[REVISED BY BOARD JANUARY 18, 2024]
Download a PDF copy of Policies and Procedures
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF DANE COUNTY, INC.
Table of Contents
I. Political Activities
II. Speaking for the League
III. Programs and Program Review
IV. Guidelines on Petitions and Forums
V. Partnerships
VI. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
VII. Committees
VIII. Nominating Process
IX. President Elect
X. Budget and Fiscal Items
XI. Delegates to Conventions
XII. Access to LWV-DC Meeting Space, Equipment, and Materials
XIII. Discussion Units
XIV. Local Municipality / District Study
XV. Publications
XVI. Memorial Fund
XVII. Use of Various Communication Vehicles
XVIII. Personnel
XIX. Document Retention
XX. Recording Meetings
XXI. Vendor Selection
XXII. Technology Use
I. POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
The Bylaws state that the League of Women Voters may take action on governmental measures and policies in the public interest, but that it shall not support or oppose any political party or candidate.
At the same time, the League is a political organization and encourages members to participate fully in the political party of their choice. It is an advantage to the League to have politically active members and, equally important, it can be a personally satisfying experience.
To ensure careful protection of this policy, Board members should use discretion in their political activities to preserve the League’s reputation for being nonpartisan. The President, Voter Service Chair, and Fund Development chair shall not engage in any visible political or partisan activity, which includes:
Publicly endorsing a candidate
Making a contribution to a candidate or party at a level higher than nominal (equal to or greater than $20)
Hosting, organizing, or attending a fundraiser for a candidate
Circulating or signing a nomination petition for a candidate (because in WI a signature on a nomination paper indicates support of the candidate)
Circulating a referendum petition, unless the League has specifically endorsed the petition
Holding office in a political party organization
Managing a campaign or performing a visible campaign role for a candidate for public office
Posting a lawn sign or bumper sticker for a candidate
Accepting an appointment to a position on a partisan basis (e.g. Governor’s cabinet)
Holding office in another organization that supports or opposes political parties or candidates
Running for public office
Belonging to a political party
The President, Voters Service Chair, and fundraising chair shall not publicly take positions, even as individuals, on issues in ways which conflict with League positions. Board members with portfolios on specific issues shall not publicly take positions, even as individuals, on those issues in ways which conflict with League positions.
All Board members are encouraged to limit visible partisan political activity. Board members may not run for public office.
All Board members may:
Attend candidate coffees and similar functions to become better informed on candidates and issues
Participate in behind-the-scenes efforts for candidates, such as anonymous telephoning and office work and issue research
Publicly support or oppose issues on which League does not have a position
Board members who are not the President, Voter Service Chair, or Fund Development chair, may:
Belong to political parties
Sign nomination papers
Nomination papers for candidates and campaign materials for candidates or parties shall not be circulated during, before, or after League meetings. Contributions for LWV activities shall not be solicited from elected officials, nor from candidates during an election period.
It is League policy that the political activities of a spouse, partner, or relative of a Board member should be considered separate and distinct from the activities of a Board member.
Board members should seek the advice of the Board if there is any question of application of the League’s policy.
See Section XIV for policies regarding political activities of the Office Administrator.
II. SPEAKING FOR THE LEAGUE
"Speaking" on behalf of LWVDC follows a plan that is presented to the Board, Executive Committee, or President, who decide that the action conforms to League policy and support positions. The form of the action may be written statements, verbal testimony at hearings, or conversations with public officials both elected and appointed.
A. Authorization is required for League officers, board members and other members to speak publicly on behalf of the LWVDC.
B. Consensus Questions, Letters, Statements, etc.
1. Member agreement questions on local program topics, summaries of member agreement, and statements of support positions shall be approved by the Board. The positions may be acted on as soon as approved.
2. Speakers for all public meetings (workshops, general meetings, radio and television broadcasts) shall be approved by the President, who carries the major responsibility for the League image.
3. Discussion outlines, communications to units, Bulletin articles and minutes shall be read by the President and/or appropriate Board members before copying and distribution.
4. Letters, statements, and all other substantive communication on local issues shall be submitted to the Executive Committee (or President if time does not permit) for approval. The exact wording and method of presentation shall be determined by the appropriate committee and President. Responses to LWVWI and LWVUS calls for action may be approved by the President.
5. Letters, statements, questionnaires, and all other substantive communications to the public and to appointed and elected officials shall be signed by the President as elected spokesperson. They may be co-signed either by the committee chair or, in the case of outlying Units, by a resident Board member or the Unit leader.
