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Dear partners and friends,
Warm wishes and happy May
Day 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:
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 carol@funwithfinancials.net
- Grassroots Exchange
Fund: have you heard
about the Grassroots Exchange
Fund (GXF)? It is a great
resource to support grassroots
groups in traveling for
learning exchanges with
other groups across the
state or country, particularly
in these harder economic
times. GXF grants help community-based
organizations to engage
in collaborative campaigns,
strengthen key cross-region
and cross-sector movements,
and participate in organizing
and technical assistance
trainings. GXF has an open
application process for
qualifying organizations.
Deadlines are on a monthly
cycle (February-November).
For more information, visit
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
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