HOSTING A CANDIDATE FORUM And building political clout for your nonprofit Presented by

TODAY’S PRESENTERS Who George Pillsbury Director Nonprofit VOTE Cheryl Crawford Deputy Director MassVOTE

Get your issues in front of the candidates/future office holders Provide an opportunity for voters to learn about and meet the candidates Build relationships with the candidates Be a player, become known as an organization connected to politics Why WHY HOST A CANDIDATE FORUM

Collaborating with partners Organizing the forum Staying Nonpartisan The Big Three THE BIG THREE

Challenges Benefits COLLABORATING WITH PARTNERS Collabor- ating

Coordinating meetings Maintaining communication Sharing the work – one group takes the lead Collabor- ating CHALLENGES

Having co-sponsors – Increases the likelihood that candidates will participate Can mean a larger audience turnout Strengthens relationships for future work BENEFITS Collabor- ating

ORGANIZING GETTING STARTED RECRUITING CANDIDATES CHOOSING A FORMAT TURNING OUT YOUR AUDIENCE PUBLICITY

Starting early – about 4 months out Having a plan – date, place Targeting your audience Organizing GETTING STARTED

Candidates want - A large audience A guarantee of neutrality Well known and respected sponsors and partners Time at the forum to meet with the audience informally RECRUITING CANDIDATES Organizing

Equal Time Q&A Candidate Debate Town Meeting Q&A Organizing CHOOSING A FORMAT

Planning early and starting early Targeting your audience Making it personal Organizing TURNING OUT YOUR AUDIENCE Don’t let this happen to you!

Using all your communications vehicles Recruiting a media partner Getting a well known moderator Organizing PUBLICITY

STAYING NONPARTISAN Guidelines for Candidate Forums THE BASICS INVITING CANDIDATES CANCELLATIONS DURING THE FORUM

Cover a range of issues or topics within your own issue area Provide equal time for the candidates during the forum No “litmus test” questions Stay Nonpartisan THE BASICS

Ask all viable candidates to attend Follow up Must have at least 2 candidates to have a “forum” Stay Nonpartisan INVITING CANDIDATES

For last minute cancellations, either cancel or change from a forum to a candidate appearance –No politicking or fundraising –Announce that appearance is not an endorsement Stay Nonpartisan CANCELLATIONS

Maintain a nonpartisan atmosphere in the hall No leading or biased questions Allow candidates to meet voters after the forum and allow literature outside the hall Stay Nonpartisan DURING THE FORUM

CHECKLIST ON A TIMELINE 4 M ONTHS TO G O – M AKING A P LAN 3 M ONTHS TO G O 2 M ONTHS TO G O 1 M ONTH TO G O O N THE B IG D AY

Identify co-sponsors! Set a date, time and place for the forum Develop your budget and stick to it! Timeline 4 MONTHS TO GO – MAKING A PLAN

Invite all candidates –Bookend invitations with phone calls –Emphasize your nonpartisan mission –Maintain good contact throughout the process Initiate contact with the media –Make a list of media outlets –Send out an advisory –Designate a media liaison Timeline 3 MONTHS TO GO

Recruit volunteers! Select a moderator Follow up with your candidates Strategize on turning out your audience Timeline 2 MONTHS TO GO

Final confirmation of candidates Reconfirm site arrangements Assign staff duties Reconfirm volunteers Distribute promotional materials Contact media to promote coverage Reconfirm moderator Timeline 1 MONTH TO GO

Set up at forum facility Have staff greet the candidates Welcome and Thanks-yous Review the ground rules Informal Q&A after the forum Timeline ON THE BIG DAY

More ways to engage candidates Candidate Appearances at Your Event Elected Official… or a Candidate? Share Your Research Timeline AND FOR MORE….

For more information on: –A Nonprofit’s Guide to Hosting a Candidate Forum (Eng. And Sp.) –Checklist on a Timeline Factsheet –This presentation and our online narrated candidate forum training Resources RESOURCES

George Pillsbury – Cheryl Crawford – ext. 211 Contact CONTACT INFORMATION