6. The President may designate an officer, Board member, or appropriate League member to deliver an official statement at a hearing.
C. Individual Action Alerts
The Board, Executive Committee or President may also direct that the full membership be alerted to the need to act as individuals.
D. LWV Representatives on Governmental or Community Commissions or Committees and League Observers
1. In order to function as a working member of a committee, an official League representative may take part in the discussions and decision-making of the group. The representative should be well versed on League positions and take care that any representation reflects League positions. The League representative should periodically report on the group's activities to the President and/or Board. Official League representatives on government boards, commissions or committees must be paid-up members.
2. Observers are not to participate in meetings without authorization to present a League position. However, they may ask questions for clarification. When observing a meeting for the League, an observer shall not sign a resolution as an individual.
III. PROGRAMS AND PROGRAM REVIEW
A. The Board shall endeavor to keep members abreast of League positions that are not under current study, especially when action is contemplated or carried out.
B. Unless a general meeting or special meeting (e.g., Lively Issues luncheon) for members deals exclusively with an existing LWV position, the League will endeavor to present differing perspectives on the topic being considered.
IV. GUIDELINES ON PETITIONS AND CANDIDATE FORUMS
A. Petitions shall be circulated at League meetings only if they are within League principles or positions and the Board has approved the petition.
B. Whenever possible, moderators for candidates' forums should be chosen from outside the local district.
V. PARTNERSHIPS
There are clear strategic benefits to the League for partnering with other organizations, such as increasing visibility into target communities, sharing resources and providing meaningful activities for members. Different types of partnerships have different requirements and conditions.
A. Invited Speakers at League Events
The League invites individuals and members of other organizations to speak at its events if they have expertise or specific experience related to the event’s topics.
Individuals and members of organizations can be invited to speak at League events if:
The event begins with a formal statement of nonpartisanship.
The speaker is formally informed of the League’s nonpartisanship and agrees to refrain from making partisan comments or political endorsements during the League event.
The LWVDC does not invite speakers for Issues Forums who are announced candidates for office.
The invited speakers to the event provide an overall balanced view on the topic.
The LWVDC Board has approved the speaker for the specific event.
B. Collaborative Partnerships
The League is engaging in a collaborative partnership if the League is working with other organizations to plan and organize an event, to facilitate a series of events or activities, or to achieve a shared goal. Collaborative partnerships most often fall under the program/advocacy or voter service domains. Collaborative partnerships include formal coalitions but can also occur in other forms. Collaborative partnerships may include the use of both financial and volunteer resources, as well as the use of the League’s name and logo.
Collaborative Partnerships can occur if:
Participation in the collaboration furthers the League’s goals.
The mission of the collaboration is nonpartisan.
All members taking part in the collaboration agree to keep the related activities nonpartisan.
The League takes part in the shared decision-making about the strategy and tactics used while collaborating on a specific event or initiative.
The League has the ability to withhold use of its name and logo on select materials if it is determined necessary.
The League has resources available to contribute including members interested and willing to participate in the collaboration.
A designated League member-representative will be responsible for keeping the LWVDC Executive Committee apprised of the collaboration’s activities.
LWVDC will engage in joint action only when the Board or Executive Committee has approved participation after reviewing the proposal for consistency with LWV positions.
The LWVDC Board has approved the collaborative partnership.
C. Financial Sponsorship
LWVDC is engaging in financial sponsorship if the League is providing funds to another organization for an event in which the League is not participating in the planning of the event.
Financial sponsorship can be provided if:
Financial resources are available.
The event or activities being sponsored are nonpartisan and local.
The event or activities being sponsored align with League goals.
The event or activities being sponsored align with the intended use of funds being used.
While League members may participate in the sponsored activities, those members are not representing the League during those activities unless explicitly approved to do so.
The LWVDC Board has approved the financial sponsorship.
D. Participatory Sponsorship
LWVDC is engaging in participatory sponsorship if the League is providing funds and/or volunteers in order to participate in another organization’s event. In a case of participatory sponsorship, the League is not involved in the planning of the event but the League’s participation in the event is visible to attendees of the event. An example of this is paying to host a voter registration table at an event planned by another organization.
Participatory Sponsorship can be provided if:
The event is nonpartisan.
The event will not be promoting candidates.
Participation in the event allows the League to further one or more of its goals.
The LWVDC Board or Executive Committee has approved the participatory sponsorship.
E. Promotional-Only Partnerships
LWVDC is engaging in a promotional-only partnership if the League is publicizing an event of another organization while the League has no involvement in the planning, organizing, or funding of that event. League presence at the event is not implied in promotional-only partnerships.
