State of the Union June 2017
Note from the President: One of the most rewarding aspects of running The Borgen Project is seeing the impact our volunteers are having across the country. Nowhere is that impact more noticeable than in my meetings with congressional offices back in D.C.
In May, I was on Capitol Hill with several team members and in meeting after meeting, congressional staffers commented that they hear a lot from The Borgen Project supporters in their district. Those generic emails and calls to congressional offices all matter and are tracked inside congressional offices. Not for the first time, two Senate offices even said that they hear more from The Borgen Project supporters than any other group! That is absolutely phenomenal considering the grassroots influence of the AARP, NRA, Sierra Club and countless other advocacy organizations.
There is one huge difference, however, between us and the other politically influential groups: funding. While those organizations have tens of millions of dollars to work with, The Borgen Project’s total budget last year was less than $240,000!
We take great pride in being a “force multiplier” for every dollar donated. We believe one dollar can have the impact of $100 if you find creative ways to utilize it. To put in perspective the impact that every fundraising campaign and dollar donated has at The Borgen Project, you need look no further than to Clayton Haglund of Irvine, CA. Clayton raised $2,300, which was one percent of The Borgen Project’s entire budget last year. Clayton has a one-percent ownership of everything The Borgen Project accomplished last year. He fueled one percent of the effort that:
- Passed three bills in Congress, impacting hundreds of millions of people.
- Drove 2.4 million people to borgenproject.org.
- Led to lobbying meetings with 93 percent of the Senate.
- Built a network of volunteers in 532 cities.
The list goes on, but the point is quite simple: every dollar counts, every personal fundraising campaign counts and every person in The Borgen Project system has the ability to hold leaders accountable and change lives.
– Clint Borgen
Political Updates
May 2017 was another record-breaking month for our organization. Great job team!
Lobbying Efforts
Advocacy Emails
Congressional Meetings
Here are photos from some of the meetings held in late April and through the end of May.
Michelle Mathis, HR team member, met with Senator David Perdue’s office (R – GA).
Advocate, Nandini Tivakaran, met with Stephanie McKenzie of Senator Bill Cassidy’s office (R – LA).
Amy Ortega, Political Affairs team member, met with staffer Alyn Fernandez – Regional Director for Senator Marco Rubio (R – FL).
Clayton Haglund, Regional Director, met with Representative Mimi Walter’s district representative (R – CA 45).
Regional Director, Caitlen Sellers, attended an Open House held by Representative Alma Adams (D – NC 12). Representative Adams was quoted saying, “People always ask me if calling Congress really makes a difference. It absolutely does! Keep calling Congress!”
2017 D.C. Lobbying Trip Experience
Winners of this year’s lobbying trip contest share their biggest takeaways from the experience.
Ally Klemp and Emily Schwartz, Regional Directors, pose in front of the Capitol during the 2017 D.C. Lobbying Trip.
Nate Fowler, Political Affairs team member, and one of the 2017 D.C. lobbying trip contest winners.
Emily Schwartz: Even though our trip was important and got The Borgen Project and the issue of poverty in front of a lot of people, my biggest takeaway was that our lobbying efforts that week were not nearly as valuable as constituent calls and emails. Many offices remarked that when they hear support for these issues from their constituents, they are more likely to co-sponsor them. It was so interesting to hear directly from Congress that the people’s opinions matter. When Congressional staffers and interns are fielding calls from concerned constituents all day, they can’t help but remember the major issues. So, if The Borgen Project can get more and more people contacting their Congressional leaders, it will have a huge impact. I also learned that if we mention our Congressional leaders by name in our letters and published pieces, those pieces will get more attention from the leaders. And, if we can persuade big names (heads of Chamber of Commerce, CEOs of companies, etc.) to write letters to the editor about this issue, that will likely be noticed by leaders.
Nate Fowler: Advocating on behalf a citizen-fueled organization like The Borgen Project made me reflect on the influence that Americans have over our government. While this viewpoint has been diluted by the billions spent on campaign ads and backroom lobbyists, this organization’s record and the attention we were given during this trip, allude to the reality that when we dedicate ourselves to being heard by our nation’s government for the betterment of our world, we are. This was a humbling experience, not because of how powerful I realized a Senator is, but because it made me realize how powerful I could be in guiding their actions.
Warren’s Address
Here is the latest from Warren about the goings-on in Washington D.C.
Content Team Updates
Here are the latest Content Team statistics.
HR Team Updates
Recognition
Congratulations to the following team members who have achieved Borgen Project Honors and Recognition in May.
Bird-dog Award: Bailey Reed, Political Affairs team.
Chief Closer Award: Mary Katherine Crowley, Content team and Thomas Pandolfo, Political Affairs team.
Public Outreach Award: Bailey Reed, Political Affairs team and Clayton Haglund, Regional Director.
Getting the Word Out
PR/Marketing team member, Roshnee Mistry Shah, had her Letter to the Editor “Foreign aid good for the economy” published in the News-Sentinel.com.
Our Political Director, Kim Thelwell, was interviewed by mnn.com about the importance of “clicktivism.”
Have a listen to the “refreshed” version of a PSA written by Neil Decenteceo, a Regional Director in Florida. Alpha Media will broadcast the PSA on 7 of their stations in Florida through the end of September 2017.
Check out these photos from Regional Director, Caitlen Sellers. Caitlen met with a delegation of women entrepreneurs from Saudi Arabia.
Mobilizing
PR/Marketing team member, Kara Skinner, designed this website “Call Congress Everyday Challenge” to mobilize others to call Congress.
Check out these fliers designed by Regional Director, Ally Klemp.
Fundraising
Here are photos from some of this past month’s fundraising events.
Amy Ortega, Political Affairs team member, held a combined fundraising and mobilizing event.
Fellow Political Affairs team member, Bailey Reed, held a fundraising event over fondue.
HR intern, Yumiao Zhu, held a fundraiser by cooking dinner for her friends.
And take a look at this flyer designed by Political Affairs team member, Megan Crain, for her fundraising activity.
More Pets for The Borgen Project!
Carrie Clower, Regional Director, got help from her doggy friends to raise support for the Reach Every Mother and Child Act and the AGOA & MCA Modernization Act.
