Learning About the League Through Data
In recent years, the League has advanced a culture of effective data through our Data to Action Cycle. Through our cycle, we collect timely data, develop key insights, and engage in data-driven decision-making that charts a path forward for the national, state, and local Leagues.
Our Semi-Annual Survey Project is a central component of transforming our culture. Our most recent survey, in the Fall of 2021, provided important information on Leagues’ activities, partnerships, legislative priorities, and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Here’s is what we are learning:
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League Activities: During 2021, responding Leagues sponsored or co-sponsored more than 5,000 in-person or virtual activities ranging from panel discussions and town halls to rallies, press conferences, and tabling opportunities. Through these activities, 18,000 individuals volunteered with the League. Through these efforts, Leagues engaged with specific groups in their communities, including communities of color, senior citizens, and veterans.
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Partnerships: To implement their initiatives, Leagues are partnering with a number of organizations at the state and local levels. The most frequently cited partners by responding Leagues are the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and Common Cause. Leagues also listed Sierra Club and Planned Parenthood as key partners.
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts: Currently, 13% of Leagues are collecting demographic data, most frequently defined as gender and broad racial membership. Overall, about 30% of respondents indicated that their League was changing their age, racial or economic makeup, while nearly half believe that their League is becoming younger. We will continue to focus on creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive League, a core component of our goals.
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Additional Support: Numerous Leagues indicated the need to build their capacity to collect, share and use data. To this end, LWVUS will launch a training series designed to help Leagues develop the capacity to fully engage in the Evaluation Cycle. Each session will build on the others and culminate in a presentation during this year’s Convention. The dates and times for the sessions are as follows:
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April 14th: What Data Should You Collect?
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May 12th: Facilitating Meaningful Data Reviews?
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End of June (Convention): Putting It All Together
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The Summer 2022 Semi-Annual Survey opens on May 3rd and closes on June 3rd. Learn more about the Semi-Annual Survey, here. Have questions about our upcoming training sessions please contact Mariana Schmalstig Diaz, Evaluation Specialist, at [email protected].
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In 2019, I joined the League of Women Voters to help build culture of evaluation focused on outcomes of our work. To this end, during the Fall of 2020, we launched the Semi-Annual Survey Project.
As the late, great civil rights activist Bob Moses, who passed this last April, said, “Do what you think actually needs to be done, set an example, and hope your actions will click with someone else.” This year, you did what needed to be done, setting the stage for an even more dynamic 2022.
The 2020 election saw the greatest participation in our nation’s history. Throughout election season, the League worked tirelessly to ensure voters had the information and the access to make their voices heard.
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