Promotional partnership can be provided if:
The event being promoted is nonpartisan.
The event is not in conflict with League positions and principles.
The event furthers the League’s goals or the act of cross-promotion furthers one of the League’s goals.
The League’s name is not used on promotional materials for the event. In a promotional-only partnership, the only instance that the League’s name is associated with the event are the cases where the League is sending out information about the event such as on social media and/or emails to members.
While League members may attend the promoted events, those members are not representing the League at the event.
LWVDC board approval is not needed to promote events as long as the above criteria is met.
F. Informal/Ad Hoc Relationships
Informal/ad hoc relationships are those in which League leaders may: attend another organization’s event; speak at a press conference or rally; or speak at another organization’s event.
Ad hoc relationships can occur if:
The event or activities are nonpartisan and local.
The event or activities align with League goals.
The event or activities are not in conflict with League positions and principles.
League members may attend the promoted events, but those members are not representing the League at the event without approval.
The LWVDC Board or Executive Committee has approved participation if the participant is representing or speaking on behalf of the League.
In all cases, when determining if any type of partnership can be formed, LWVUS suggests considering the following questions:
How will this opportunity help the League reach its organizational, strategic, and operational goals?
Does this opportunity help the League realize its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and in practice?
If it doesn’t directly serve our goals or fill an existing gap, is it still worth doing for other reasons?
Are there voices missing from this partnership?
Does this partnership bring increased visibility or revenue possibilities to our League?
What specific added value can we offer this potential partner?
How do our values and priorities align with this partner?
Will this partnership directly benefit or engage our target audiences and/or underrepresented communities?
What is the commitment being asked of the League in terms of time and other resources? Is what they’re asking of us reasonable and doable for our League?
What does our League need from the relationship to make this worth our while?
Is this potential partnership with a PAC, c3, c4, etc? How might that shape the nature of their work and the intention for partnering with the League?
How does this partnership align with our commitment to our public policy positions?
What, if anything, is stipulated in our state or local League bylaws or organizational policies that pertain to partnerships?
What doors would this partnership open for our League? Would this partnership close any doors for our League?
Are there partisan organizations involved and if so, is there a political balance within the coalition? Is the coalition large enough and balanced with enough other nonpartisan organizations?
Will the coalition as a whole or individual organizations within the coalition be endorsing candidates?
What are the risks in relation to foregoing the partnership vs. joining the partnership?
VI. DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
LWV is an organization fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and in practice. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the organization’s current and future success in engaging all individuals, households, communities, and policy makers in creating a more perfect democracy.
There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of gender, gender identity, ethnicity, race, native or indigenous origin, age, generation, sexual orientation, culture, religion, belief system, marital status, parental status, socioeconomic status, language, accent, ability status, mental health, educational level or background, geography, nationality, work style, work experience, job role function, thinking style, personality type, physical appearance, political perspective or affiliation and/or any other characteristic that can be identified as recognizing or illustrating diversity.
VII. COMMITTEES
A. At a minimum, Committees shall be established as enumerated in the Bylaws.
B. Additional Program, Action and Administrative Committees may be established by the President. In general, these committees will be composed exclusively of League members. Examples of such committees include:
Reading Committees may be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board to assist the Board by reading the Annual Meeting minutes and locally produced League publications.
A Personnel Committee may be appointed by the Board as needed.
A Long Range Planning Committee may be appointed with membership selected to represent a range of perspectives and include at least one Board member.
C. Subcommittees of the Finance/Development Committee
A Treasurer's Review Committee may be appointed to review the quarterly budget comparisons with the Treasurer before they are presented to the Board. Whenever possible, the past treasurer and the past president should be appointed to this committee.
A Budget Committee will be appointed annually to recommend a budget for the upcoming year. This committee would include the current treasurer, the President and/or President-elect, and at least one additional non-Board member.
A Financial Advisory Committee will be appointed to monitor the investments and make recommendations for the management of the Memorial Trust Fund and may make recommendations to the Board of Directors on overall management of LWVDC funds. The committee will be composed of 5 members, including at least one past president and one past treasurer.
D. A non-League member with special expertise may be appointed to serve on a committee as a resource, but League goals and procedures should be maintained.
VIII. BOARD LEADERSHIP NOMINATING PROCESS AND ELECTION
The nominations process to elect Board members is a key element in leadership and governance of LWVDC. The role of the Nominating Committee is to seek potential Board members and evaluate their fitness to serve.
