Intern Handbook
The State of Female Representation in Government
I was not until 1978 that a woman, Republican Nancy Kassebaum, was elected (in her own
right) to the U.S. Senate. By 1979, women made up fewer than five percent of the seats in
the U.S. House of Representatives, and only about ten percent of state legislative offices
across the country. Women have come a long way in holding office since then. A record 98
women — 20 in the Senate and 78 in the House — were elected to the 113th Congress. But
this is still far below equal representation (Women & Politics Institute, American University).
But why are there so many fewer women than men in public office? The reason is not that
women do not win. Rather, the problem is that women are far less likely to be recruited to
run for office.
What does Womenwinning do?
Womenwinning is the only non-partisan, pro-choice women’s organization with both a State
and Federal Political Action Committee (PAC) in the state of MN. We raise and spend money
to elect pro-choice women candidates at all levels of office, from Park Board to President of
the United States. Womenwinning also contributes crucial early money to candidates
through direct contributions and coordinated fundraisers.
In addition to providing
monetary contributions,
Womenwinning strategically
recruits qualified female
candidates. We provide
candidates with training and
support to help them win.
The Minnesota Women’s
Campaign Fund was founded in
1982 by a group of 25 nonpartisan women who wanted to
see more pro-choice women
elected to office. Thirty years
later, womenwinning is the
largest and most influential
statewide women’s PAC. Since
its founding, womenwinning has
given one million dollars to
more than 2,000 campaigns.
The Endorsement Process
Local legislative candidates
apply for womenwinning’s
endorsement by filling out a
http://www.democraticleader.gov/House_Democratic_Women_of_the_113th_Congress_Photo
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questionnaire about their campaign. Once an application is submitted, the State PAC
committee screens candidates who:
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Demonstrates
for women;
Demonstrates
campaign;
Demonstrates
issues;
Demonstrates
support for women’s issues including reproductive choice and equality
a willingness and ability to conduct a vigorous, well-organized
interest and knowledge of a range of political, economic and social
evidence of a need for financial help.
The State Pac committee decides who they think womenwinning should endorse in a certain
race. The committee submits their suggestions to the board of directors for review, who
has the final say on endorsements.
The Board of Directors
The board of directors governs womenwinning: they assist with fundraising, hire staff,
finalize the operating budget, and evaluate womenwinning’s progress in achieving the
mission. Board members serve for three years and may seek reelection for a second term.
You can read bios of all of the board members on the womenwinning webpage.
The Staff
Womenwinning has three full-time staff members:
Lauren Beecham – Executive Director
Meagan Bachmayer- Director of Marketing and Development
Susy Bates –Political Director.
Meagan and Susy began working at Womenwinning in February 2011 and Lauren joined as
Executive Director in January 2012. All three women have extensive experience working in
politics, particularly on campaigns. Meagan, Susy, and Lauren are great resources: they are
really good at answering questions and giving career advice!
The Annual Event
The annual fundraising event is held every summer at the historic Milwaukee Depot in
downtown Minneapolis. It draws over 1,000 major donors and guests to celebrate
womenwinning and their
endorsed candidates/elected
officials. The event kicks off
with a procession to recognize
the women that womenwinning
has endorsed. Then lunch is
served and the programming
begins. Every event has a
featured keynote speaker.
Some former speakers include
activist Gloria Steinem,
professor and activist Anita Hill,
former White House press
secretary Dee Dee Meyers, and
former Senator Olympia Snowe.
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Clearly, an event this big takes a lot of planning. Some things interns may be asked to help
out with include sending out mailings, collecting contact information for potential donors
and preparing call sheets for over-the-phone fundraising.
Wine Chocolate and Choice is
another fundraising event that
happens every February at the
Varsity Theatre. This is event is
hosted by LAUNCH-the young
women leaders of
womenwinning. Launch
works on outreach and
education to help shape the
next generation of women
leaders across the state of
Minnesota. They encourage
their own members to run for
office as well as provide
training for women who want
to get involved in campaigns.
As an intern working on this
event you may be asked to fill
swag bags or put together the
wine auction. You will also be
able to volunteer at the event. This is a great opportunity to network, meet other interns
and talk with volunteers who are involved with womenwinning. Volunteers help staff the
silent auction table, the wine auction, and greet guests as they come in.
Databases
Womenwinning stores its contact information, records on donors, and files on candidates in
electronic databases. The office is currently trying to transition away from paper filing to an
electronic filing system. This is a long-term intensive project which interns will likely help
out with at some point during their internship.
NGP Van is where womenwinning stores their
records on donations and general contact
information. This database is very easy to learn
how to use.
The Obama campaign ran all of their door
knocking and phone banking operations
through VAN. Almost every Democratic and
progressive organizer used the VAN this last
election cycle so knowing how to use it is a
good skill to have.
http://van.americavotes.org/Login.aspx
http://www.myngp.com
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Intern Duties
Interns help out with general office staffing, event planning, researching candidates and
tracking down contact information, sending out mailings, and independent projects.
Although most of your intern hours will take place at the office, some projects may be
possible to complete independently (from home).
Tips for a Positive Internship Experience
Interns help this office run smoothly and Womenwinning appreciates all of the work you put
in. Although internship positions are unpaid, womenwinning will help you attain academic
credit, learn about this career field, and provide you with recommendations.
You stand to get a lot out of this experience if you know how to take advantage of it. Here
are some tips that will help you hit the ground running:
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Be thoughtful about your goals. What exactly do you want to gain from working at
Womenwinning? Thinking about this ahead of time or soon after you begin working
here will put you on a focused path from the start.
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Try to attend as many events as you can. Make it out to caucuses, fundraisers,
candidate forums etc. It’s a great way to network and get a taste of local politics.
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Take advantage of the networking. Womenwinning is well-established in the political
community in Minnesota and can help you get your foot in the door for a political
career. The best way to do this is to go to as many events as possible and offer to
help out whenever you can.
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Ask questions. If something doesn’t make sense make sure to get it clarified.
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Hone your problem solving skills: a lot of times you will be working on projects
independently and may run into small bumps along way. Practicing your problem
solving skills will help you out both at this internship and generally in whatever
career you pursue.
The office is located at:
2324 W. University Ave.
Suite 120B
St. Paul, MN 55114
Phone: (651) 251-0718
Fax: (651) 641-7223
http://www.womenwinning.org/
https://www.facebook.com/womenwinningmn?fref=ts
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