Being an ACLU Ambassador:
Building an Advocacy Network
Deborah Fritsch, ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties
Alli Harper, ACLU of Maryland
Selene Kaye, National ACLU
Conocimiento
Rapport
Power
Trust
Conocimiento is mindfully communicating to know each
other and create connection. We do connection talk to
build relationships, lift inspiration, and develop shared
power.
Ways to Plug In
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Liberties at Night
Luncheon Conversations
Volunteer Night
Grassroots Task Forces
Constitution Day
Conference and Lobby Day
Progressive Speakers
Lawyers’ Campaign
Board Committees
ACLU of Maryland
Marriage Fairness Action Team:
A Case Study in Staff-Lay Leader Action-Based Partnership
Alli Harper, ACLU of Maryland
Whether large or small…
Whether large or small...
Roadmap...
 What is an
Action Team?
 Why Action
Teams?
 The Marriage
Fairness
Action Team
 Three Lessons
Learned
What is an Action Team?
 A TEAM that takes well-coordinated, strategic ACTION
aligned with concrete campaign objectives
 The TEAM includes:
 Interdepartmental Staff Members (6), Board Members
(6), Other Lay Leaders (3)
 ACTION is always strategic:
 High Value -- Needed by and aligned with campaign plan
 Effective -- Taps into the passion and assets (expertise,
experience, networks, willingness…) of team members
 Three action teams -- Marriage Fairness, Criminal Justice and
Immigration Reform
Why Action Teams?
 Staff and lay leaders'
passion for substantive
ISSUES
 Value-added to campaign –
leveraging untapped
resources
 Builds ownership and
relationship with ACLU
(which means more
members, more donors,
more allies, more visibility …
for future campaigns)
Maryland’s
Marriage
Fairness Action
Team Highlights
Concrete,
winnable, clear
campaign
objectives
Team members:
passion, action,
networks
Action menu
Team members’
time is precious
A Key Target: Prince George’s County
Prince George’s County Results –
Every Vote Mattered
Presidential Results:
Approximately 348,000 total votes for Obama
Approximately 36,000 total votes for Romney
Question 6 Marriage Results:
Approximately 183,000 total votes FOR Question 6
Approximately 186,000 total votes AGAINST
Question 6
Example: Matching Campaign Need
with Team Member Assets
Campaign Need:
Team Member's Asset
Legislator votes for bill
Personal relationships with
legislators
Immediate past chair of County
NAACP; active member on
NAACP state board
Relationships with such leaders
African-American vote in
referendum
Faith, labor, and other
community leaders to sign on
to coalition
Legislative Effort Actions
Meetings and calls with target legislators with
whom one has personal relationships
Meetings, calls, and e-mails with target
legislators, even without relationship
Testify at or attend hearings
Phone banks
Lobby nights, press conferences, big events
Referendum Actions:
Activating Networks
Asked faith, labor, community, and
business organizations to join
coalition and take action
League of Women Voters
Unitarian churches
Quaker meetings
Brown, Goldstein & Levy law firm
Others
Referendum Actions:
Activating Networks
Hosting "house" parties
The Action Team and Board hosted 10 of the
ACLU’s 100 house parties that:
 Educated 1,700 attendees,
Signed up over 1,000 volunteers, and
Raised approximately $144,000.
Referendum
Action:
Activating
Networks
Action team nonboard lay leader
organized over
100 volunteers
for the ACLU in
adopting 16 polls
3 Keys to Success
1. Concrete campaign objectives and
clear strategies to meet objectives
2. Staff buy-in and capacity to lead
and support action in coordination
with campaign plan
3. ACTION is as easy, as fun and as
empowering as possible so all feel
greater ownership of the campaign
victory as well as the ACLU
For further questions, discussion or
action team tools, contact:
Alli Harper
Former President of the Board
Marriage Fairness Action Team Co-Chair, ACLU of Maryland
alliharper13@gmail.com
202-906-0687
or
Susan Goering
Executive Director, ACLU of Maryland
goering@aclu-md.org
410-889-8555
It’s Your Turn!
Using Your Networks to Build Support for the Marriage Referendum
Discussion
Q&A
Thank You!
Deborah Fritsch
Board Vice President
ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties
dkfritsch@cox.net
619-410-9614
Alli Harper
Former President of the Board
Marriage Fairness Action Team Co-Chair, ACLU of Maryland
alliharper13@gmail.com
202-906-0687
Selene Kaye
Advocacy & Policy Strategist
National ACLU
skaye@aclu.org
212-549-2645