All nomination solicitations should clearly articulate values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as nonpartisanship. Prospective candidates should be made aware that, if elected or appointed to the Board of Directors, they will be expected to participate in onboarding activities that include training in implicit bias, microaggressions, and other DEI-related principles.
Position descriptions to be used to recruit Board members shall be approved by the Executive Committee or the Board.
Members may self-nominate as well as nominate others, with their permission.
Communications encouraging all members to consider leadership positions for the coming year may include emails, ENews, and Bulletin. Targeted messages may be considered for members who indicated leadership interest on their Member Survey.
An informational meeting among interested members and exiting directors may be offered.
Candidates will complete an application to provide information about themselves for the Nominating Committee.
The Nominating Committee will evaluate member responses to confirm nominees understand the responsibilities of the position. The Nominating Committee will also research the candidates through conversations with the candidates themselves and with League leaders who may know the candidates, and through non-intrusive online research. The Nominating Committee may decline to advance a candidate through the nominations process.
If there are no nominees for a position, the Nominating Committee will attempt to contact members who might be a good fit for the position to ask if they will consider running.
The Nominating Committee shall present the proposed slate to the Board in a closed session. At that time, any member of the Board may ask the Nominating Committee to further consider a proposed candidate if they have concerns about fitness to serve.
The Nominating Committee will finalize the slate of candidates to be advanced to the election.
All members will be informed of the full slate of candidates prior to the election and given information provided by each candidate about their background and reasons for wanting to serve. Team steering committees may invite nominees to attend and observe committee meetings to become familiar with the scope of work before the election occurs.
Individuals who are interested in serving on the Board but were not on the slate to be elected can apply for appointment to the Board at any time after the new Board is seated. The Board may seek the assistance of the Nominating Committee in evaluating a prospective candidate.
IX. PRESIDENT ELECT
The position of President Elect is designed to allow the officeholder to be unencumbered by major responsibilities while becoming acquainted with all aspects of the organization and to encourage informed planning for the next administration. The President Elect shall be a voting member of the Board of Directors, serve as Acting President during the absence of the President, and is to be an ex-officio member with voting privileges of the Executive Committee, the Budget Committee, and a Long-Range Planning Committee should one be appointed.
X. BUDGET AND FISCAL ITEMS
A. Proposals submitted to the Budget Committee should indicate overall plans for the coming year. When the budget is approved at the Annual Meeting, no additional approval is needed to carry it out. Major changes in plans or implementation, including over-expenditures, do require Board approval. The Treasurer has authority to pay for an expense up to $50 or 10 percent over the budget allocation, whichever is greater.
B. Membership Renewal
New memberships are valid through June 30 of the following calendar year
Annual membership renewals are due July 1.
Memberships not renewed by October 31 lapse.
C. Expenses treated as contributions shall be itemized on a voucher and be accompanied either by a personal check or proof of previous payment along with the request that this amount be credited to Member Contributions.
XI. DELEGATES TO CONVENTIONS
For each LWV Convention, the slate of delegates shall be approved at the Annual Meeting; subsequent changes in the delegation will be approved by the Board.
A. State: Incoming officers and Board Members have first priority, followed by the general membership on a first come-first served basis with 2-day delegates having priority over any 1-day delegates.
B. National: The President Elect has first priority, followed by incoming Officers, Board Members, and portfolio chairs as called for by the convention agenda. If the delegation is not complete, other committee chairs may be selected.
XII. ACCESS TO LWVDC MEETING SPACE, EQUIPMENT, AND MATERIALS
A. Meeting Space
1. League Committees. Groups that are official League of Women Voters of Dane County (LWVDC) committees may use the LWVDC offices for meetings. These include the Board of Directors, standing committees, program committees and ad hoc committees established by the Board. In general, all of the above committees shall consist of League members.
Committees wishing to use the LWVDC office for meetings should check with the office manager to avoid scheduling conflicts. Meeting dates and times need to be recorded on the office calendar.
2. Non-League Committees. Committees which may have some LWVDC members but are not official League committees may only use the office for meetings on an occasional basis (defined as 2-3 times a year) and only with the approval of the president. The size of a group using the LWVDC conference room for non-League meetings is limited to 12 people. This procedure applies to coalition meetings where sites are rotated among the members.
These meetings should also be cleared with the office administrator and should avoid times that might conflict with official LWVDC meetings or activities or those of the groups that sublet space from the LWVDC.
B. Supplies and Equipment. It is LWVDC policy not to allow the use of supplies or equipment for personal use by its members or for non-LWVDC purposes.
