California  Voter Online!
The League of Women Voters of California

Come Be a Part of the Solution

In a recent Los Angeles Times article about the Getty Center, I was struck by the lengths to which this museum went in order to "reflect the true L.A." In a time when Putnam's essay on "Bowling Alone" has addressed the decline in social capital, and many non-profit volunteer organizations are experiencing a decline in membership and reduction in revenue, the efforts made by the Getty employees are worth noting. They could serve as a guide to us in building our membership and reaching out to others

The Getty needed to add more than 400 people--volunteers--to be deployed outdoors around the 24-acre campus as well as at some indoor spots. Two women, employed to tackle this job, made a conscious effort to reach out to others in Los Angeles.

Consultants were hired to advise the two women. They went to newspapers big and small in the city and all the valleys. They contacted universities and professional groups. They went to community fairs in areas where some people never even heard of the Getty. The consultants advised on how to conduct the interviews by bringing together a handful of applicants in a comfortable setting, and by conducting what amounted to a coffee klatch. They offered training--an important key to retention.

Perhaps more pressing reasons to strive for a diverse membership can be made by looking at the changing demographics in our state and the decline in our total membership. California is now the most diverse state in the country, with more than 50% of the population represented by members of the Hispanic and Asian communities. This diversity has an impact on our elections. Such changes are evident in our legislature, and in Washington, D.C. The passing of a large school bond in Los Angeles was reportedly due to the increased Latino vote. The change in demographics and elections make it imperative that we change how we operate as a organization.

There are many opportunities for us to attract and retain members. I recently attended a Pasadena League program. A panel of guest speakers talked about affirmative action, environmentally safe communities, and the living wage issue. Their keynote speaker was Angela Oh, a member of President Clinton's Initiative on Race Commission, who spoke about serving on the seven member commission and diversity issues. Not only was the subject matter and speaker excellent, the location was wheelchair accessible, many non-Leaguers attended, and the membership chairperson was visibly promoting League with our new membership brochures!

Our plan to help your local League become more reflective of the communities you serve has led to forming a Diversity Task Force Committee-- a 15-member group of League members from around the state. We met for the first time in October to address what steps to take towards the "increase membership with an eye towards diversity" goal of your LWVC Directors. At our first meeting we agreed that achieving diversity is not simply targeting a certain group of citizens from a specific ethnic category. Rather, it is focusing on membership, reaching out to others, offering programs that will be of interest to other groups, and building coalitions. It will be an on-going process, not something we do for a specified time. We agreed to present a workshop at Presidents Council to introduce and discuss ideas for membership and diversity. I believe you know the strength and future of our organization depends on our being able to include more than just upper middle class, privileged, white women. Our mission statement directs us "to encourage the informed and active participation of ALL its citizens in government." We must do it, we can do it. So, if you are concerned about the future of the League of Women Voters, give us your ideas and be part of the solution.

Return to Voter Table of Contents
© Copyright 1998 by the League of Women Voters of California