VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
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Voter Services | Voter Registration | Naturalization Ceremonies | Vote 411 | Speakers’ Bureau ||
Membership Development || Fund Development || Communications || Investment Committee || Office Support || Mailing Help ||
Program Development | City Government | County Government | Education| Housing| Natural Resources | Transportation ||
- (above: click committee(s) of your interest)
- See LWVCA Calendar (under Menu on homepage) for meeting link & details
VOTER SERVICE - The Voter Service committee is a multi functional group that is responsible for planning and producing: candidate forums and moderators for events, the speakers bureau, vote411 and the voter guide, voter registration activities and trainings, the TRU candidate reference booklet, and we serve as the liaison to the board of elections. We operate year round with our busiest time being July through November.
- Committee Chair: Kimberly Jacobs. Please contact the office [hfountain [at] lwvcincinnati.org] or come to a Voter Service meeting to volunteer.
- Meeting dates: 2nd Monday of the month
VOTER REGISTRATION - These volunteers go to community events to help citizens register to vote, check their registration, and provide information about how to vote. Members of this committee are expected to complete voter registration training in person or virtually here or here before contacting the office to be added to the volunteer sign-up list.
NATURALIZATION CEREMONIES - These volunteers go to naturalization ceremonies to help new citizens register to vote. Members of this committee are expected to complete Voter Registration Training either virtually here or here, or in person prior to helping at a ceremony.
- Chairperson: Linda Miltner. Please contact her (miltner.linda [at] gmail.com) for further information.
- Meetings: These meetings are part of the monthly Voter Service committee meetings.
VOTE 411 - is the online platform for the LWV voter guides, and included an online administrative portal (Voter Guide Toolkit) used to create the voter guide.
This committee is primarily responsible for producing the voter guide, communication with candidates and the board of elections, and administrative tasks to ensure online voter guide displays accurately for web users.
This committee requires a large time commitment during the election seasons. It is not a good fit for anyone with limited availability during these time periods (Feb-April or Late July-October).
Roles/requirements:
VOTE411 setup (primary role): ability to use an online database management administrative portal and project management skills are essential. must read or watch training on the administrative portal (1-2 hours training, ongoing volunteer work leading up to the election).
- communicate with the board of elections for candidate contact information
- create/edit races and issues and their descriptions
- set geographic regions
- create invitations, set deadlines
Candidate support: monitor shared email and answer candidate questions and providing technical support to non-technical candidates and staff, able to navigate administrative portal and perform basic tasks like re-sending an invitation (some training required and ongoing volunteer work up to election).
Print Voter Guide (subcommittee): collaborate with Voter Services on any additional material for the print voter guide (additional content, graphic layout, etc.)
*There is a separate volunteer group for follow up phone calls for candidates, but the majority of our work requires some training and time commitment ongoing up to and throughout the election cycle.
- Committee Chair: Liz Shockey. Please contact the office [hfountain [at] lwvcincinnati.org] or come to a Voter Service meeting to volunteer.
- Meeting dates: Generally meet together with Voter Services but hoping to add ad -hoc meetings to work upcoming elections.
SPEAKERS’ BUREAU- educates communities about voting, elections, and issues as a non-partisan, independent, information source. The Speakers Bureau also moderates forums and debates.
- Chairpersons: Veronica McCreary- Hall (v.hall29 [at] yahoo.com)
- Meeting Dates: meetings are usually held about 75 days prior to an election, and most of our speaking requests come in 30 to 60 days prior to the election.
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE- Membership is a standing committee responsible for recruitment, retention, and engagement of our members. We focus on new member engagement and placement into committee or other focused work, social engagement, and retention efforts. We provide a focus article for the Voter each month to highlight a member. We draft and distribute the annual membership renewal letter. We support other committees with suggestions to support varying efforts. We provide 1:1 connections for members looking to engage in specific LWV efforts.
- Committee Chairperson: Emily Thoebe (thobeemily [at] gmail.com)
- Meeting Dates - Last Thursday of the month, 2pm. See LWV Calendar for meeting link and details.
FUND DEVELOPMENT - This committee is responsible for fundraising efforts such as the annual making democracy work event, mailings and grant requests. This committee is being rebooted and ideally would have quarterly meetings, although additional meetings may be required as part of event preparation.
- Chairperson: Mary Kate Genis (mkgenis [at] gmail.com).
- Meeting Dates: None currently scheduled
COMMUNICATIONS - This committee is responsible for getting information to our members and the public through our website, The Voter newsletter, Monday Momentum email update, and social media. It is being rebooted after some dormancy, and ideally would have monthly meetings.
- Chairperson: Claire Wagner (wagnerc [at] fuse.net).
- Meeting Dates: Last Wednesday of every month at noon, via zoom.
INVESTMENT COMMITTEE - The Investment Committee provides oversight to three funds of the overall LWVCA organization: the Education Fund of the LWVCA, the Steiner Fund, and the LWVCA Operating & Investment Account – approximately $380,000. This committee reviews written policies and guidelines for all three funds in the organization for clarity, reasonableness, and actual operational compliance with these documents. The committee acts in an advisory capacity to the LWVCA Board, which shall have ultimate authority for resolution of any issues that this committee may discover.