Exceptions to this policy can be approved by the President/Executive Committee on a one-at-a-time basis (no more than once or twice a year) under the following circumstances:
Request for use shall be specific and precede granting of privilege, and be entered in equipment maintenance manual
The person or agency making the request is part of LWV and has no other better recourse
The person(s) who will use the equipment is(are) skilled in its use and of proven responsibility
The project for which the equipment is to be used is fully compatible with LWVDC goals
The project itself is not routine to the person's or agency's activities, or, if it is, request for the use of LWVDC equipment for such a project is due to a one-time emergency and will not be repeated
Use of the equipment will in no way conflict with LWVDC needs
C. Keys. Only board members and staff shall be in possession of a key to the office for the duration of their term of office and employment. Exceptions to this policy and temporary tenure of a key can be approved by the President, PresidentElect, and Vice-Presidents, in order to facilitate access to the office outside office hours, to members:
Holding meetings
Working on a LWVDC-related project (off-board portfolios, election night reporting, for example
Picking up or returning LWVDC-related material (publications, supplies, tape recorder, etc.)
The names of persons holding keys shall be recorded in the equipment maintenance manual, and show the following:
Key given to/Door (A,B,C)/Authorized by/Date key given out/Date key returned/Comments
D. Remote access to League office computers. Any employee or board member who requests authority to remotely access the office computers must sign a security statement agreeing to the following:
Use of a strong password to log into the computer (greater than 8 characters, using a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters.).
Password will be entered manually each time a connection is initiated, not “remembered” on the home computer.
Remote Desktop Connection will only be made from home on a wired or encrypted, private wireless network (not from a public place on a free wireless network). Home computers used for remote access should have their malware and antivirus software kept up-to-date.
Confidential League information (e.g., Social Security numbers, birthdates, bank account numbers) will not be stored on a home computer.
The signed agreements will be kept on file in the office.
E. LWVDC will send out local studies or program materials to non-members so long as the person requesting them will cover costs and postage.
F. The League Membership directory is for the convenience of the LWVDC. It is not to be used as a mailing list by other groups or in any way that would misrepresent League's policy of nonpartisanship.
This policy shall be clearly stated on the cover of each edition of the member directory.
XIII. DISCUSSION UNITS
Units meet as discussion groups to inform themselves on League program, to reach member agreement, and to participate in program making and action planning.
A. Units are asked to name Unit officers and discussion leaders from their membership
B. Each Unit shall have a goal of 10-15 paid members.
C. If a Unit desires to invite a public official or other non-League speaker to help in presentation of a program, it should get approval from the Unit Chair and an appropriate Board member.
D. A Unit may act within its municipality/district in the name of the League only when given authority by the Board to do so. If the Unit has not done a "Know Your Town" or "Know Your School" survey, it may act under a county, state, or national position provided the action is approved by the Board of LWVDC.
XIV. LOCAL MUNICIPALITY/DISTRICT STUDY
Members of the League who reside in one municipality/district may wish to pursue a study of local interest.
A. Adoption Procedure
1. The Unit shall submit the proposed study as a "lively issue" to be considered along with other "lively issues."
2. The Board may then recommend that the study be conducted.
B. Study Procedure
1. The study shall proceed under the direction of the Board. The Board shall approve agreement questions, review a summary of Unit responses, and approve the statement of position.
XV. PUBLICATIONS
Study materials shall be provided for each local topic presented to the members. When materials have been supplied by either the state and national League, LWVDC may supplement with additional materials.
In all instances, the Board chair for Program shall be consulted and must approve selections.
A. Materials shall be recommended by the Study Committee or Program Chair. For local program options, Units may select study materials appropriate to their topics.
B. When studies are to be published locally, the Unit or committee shall coordinate production and distribution plans with appropriate Board members. These plans require Board approval.
C. Since LWVDC will underwrite the costs of production, a proposal showing estimated costs must be presented to the Budget Committee for approval and inclusion in the document to be presented to the Annual Meeting.
A search for financing from League or non-League sources is encouraged, although a plan to do so must be approved by the Board.
XVI. MEMORIAL TRUST FUND
The Memorial Trust Fund serves as a quasi-endowment to provide ongoing financial support to the organization in carrying out its mission. The Financial Advisory Committee (Investment Committee) acts in a fiduciary capacity with respect to the portfolio and is accountable to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall approve the committee members on an annual basis.
A. Withdrawals may be made from the Memorial Trust Fund and are of two general types:
Operational support: An amount not to exceed 4.5% of the year-end (December 31) value of the portfolio averaged over five years may be withdrawn to support annual operating expenses.
