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ENGAGE CANDIDATES AND BUILD CLOUT HOW TO HOST A CANDIDATE FORUM Presented by
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ABOUT US About A national hub of voter engagement resources and trainings to help nonprofits integrate nonpartisan voter participation into ongoing activities and services. Find more about our mission and partners on our website: www.nonprofitvote.org
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TODAY’S PRESENTERS Who Julian Johannesen Director of Research and Training Nonprofit VOTE Cheryl Crawford Co-Director MassVOTE
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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
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Working with partners Organizing the forum Staying Nonpartisan The Big Three THE BIG THREE
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WORKING WITH PARTNERS CHALLENGES BENEFITS Collabor- ating
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Coordinating meetings Maintaining communication Sharing the work – one group takes the lead Collabor- ating CHALLENGES
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Having co-sponsors – Increases the likelihood that candidates will participate Can mean a larger audience turnout Strengthens relationships for future work BENEFITS Collabor- ating
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ORGANIZING GETTING STARTED RECRUITING CANDIDATES CHOOSING A FORMAT TURNING OUT YOUR AUDIENCE PUBLICITY Organizing
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Starting early – about 4 months out Having a plan – date, place Targeting your audience Organizing GETTING STARTED
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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
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Equal Time Q&A Candidate Debate Town Meeting Q&A Organizing CHOOSING A FORMAT
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Planning early and starting early Targeting your audience Making it personal Organizing TURNING OUT YOUR AUDIENCE Don’t let this happen to you!
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Using all your communications vehicles Recruiting a media partner Getting a well known moderator Organizing PUBLICITY
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STAYING NONPARTISAN Guidelines for Candidate Forums THE BASICS INVITING CANDIDATES CANCELLATIONS DURING THE FORUM
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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
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Ask all viable candidates to attend Follow up Must have at least 2 candidates to have a “forum” Stay Nonpartisan INVITING CANDIDATES
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Recruit volunteers! Select a moderator Follow up with your candidates Strategize on turning out your audience Timeline 2 MONTHS TO GO
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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
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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
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More ways to engage candidates Candidate Appearances at Your Event Elected Official… or a Candidate? Share Your Research Timeline AND FOR MORE….
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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 www.nonprofitvote.org/engage-candidates.html
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Julian Johannesen –julian@nonprofitvote.org –617-357-8683 Cheryl Crawford –ccrawford@massvote.org –617-542-8683 ext. 211 Contact CONTACT INFORMATION
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