Volunteering with the League

The League of Women Voters of Central Yavapai County is an all-volunteer membership organization. This means that every member is encouraged to be actively involved with any number of League events and programs. Member participation is the key to League effectiveness! Whatever your interest or expertise, we have a place for you to contribute your time and talents.

As a member, the first thing you can do is talk to your friends and family. Share the newsletters and other information provided by the League. If you can, donate or urge your friends and family to donate.  Grow the League by inviting family and friends to join. And finally, follow us on social media and share our posts. More importantly, we invite you to join a committee, attend LWVCYC meetings and programs, and volunteer for specific events. Listed below are descriptions of specific volunteer opportunities.  If any of these pique your interest or you would like more information, please contact us at lwvcyc@gmail.com

 

Voter Services

The League of Women Voters plays a key role in educating and registering citizens to become voters!  Listed below are the many functions filled by Voter Services volunteers:
 

Voter Registration: Throughout the year, the Voter Services team hosts voter registration tables at various festivals, schools, senior living facilities, and public events. Volunteers are needed to help at these “tabling” events.

Get-out-the-Vote Campaigns: In election years, LWVCYC, in coordination with LWVAZ, actively contacts voters urging them to exercise their right to vote. This program requires many volunteers to canvass neighborhoods, phone and text voters, and write postcards.

 

VOTE411 Team

Vote411.org is the League’s premier online voter guide providing accurate, timely, and balanced information about candidates and ballot measures to Arizona voters. In order to publish up-to-date voter information, volunteers are needed to:  

Identify Races and Candidates: Volunteers identify the candidates for all federal, state, county and local races, and collect their contact information. Research strategies and scripts for phone calls and emails are provided. 

Write Candidate Questions: Members with diverse perspectives craft position-specific questions that reflect the issues most important to voters. Guidelines and sample questions are provided.

Ballot Measure Analysis and Description: A small team of volunteers reads the state ballot measures and distills the language into easy-to-understand arguments for and against the measures. 

Operational Support: Volunteers help with publicity, follow up with candidates, read proposed content for clarity, update Arizona voting requirements, assist with social media posts, and much more.

To volunteer on our VOTE411 Team, please email lwvazadvocacy@gmail.com

Communications & Technology

Social Media: Volunteers who are tech savvy and are experienced with social media are needed! Create a social media strategy and manage daily posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Outreach Circle. 

Newsletters: We need help writing, editing, and emailing our monthly newsletter, The VOTER. Contact us today to help!

Website: If you have experience with websites, we need assistance updating content. This won’t take much time as we use a platform designed for associations like ours, Club Express. It is fully integrated with a member database, event calendar, email and blog functions, online payments, and more.  

Zoom Manager: Assist the LWVCYC board, committee chairs and other league members with access and operation of our Zoom account.

Advocacy

At the local level we work to promote our positions and principles at the county, city and school district level. We actively monitor our elected officials by attending public meetings and report the results. Local governments can move quickly, so as the eyes and ears of the League, you can help ensure we are holding out elected officials accountable. If you are interested in volunteering, please email lwvcyc@gmail.com.

 
Lobbying: League lobbying is an advocacy technique to influence specific legislation or policies of a government entity. It involves a concerted effort to advance public policies consistent with League positions. League Boards at every level set their own lobbying priorities. Legislative lobbying is organized and managed by the LWVAZ advocacy committee. LWVUS and LWVAZ  public policy positions are the official statements for each issue area and are used by all Leagues in determining areas for advocacy and lobbying. 
Writing Articles: If you like writing advocacy articles about the local issues for which we have a League position, this is your opportunity to expand and amplify our advocacy work.

Finance and Development
Finance: Annual assistance with budget preparation and a review of accounts is an integral part of maintaining our league's solvency. Volunteers are needed to prepare the annual budget a few months in advance of the annual meeting. Volunteers for the annual review of books and records meet once or twice to complete the review.

Development: LWVCYC is nonpartisan and self-funded, so we actively pursue financial support for our vital programming and advocacy work. Below are some of the fundraising opportunities for enthusiastic volunteers.
Grant Writers: Volunteers with expertise in grant writing are needed to help the League apply for various funding opportunities.  
Social Giving Lead:  A volunteer familiar with fundraising through social media is needed to lead the League efforts in this area. 
Event Planner: Consider leading or joining an event team, which is essential to fundraising and our future.  

If you are interested in volunteering for any of these activities, please contact lwvcyc@gmail.com and express your interest.

Forums and Debates 
Leagues across the nation are known for hosting nonpartisan Candidate Debates and Issues Forums. Volunteers are needed to plan and implement these special events. Tasks include researching candidates and gaining agreement to participate in a forum or debate. We also need members to write meaningful questions for candidates based on public input. Ideally, questions are from diverse perspectives. The actual event requires more volunteers to serve as greeters, moderators, and timekeepers, and to handle set-up and take down. Training is provided.

Elisabeth Ruffner Scholarship
Elisabeth Ruffner was a long-time supporter of the League of Women Voters and a 23-year members of LWVCYC. Elisabeth Ruffner came to Prescott in 1940 at the age of 20 as the bride of Lester "Budge" Ruffner. She immediately became involved in the Prescott community. Elisabeth led efforts to establish the hospital now known as Yavapai Regional Medical Center. She believed in strong civic engagement and helped establish Prescott Good Governance in the 1970s. In 2015, Elisabeth and Sandra Day O'Connor were inducted into the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame. Elisabeth was a member of LWVCYC from July 1996- until her passing in 2019.

As a tribute to her memory, the LWVCYC has designated a portion of its Education Fund for an annual scholarship given to a deserving high school senior. Once a year, the Elisabeth Ruffner Scholarship Committee meets to review the scholarship applications and select the scholarship recipient.