Extraordinary need: An amount not to exceed 20% of the market value of the Memorial Trust Fund on January 1 may be withdrawn to fund an extraordinary expenditure that supports the League mission. This withdrawal requires Board approval (two-thirds majority) and approval by a majority of members present at a general meeting. Notice of intent to withdraw must be given to all members in writing once a month for two consecutive months prior to the general meeting.
B. Authorized withdrawals are to be completed by the end of the fiscal year following the year for which they were approved.
C. Bequests and donations made in memory of a League member should be consolidated on an annual basis and deposited into the Memorial Trust Fund.
D. A minimum investment balance of $500,000 is to be maintained in the Memorial Trust Fund in order to sustain the ongoing viability of the Fund.
E. Any exceptions to this policy require Board (two-thirds majority) approval.
F. All recommendations for changes to policies and procedures related to the Memorial Trust Fund require the approval of the Financial Advisory Committee and the Board.
XVII. USE OF VARIOUS COMMUNICATION VEHICLES
The purpose of this policy is to develop stated policies and procedures for communicating effectively with League members, using the three methods most commonly employed: action alerts, updates, and general information vehicles used regularly.
A. Regular emails and hard-copies. Regular communication with members of the League of Women Voters of Dane County occurs primarily using the following:
1. Study materials and the Bulletin. These either are mailed hard copy or are found on the Web site with an email reminder sent during the month. Key information will be included in the Bulletin with additional information, such as Board minutes, available on the website.
2. Study materials mailed or emailed should be no longer than 12 pages (6 sheets of paper), including the cover sheet. Additional information should be put on the Web site. Those without Web access can request hard copy of the additional information.
3. Forum [LWVDC general meeting] reminder. This email will be sent either the Friday or the Monday before the forum.
4. Other reminders of League activities – highway clean-up, fundraising, etc. Every effort should be made to limit the number of duplicate emails.
B. Thank-you acknowledgements for contributions. In general, thank-you acknowledgements will be sent via email when the league has an email address for the contributor. Exceptions that will receive a hard copy letter:
New members
Late renewals who need a member interest sheet
Single donations equal to or larger than $250
Memorial contributions
Donations by check when we do not have an email address for the donor.
Fundraising letters and the membership renewal letter will contain language similar to the following: In order to reduce paper and postage costs and make the best use of your contribution, [membership dues and] any contribution will be acknowledged via email if we have your email address. The email will meet IRS standards for documenting a contribution.
In the email acknowledgements for postal mail donations, language similar to the following will be included: “If you need a printed copy and are unable to print this email, please contact our office.”
C. Email Action Alerts. An action alert has a specific date for action, usually within a week. If it does not have a date, it is either an update or regularly scheduled information.
1. The state League and the national League have alerts that are sent to members. We should encourage our members to register for these so that we can refrain from passing them on to the membership to avoid duplication and to avoid cluttering up email inboxes. If the email comes only to the officers, it is up to the president to decide whether to send it to the membership.
2. The president must approve Action Alerts on local issues from committee chairs or committee members. The alerts must be consistent with League positions.
3. All local email alerts, whether from the League office administrator or from a committee head, should use the following format:
The subject line should indicate what the alert is about.
The body of the email should indicate, in order:
What is needed (call, email, etc.)
When it is needed
Who is requesting it
Rationale: one or two sentences. The rest of the information about the issue should be available either below this summary in the email or on the Web or both.
Contact information: how to contact the pertinent elected official.
4. When a non-League group requests an action alert, the alert should be consistent with League policies. The executive committee will decide whether to send out the alert. The alert should be restructured to fit the above format.
D. Updates. If immediate action is not requested, the information is an update. Most updates should be put in the Bulletin and/or on the Web site. If several updates or the information falls between Bulletins, in the summer or in mid-winter, a short email update can be created summarizing the basic information, with the rest provided on the Web site. The format would include:
What it’s about
How it relates to League
Where to find more information
E. General email practices
1. All emails from the office administrator should include a standard signature with the following information:
League name
Address
Phone
Web site
2. All emails will have informative subject lines
3. Instructions for accessing the Dane County League email list will be available in case of the office administrator’s absence.
F. Notices from other groups and organizations shall be included in the Bulletin or announced at League meetings only when they pertain to League program and principles. This also applies to groups requesting time to make presentations at League meetings.
G. Letters to the Editor will be accepted for publication in the Bulletin. “Letters” must be clearly designated as personal opinion. Publication will depend upon practical considerations as to length, the number of letters, and the nature of the topic.
H. Social Media
Action alerts, updates, news items, forum announcements, and other event reminders that are emailed to members and/or posted on our website will generally also be shared to our social media accounts but should be modified as appropriate.
