their website. LWVUS recommends a careful review of multiple options to find a suitable vendor and platform.
• Technology Partners: Leagues are encouraged to reach out to technology partners directly via the contact info on the page to learn more about the services they offer.
• Resources: Trainings on various communications and technology topics can be found on the Technology & Communications Webinar series page.
• New Media Facebook Group: LWVUS monitors a closed Facebook group called League of Women Voters New Media Group for League members only to exchange ideas, share graphics, and trade social media communications tips.

Press

• Earned Media Support: On priority issues LWVUS staff can help state Leagues with drafting press releases around major announcements and lawsuits where the Comms team deems appropriate and useful. LWVUS staff can also build media contact lists and coordinate press distribution for state Leagues on priority issue subject matter.
• Templates & Talking Points: The LWVUS communications team regularly provides messaging resources via the League Management Site and the League Update email newsletter—including talking points, toolkits, social media materials, downloadable graphics, and press release templates for current events and upcoming priorities.
• Press Guides & Tools: The communications team has developed a number of tip sheets and guides to help Leagues with telling their story in the press. Tips for Media Interviews and Tips for Op-eds and Letters to the Editor are great resources for every state and local League president or spokesperson.

Organizing

• Organizing Resources: LWVUS and LWVEF are working to grow and strengthen Leagues, League members, and our ability to lead organizing efforts around key actions and events through trainings, community calls, virtual relational organizing tools, online toolkits, strategic guidance, and one-on-one calls. Recordings of past webinars and organizing tools are available.
• National Campaign Support: The LWVUS organizing team works directly with League leaders and staff by providing technical assistance in the areas of base building, campaign strategy, relational and campaign organizing, volunteer engagement, leadership development, coalition building, as well as direct support for large actions and signature events. If you would like to increase your organizing capacity, reach the organizing team at organizing [at] lwv.org
• Election Priorities Training: LWVUS and LWVEF provide year-round training and sharing of resources on our core election priorities: voter registration, voter education, voter mobilization, and voter protection, and community-based power building through organizing. LWVUS/EF maintains and regularly updates a wide array of resources on these topics, including webinar trainings, training manuals on specific topics, sample voters’ guide questions and debate materials, and more
• Partnership Development: LWVUS and LWVEF participate in a wide variety of coalitions, and forge and maintain a large number of strategic partners with allied nonprofit organizations, corporations, media entities in order to further our goals and bring opportunities to state and local Leagues.

Grants

• Pass-through Grants: On a limited basis, LWVUS and LWVEF are fortunate to be able to provide state and/or local Leagues with pass-through grant funding to support their work on core Making Democracy Work® and election services issues. The national office will provide training, toolkits, visibility resources and more as part of the grant process and is available to work directly with grantee Leagues to address any issues throughout the grant period. Leagues with questions about an active grant can contact the main point of contact listed in their grant contract.
• People Powered Fair Maps (PPFM): People Powered Fair Maps™ is one prong of work under Women Power Democracy: Leading with advocacy, public education, and organizing to create fair, transparent, people-powered processes and eliminate partisan and racial gerrymandering in states during the redistricting process. 

• Basecamp: Each state League should have one or two redistricting champions who have access to the PPFM Basecamp. To learn about accessing the PPFM Basecamp, contact Demetrius Fisher at dfisher [at] lwv.org
• National PPFM Campaign: Public-facing items for People Powered Fair Maps can be found on the PPFM landing page on lwv.org.

Finance & Fundraising

• Financial Filings: LWVUS staff responds to requests for assistance with completing IRS requirements, including acquiring an EIN, filing a yearly 990, and offering advice on which activities are allowed based on a League’s IRS tax status. For more information, contact kringkamp [at] lwv.org
• Tax-deductible Donations LWVEF operates the State and Local Grants Program at no cost to participating Leagues. This program allows state and local Leagues that are not 501c3 to collect tax-deductible donations. These funds are to be used locally to support core LWV mission activities like candidate forums, scholarships, voter registration events, and studies on core and local priorities. Contact grantservices [at] lwv.org to learn more.
• Estate Plans: LWV welcomes estate and planned gifts. For more information about language for bequests, or questions on planned giving, please visit our Planned Giving Website. Questions can be directed to anuri [at] lwv.org. The LWVEF Federal Tax ID number is 53-0239013.
• Removal from Fundraising List or Donation Questions: To be removed from a fundraising list, including direct mail or email, please contact development [at] lwv.org . For a question about a donation, please contact anuri [at] lwv.org.

Information Exchange

• League Management Site. A section of the LWVUS website specifically for League members.
• League Update Newsletter. LWVUS sends email newsletters to all state League presidents and other subscribers.
• Community Calls: Each month, LWVUS and LWVEF partner with different Leagues to engage League members, leaders, and volunteers in active dialogue on a variety of important topics
• Advocacy Issues Information Exchange: LWVUS supports a variety of methods to help Leagues connect with one another and LWVUS on specific issue areas. These include a Facebook discussion group for ERA and Google groups on National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, money in politics, and redistricting. LWVUS and LWVEF also facilitate regular webinars, called Wellstone webinars, for Leagues participating in pass-through grants.
• VOTE411: LWVEF maintains a private listserv for League admins who participate in the voter guide system. If a League member is the admin for the VOTE411 program in their area, they can email VOTE411+subscribe [at] groups.io to subscribe.
• New Media Facebook Group: LWVUS monitors a closed Facebook group called League of Women Voters New Media Group for League members only to exchange ideas, share graphics, and trade social media communications tips.
• Shur Fellows: The Ruth S. Shur Fellows are comprised of volunteers from across the country. The Fellows work with state League leaders around best practices to engage new members and volunteers, gain visibility in the community, and develop new leaders with the goal of furthering our mission impact work in communities throughout the nation. For more information, contact cdavis [at] lwv.org

National Meetings

• National Convention: In even-numbered years, LWVUS hosts a national convention for all Leagues. All local and state Leagues and ILOs are encouraged to send delegates, which are apportioned based on a formula defined in our bylaws. This multi-day event includes plenary sessions in which delegates representing local and state Leagues vote on the LWVUS Board of Directors and Nominating Committee, bylaws amendments, the budget, and our priorities for the next biennium. This event also includes trainings, networking opportunities, and more.
• National Council: In odd-numbered years, LWVUS hosts a national council for state and other League leaders. During Council, leaders receive training, discuss League priorities, and have the opportunity to network. Questions about national council or convention should be addressed to cdavis [at] lwv.org.