California Elections Updates and More
From Mobilize the Immigrant Vote!
Dear partners and friends,
Warm wishes and a salute in solidarity from the MIV Steering Committee! We will be sharing reflections and resources with you once a quarter as well as sending out periodic e-advisories. Please see below for key highlights on the following: the 2008 Results of MIV Partner Organizations, the Special Statewide May 19th Elections, the 2010 Census, and Fundraising & Finances Resources.
MIV Partner Organization Achievements in 2008
Thank you again to all of our campaign partner organizations who filled out the MIV 2008 Survey. Congratulations to Juan Canche of Students for Equality and Education and Francisco Sola of the Riverside Latino Voter Project — the winners of the survey raffle prize! Below are just a few highlights from the 81 survey responses received:
- 133 MIV general campaign partner organizations across California
- 130 organizations endorsed the MIV Immigrant Voices Platform
- 28 grassroots organizations participated in the MOVE capacity-building program
- 164,244 MIV voter guides and voter rights palm cards distributed in six languages
- Critical education of immigrant communities on key statewide ballot measures
- 109,198 unduplicated 1:1 live voter contacts
- 742 electoral events with 25,169 participants and 3,758 volunteers
- 718 media hits
- 80% of respondents believe their elections programs were able to advance the cause of immigrant rights
- 65% of organizations felt that their organizations had increased influence with elected officials and policy-makers because of their electoral programs
- 75% of respondents said participation in the MIV 2008 Campaign made it easier to conduct their electoral activities
Now, in 2009, MIV partner organizations are building on these achievements to follow up with the voters and leaders activated in 2008 to advance a social justice agenda at the local, state, national and international levels. Organizations are continuing to work towards social transformation for quality health care, good jobs, just education, affordable and habitable housing, healthy environments, human and civil rights, and immigrant rights.
A Moment of Silence for Those Most Impacted by the Economic Crisis
In a time, when so many immigrants, low-income communities, and communities of color have already been living in crisis, the economic downturn has been devastating for many. We hold each of you and your families in our thoughts and extend our most sincere condolences to the family of long-time MIV leader, Alicia Lepe, for the loss of her god son.
Special California Statewide May 19th Elections
As a tactical move to address the revenue shortfall in the California state budget, legislators have put several financial ballot measures on the ballot for a special statewide election on May 19, 2009. Proposition 1A through 1F propose ways to address state finance issues including spending caps, increased powers to the Governor, and alternative uses of Proposition 10 and Proposition 63 dollars. All new voter registrations must be postmarked by March 4, 2009. For more information on the statewide ballot measures, you can visit the following resources:
- Individual MIV Steering Committee Organization Analysis and Positions – MIV has not taken positions on the May 19th ballot measures, but here we share resources from our steering committee organizations.
- California Secretary of State Website
- Easy Voter Guide – with educational information in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Korean and Chinese
Community members can obtain a sample ballot and find their poll location at www.smartvoter.org. Please contact info@mivcalifornia.org if you have additional resources to share with the MIV network.
2010 Census and Redistricting
In 2010, the U.S. government will conduct its next population analysis, the 2010 Census. There is an imminent threat that low-income communities of color will not be counted sufficiently, which could have devastating effects on resource distribution and political representation. Many of the skills community organizations have developed to engage voters can be applied to engage community members in responding to the census survey. Organizations can help increase the census count by becoming a U.S. Census partner at the U.S. Census website. Educational information on the census is available from the Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. The MIV Steering Committee will be announcing how we will incorporate the census into our 2010 California Campaign later this year.
Fundraising & Finances Resource Corner
We encourage other community organizations and funders to tell us about opportunities we can share with the MIV community. Here are three for this month:
- Tools for Navigating the Economic Downturn: we have a powerpoint presentation prepared by financial consultant, Carol Cantwell, as well as a worksheet on “How to Project Reserves” and “Grant Tracking by Time.” Thank you again to Carol and to the French American Charitable Trust (FACT) for allowing her to shared the powerpoint. For more information about Ms. Cantwell’s work and services, you can contact her at www.commomcounsel.org
- Tides Foundation JBL Awards Call for Nominations * Deadline May 22, 2009: The 2009 JBL Wards will recognize two individuals who have advocated and organized for comprehensive immigration reform, worked to counter anti-immigrant policies and groups, and helped voices at the grassroots shape and influence the immigration debate at the national level. The award recipients will be honored with $10,000 each. For more information, visit www.tidesfoundation.org/jblawards .
Best wishes with your ongoing work,
The MIV Steering Committee
To share resources in MIV’s e-newsletters, please contact Mari at mari@mivcalifornia.org. For more information about MIV, please visit our website at www.mivcalifornia.org or write to us at info@mivcalifornia.org
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:59 pm
[...] according to an MIV survey, 130 out of 133 member organizations endorsed their Immigrants Voice Platform. The explicitly [...]