Personal contact information for individuals such as phone, address, or email will not be posted on social media without obtaining consent from the individual.
XVIII. PERSONNEL
Personnel matters, including performance evaluations and recommendations for wage increases, are generally handled by the President, but may be handled by an officer designated by the President. All personnel matters relating to the performance of an employee shall be discussed only by the Executive Committee in closed session.
Staff employed by the LWVDC:
Shall not state or demonstrate their opinions of candidates or political parties to members of the public or volunteers while working for the League
Shall not post their opinions of candidates or political parties on any social media platform page on which their employment by the league is also posted
Shall not identify themselves as a League employee to any news media to which they have stated their opinions of candidates, political parties or referenda questions
Shall not identify the League as an employer when contributing to a federal candidate. Identification of employer is voluntary for donations under $200 in one calendar year to any one federal candidate committee. Thus, donations to one federal candidate committee must be kept below $200 in one calendar year.
Holiday Policy for Office Administrator: The following days are paid holidays.
Jan. 1
Martin Luther King Day
Memorial Day
July 4
Labor Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas
These holidays are in addition to one week of paid leave in late December.
If Jan. 1, July 4, or Christmas falls on a Saturday or Sunday, 4 hours of floating holiday is credited. Floating holiday hours can be used with prior approval of the president or her designee.
Pay is for 4 hours for a specific day, based on a 20-hour workweek. Thus if a holiday falls M – F, staff receive 4 hours of pay, whether or not they normally work on that weekday. Staff may choose to work 4 hours less on scheduled work days during that week.
The office will be closed whenever the Madison Metropolitan School District cancels school. In addition, the office will be closed at any time that the office administrator feels it would be unsafe to travel to work. The administrator has the option to compensate for the missed time by working additional hours at the office or at home.
XIX. DOCUMENT RETENTION
At least one hard copy of the following documents should be retained permanently in the office, marked as “Office Copy, Do Not Remove”: Member Directory; Annual Report; Annual Meeting Materials; Bulletin; Candidates’ Answers.
At least one hard copy of the following materials should be retained for five years, marked as “Office Copy, Do Not Remove”: Grant and Award Applications, Approval Letters, and Reports; Issue Forum Study Materials.
Treasurer’s Documents: Payroll records should be retained for 7 years and then shredded; the IRS 990 form and any tax returns should be kept for 10 years and then shredded; End of Year Balance Sheets and End of Year Income and Expense Statements should be retained permanently. Shredding should be done by the Treasurer and another Board member.
XX. RECORDING MEETINGS
At the beginning of any meeting being conducted virtually or in person, all attendees are to be told that the meeting is being recorded and that any attendee has the right to object. If one person objects, the meeting must not be recorded. The recording must be stopped if any attendee requests that it be stopped at any time during the meeting. Any member of LWVDC has the right to see or listen to the recording as long as it exists. Zoom moves recordings to Trash after 90 days and they are permanently deleted after 30 days in Trash. Google Meet permits the user to determine the retention period. It is the policy of LWVDC that recordings be destroyed or deleted as soon as the usefulness of the recording has passed, or 90 days after the recording was created, whichever comes first. (Adopted by the LWVDC Board on Nov. 11, 2020)
XXI. VENDOR SELECTION
When choosing vendors to supply products and services to the League our goals are to ensure quality work, meet the project’s deadline and budget, support businesses that contribute to a healthy local economy, and build connections with the communities that we serve. With these goals in mind, vendors and suppliers should be selected by considering all of the following criteria:
Is the vendor locally-owned?
Is the vendor a minority-owned business?
Is the vendor a women-owned business?
Does the vendor provide living wages for its employees?
Are the employees of a vendor represented by a union?
Can the vendor meet the deadline and budget for the project?
Does the vendor provide quality work?
XXII. TECHNOLOGY TERMS OF USE
The League of Women Voters of Dane County (LWVDC) technology systems are provided for the use of LWVDC’s staff and other authorized users in support of the activities of the organization. All users are responsible for using the technology systems in an ethical and lawful manner.
All employees and Board Officers and Directors are required to sign an agreement to this policy. Volunteers who are given access to League software and accounts (including, but not limited to, LWVDC email, Google Workspace, and Zoom) will also be asked to sign this agreement.
This policy may be occasionally reviewed and modified. Upon implementation of a new technology use policy, employees, Board Officers and Directors, and select volunteers will have to sign the new agreement.