- Committee Chairperson: Tim Viezer (tviezer [at] gmail.com)
- NOTE: Please contact Tim Viezer directly & include "LWVCA IC” in the email subject line
- Meeting Dates: 1st Wednesday of the month at 5:30-6:00 PM – (before the Board meeting)
OFFICE SUPPORT - Volunteer opportunities are currently suspended due to COVID19. When options resume, office volunteers schedule individual shifts on a monthly basis, usually from 9:30am-12:30pm. During this time, the volunteer may be assigned simple administrative tasks such as filing, preparing mailings and answering the telephone. Other activities include cleaning, preparing event materials and greeting visitors. (This is not an exhaustive list.) July is the annual volunteer month off.
- Committee Chairperson: Office Manager, Hope Fountain (hfountain [at] lwvcincinnati.org)
- Meeting Dates: None
MAILING HELPER - This team of volunteers helps to prepare mass mailings for the LWVCA on average eight times per year. Some are standard mail while others follow bulk mail guidelines. These volunteers are part of a pool contacted when a mailing needs to go out, generally meeting during daytime/weekday hours to put everything together.
- Chairperson: Pinky Kocoshis (pskocoshis [at] cinci.rr.com)
- Meetings: Ad hoc. These volunteers meet as needed to complete a mailing.
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT - This is a standing committee chaired by the Vice President for Program. Membership includes the chairs of each of the program committees and any interested League member. The committees report at monthly meetings on activity. Advocacy actions are reviewed by PDC prior to being submitted to the Board for approval. PDC develops an annual schedule of unit topics and general meeting speakers.
- Chairperson: Elizabeth Brown Please contact the office manager (hfountain [at] lwvcincinnati.org).
- Meeting Dates: meets regularly on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 5:30 p.m.
CITY GOVERNMENT - This committee monitors city government and transportation activities and meets when an issue needs attention. We evaluate any proposed changes in city governance and are prepared to research and evaluate any Cincinnati Charter Amendments or other issues involving city voters which are proposed for the ballot. The committee also follows the activities of groups interested in improving local transportation and is monitoring the implementation of the Reinventing Metro Plan following the passage of the county sales tax for transit in March 2020.
- Chairperson: Alice Schneider and Chris Moran are co-chairs. Please contact the office manager (hfountain [at] lwvcincinnati.org).
- Meeting Dates: Ad hoc; meets as needed.
COUNTY GOVERNMENT - Standing committee which also functions as an ad hoc committee. We are an advocacy and education type committee. When there is a specific action (ex. MSD), the County Government Committee will ask for volunteers to plan events and occasionally update Know Hamilton County online publication.
Voter Guide - County levies written annually. This year we will have four County levies to be written in 2021 and this committee will need three volunteers to write levy summaries in July/August.
Observer Corp - TLRC (Tax Levy Review Committee) meetings. These meetings need to be observed only in the spring when consultants and TLRC members discuss annual levies.
Hamilton County Commissioners meetings - Currently, these meetings are online. Check agenda and watch the sections that are of interest.
First Suburbs Consortium of Southwest Ohio - meets quarterly; currently meetings are online. Topics relate to Hamilton County excepting City of Cincinnati specific issues.
- Chairperson: Janet Smith. Please contact the office manager (hfountain [at] lwvcincinnati.org).
- Would welcome a co-chair
- Meeting Dates: No standing committee meetings
EDUCATION COMMITTEE - Our focus is on high quality education for every child and good stewardship of taxpayers’ monies for education. Our members regularly attend school board meetings, monitor education-related legislature at the local and state level, and make recommendations to the LWVCA Board for support of issues (Levy(s). We host members of the education community to share information with us (school board members, school district leaders, and state elected officials). As appropriate, we write Op Eds, letters, etc. to voice our opinion about issues.
- Chairperson: Marcia Futel (Marcia.Futel [at] gmail.com)
- Meeting Dates: 3rd Tuesday of the month at 2pm (year round)
- However, since we currently use Zoom for our meetings, we can be flexible as we add new members.
HOUSING COMMITTEE - The Housing Committee is a standing committee that stays informed on housing issues in greater Cincinnati. Past actions have focused on Cincinnati residential tax abatements, accessibility, and affordable housing. It represents LWV on the coalition Affordable Housing Advocates which meets monthly.
- Chairperson: Elizabeth Brown. Please contact the office manager (hfountain [at] lwvcincinnati.org).
- Meeting Dates: No standing committee meetings
NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE - The natural resources committee follows most conservation issues, bur especially those that affect Hamilton County and Cincinnati. The committee tracks the actions of the Hamilton County Commissioners, specifically MSD and its US EPA mandated consent decree for overflows. We have held public programs on this topic. We are a member of the Past Plastic Cincinnati and support Cincinnati's ban on single use plastic bags. We also follow proposed state legislation and meet with our legislators as needed.
- Chairperson: Pinky Kocoshis (pskocoshis [at] cinci.rr.com)
- Meeting Dates: The 4th Monday of each month at 11:00am via Zoom; open to new members who are encouraged to lobby their state legislators on relevant issues.
TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE - The committee follows activities that affect local transportation. Currently the committee is monitoring the implementation of the Reinventing Metro Plan following the passage of the county sales tax for transit in March 2020.
- Chairperson: Chris Moran. Please contact the office manager (hfountain@lwvcincinnati).
- Meeting Dates: Ad hoc.
