Civic Engagement

VISION #9  - OUR WASHINGTON COUNTY COMMUNITIES WILL BE STRENGTHENED THROUGH CITIZEN PARTRICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT.

FOCUS GROUP: CIVIC ENGAGEMENT           

Members of the Civic Engagement Focus Group will look at information ranging from charitable giving and volunteerism to voter registration and turnout.

The members of the Civic Engagement Focus Group include:

  • Dale Bannon
  • Larry Barron
  • Art Callaham*
  • Fanny Crawford*
  • Nigel  Dardar
  • Carroll Earp
  • Dave Hanlin
  • Ashley Haywood
  • Pat Heck
  • Kay Hoffman
  • Elizabeth  Howe
  • Dave Jordan
  • Marilee Kerns
  • John Latimer*
  • Stu Mullendore
  • Kathleen O'Connell
  • Brien Poffenberger*
  • Sue Stouffer

*Denotes IMPACT Council Member

Vision- Civic Engagement: Our communities will be strengthened through citizen participation and involvement in civic activities.

Goal # 32 -- Support a volunteer center to match volunteers with available opportunities and allow the non-profit community to identify volunteers with appropriate skills sets.  Strategies include:

1.       identify existing organization to incubate a volunteer center;

2.       include opportunities for the elderly and disabled;

3.       develop database to coordinate volunteer opportunities with the needs of the community, including the consideration of a time bank piece;

4.       utilize existing resources (i.e. washingtoncountynonprofits.org);

5.       attract volunteers through a marketing program;

6.       explore/ develop a board training/governance education program;

Goal #33 -- Develop a mechanism that will measure volunteer hours and opportunities.  Strategies include:

  1. use existing volunteer center staff and contact information;
  2. collect data from non-profits currently tracking this information;
  3. encourage funding entities to request this information on funding applications.

Goal # 34 -- Develop a mechanism that will gather information from charitable organizations measure and monitor public and private charitable giving.  Strategies include:

  1. identify existing entity to coordinate this effort;
  2. determine correlation between giving of time and talents and giving of treasure;
  3. track major capital campaigns and the effect these campaigns have on other charitable giving.

Goal # 35 -- Develop a comprehensive, easily available donor education forum.  Strategies include:

  1. encourage a comprehensive look at duplication of services being offered by area nonprofits that may permit better sharing of resources and drive improved results;
  2. provide funders with access to information supporting tried and true programs vs. “new and innovative measures”;
    1. explore and encourage quality of programming vs., quantity of population served;
  3. emphasize the importance of operating funds and overhead expenses for non-profit organizations as vital to the ongoing success of such organizations;
    1. inform donors of specific programs that are not designed to become self-supporting.

Goal # 36 -- Increase the number of ballots cast by encouraging & promoting voter education and registration.

Strategies include:

  1. provide a neutral electronic clearinghouse for candidate forum for all elections;
  2. market early voting opportunities;
  3. establish and utilize published multilingual voter guide;
  4. develop a campaign to engage voters via electronic media.

Goal # 37 -- Increase the number of potential candidate running for office.  Strategies include:

  1. conduct annual “How to Run for Office” forums;
  2. encourage political affiliates to actively recruit candidates;
  3. identify and explore a continuing education class for potential candidates.

Goal # 38 -- Increase citizen knowledge of and participation on standing boards/commissions.  Strategies include:

  1. promote coordination of duplicate committee/commission responsibility;
  2. assess current community needs in relationship to existing committee/commissions;
  3. eliminate redundancy in purpose and programming;
  4. determine the value of long-standing commissions and committees vs. current needs;
  5. engage local and/or state resources;
  6. clarify and improve a transparent system for notifying the public of vacancies on local government boards and commissions.

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