A. Access
A minimum of two individual League members; one member and one staff person, should have access to all internal and external technology systems that require a log-in. This includes, but is not limited to, licensed software applications (e.g., Google Workspace, Zoom, Little Green Light); HR and finance systems (e.g., SurePayroll, QuickBooks); and communications platforms (e.g., Squarespace, MailChimp, Facebook, Twitter).
All administrative accounts (owner or administrator level) must be @lwvdanecounty.org email addresses. Best practices are to use role-based accounts rather than individual accounts.
When a member takes on a new role, and therefore takes over an existing email address (e.g., treasurer@lwvdanecounty.org), a system administrator will reset the password.
Access to Shared Google Drives is determined by volunteer role (i.e., specific activities or leadership responsibilities) and can be removed at any time.
The Operations Manager, and/or an approved staff member or volunteer, will manage the admin@lwvdanecounty.org account.
Only one person should have ownership of a log-in (i.e., do not share passwords; rather, create separate accounts for access by multiple staff and/or volunteers). Exceptions include:
LWVUS roster manager
Some social media accounts must be connected to personal accounts. (Note: Facebook must have at least two different admins at any given time. Authorization to post may be revoked at any time.)
Two-factor authentication should be used whenever possible.
LWVDC Zoom accounts and licenses are limited and will be assigned to volunteers and/or domains for specific purposes at different times throughout the fiscal year. Zoom access through an LWVDC license or account is solely for the purpose of conducting LWVDC business. Access may be revoked and/or reassigned to another volunteer or domain at any time.
B. Email
Email account(s) assigned to a volunteer (e.g., yourname@lwvdanecounty.org or domainname@lwvdanecounty.org) is solely for the purpose of conducting LWVDC business. League email addresses shall not be used for creating, distributing, or accessing any offensive or illegal material, including but not limited to material with offensive comments about gender, race, age, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.
Board members and other volunteer leaders may request an official @lwvdanecounty.org email address for conducting League business. At least once a year, authorized members of the organization will review email account access and if it is determined that a user should no longer have access, administrator(s) will attempt to contact the user to give them reasonable notice that the account will be shut down; however, administrators also reserve the right to lock out users who violate the terms of this policy.
Electronic communication on League’s emails and Workspace is not private to the user. The organization owns any communication sent via email or that is stored on the League’s Google Workspace. Authorized members of the organization have the right to access any material in your email. Please do not consider your electronic communication or access to be private if it is created within the League’s Google Workspace.
C. Confidential information
Membership data, including that which can be found in database applications and the member directory, should be used only for League business. Sharing member information to any individual outside the League (local, state, or national) or any external organization or entity is prohibited unless express written consent is given by the member. Membership data may not be used to contact members for commercial purposes or on behalf of other organizations. Member data may not be downloaded, republished, resold, or duplicated, in whole or in part, for any of these purposes.
Confidential information should not be shared outside of the organization, without authorization, at any time.
Confidential HR information about paid staff (e.g., reviews, hiring, salary information, benefits) should be saved online in a location that is accessible by supervisors (e.g., Executive Committee of the Board or staff supervisors) while restricting access for all other member volunteers and leaders.
D. League-Owned Equipment
Any device or computer including, but not limited to, smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers that LWVDC provides for volunteer use should be used only for League business. Keep in mind that LWVDC owns the devices and the information on these devices.
If your membership lapses or you are no longer an active volunteer, LWVDC will require that you return the equipment within one week of notification.
E. Social Media
Volunteers are prohibited from sharing any confidential or protected information that belongs to or is about the organization without express written permission. Volunteers should not share disparaging information that places the organization or fellow volunteers in an unfavorable light.
It is up to all volunteers to protect the organization’s reputation and brand. The lives and actions of fellow volunteers should never be shared online. Any personal information shared about a member must have the member’s written permission.
In social media participation on behalf of the League, social media content that discriminates against any protected classification including age, race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, or genetic information is prohibited. Any volunteer who participates in social media and violates this policy will have their access revoked immediately.
F. Policy Rule Enforcement
Failure to abide by any of the above guidelines and policies could result in action directed by the Executive Committee.
LWVDC will carry a reasonable amount of cyber security insurance as recommended by industry standards.
Revisions
11.15.21 – Updated to add XXI. Partnership Policy and Vendor Selection Policy
01.06.22 – Updated to add VIII. Nominating Process Policy
08.11.22 – Updated to add XXII. Technology Use Policy
05.10.23 – Updated XVI. Memorial Trust Fund
01.18.24 – Updated VIII. Board Leadership Nominating Process and Election and XXII. Technology Terms of Use