BRAINSTORMING SESSION FOR 2009-2010 PLANS (Nov. 13, 2008)

GENERAL:

• For Membership focus on League niche:  DEMOCRACY!
• Investigate partnerships with local issue groups like Sierra Club
• Karen Dahn may be a good candidate to connect us better to university types
• Circulate the Impact CD to involve High Schools better
• Recruit High School students
• League signs' readability could be improved
• Women's Studies may be a good internship possibility
• Issues to share with State League may include:  Negative campaigning and changing election day to a non-work day (coincide with Veteran's Day - maybe)
• Prepare and share a menu of activities needing volunteers with members
• Can we change image/perception of partisanship?

MEMBERSHIP - New members

• Push the issues and development of League positions as a selling point to encourage involvement
• Connect to active student groups:  Moveon, College Republicans and Democrats
• Try to approach Faculty senate or other university senates
• Table at student volunteer fair
• Invite Athens Public Library employees and friends to become members
• Consider a "membership coordinator"

MEMBERSHIP - Active members

• Pay for work
• Offer free memberships (and food) for active members
• Ask people to volunteer to do specific things
• Engage the poll workers who have demonstrated dedication

PR - RECOGNITION

• Circulate the Impact CD to high schools - Debbie
• Drum up mock elections
• Push issue focus to counter partisanship image
• Push positions - Messenger articles
• Get on OUB's community events calendars
• Explain League as nationwide grassroots process in Messenger article
• Package League info for different audiences like environmentally minded student groups

e-ABILITIES

• Focus on getting Facebook up and running (become "friends" with moveon.org, student Sierra Club, College Republicans and Democrats)
• Investigate the OU class that builds nonprofit groups' websites
• Offer free membership for website maintenance help