1. HOSTING A CANDIDATE FORUM And building political clout for your nonprofit Presented by

2. TODAY’S PRESENTERS Who George Pillsbury Director Nonprofit VOTE Cheryl Crawford Deputy Director MassVOTE

3. Get your issues in front of the candidates/future office holders Provide an opportunity for voters to learn about and meet the candidates Build relationships with the candidates Be a player, become known as an organization connected to politics Why WHY HOST A CANDIDATE FORUM

4. Collaborating with partners Organizing the forum Staying Nonpartisan The Big Three THE BIG THREE

5. Challenges Benefits COLLABORATING WITH PARTNERS Collabor- ating

6. Coordinating meetings Maintaining communication Sharing the work – one group takes the lead Collabor- ating CHALLENGES

7. Having co-sponsors – Increases the likelihood that candidates will participate Can mean a larger audience turnout Strengthens relationships for future work BENEFITS Collabor- ating

8. ORGANIZING GETTING STARTED RECRUITING CANDIDATES CHOOSING A FORMAT TURNING OUT YOUR AUDIENCE PUBLICITY

9. Starting early – about 4 months out Having a plan – date, place Targeting your audience Organizing GETTING STARTED

10. Candidates want - A large audience A guarantee of neutrality Well known and respected sponsors and partners Time at the forum to meet with the audience informally RECRUITING CANDIDATES Organizing

11. Equal Time Q&A Candidate Debate Town Meeting Q&A Organizing CHOOSING A FORMAT

12. Planning early and starting early Targeting your audience Making it personal Organizing TURNING OUT YOUR AUDIENCE Don’t let this happen to you!

13. Using all your communications vehicles Recruiting a media partner Getting a well known moderator Organizing PUBLICITY

14. STAYING NONPARTISAN Guidelines for Candidate Forums THE BASICS INVITING CANDIDATES CANCELLATIONS DURING THE FORUM

15. Cover a range of issues or topics within your own issue area Provide equal time for the candidates during the forum No “litmus test” questions Stay Nonpartisan THE BASICS

16. Ask all viable candidates to attend Follow up Must have at least 2 candidates to have a “forum” Stay Nonpartisan INVITING CANDIDATES

17. For last minute cancellations, either cancel or change from a forum to a candidate appearance –No politicking or fundraising –Announce that appearance is not an endorsement Stay Nonpartisan CANCELLATIONS

18. Maintain a nonpartisan atmosphere in the hall No leading or biased questions Allow candidates to meet voters after the forum and allow literature outside the hall Stay Nonpartisan DURING THE FORUM

19. CHECKLIST ON A TIMELINE 4 M ONTHS TO G O – M AKING A P LAN 3 M ONTHS TO G O 2 M ONTHS TO G O 1 M ONTH TO G O O N THE B IG D AY

20. Identify co-sponsors! Set a date, time and place for the forum Develop your budget and stick to it! Timeline 4 MONTHS TO GO – MAKING A PLAN

21. Invite all candidates –Bookend invitations with phone calls –Emphasize your nonpartisan mission –Maintain good contact throughout the process Initiate contact with the media –Make a list of media outlets –Send out an advisory –Designate a media liaison Timeline 3 MONTHS TO GO

22. Recruit volunteers! Select a moderator Follow up with your candidates Strategize on turning out your audience Timeline 2 MONTHS TO GO

23. Final confirmation of candidates Reconfirm site arrangements Assign staff duties Reconfirm volunteers Distribute promotional materials Contact media to promote coverage Reconfirm moderator Timeline 1 MONTH TO GO

24. Set up at forum facility Have staff greet the candidates Welcome and Thanks-yous Review the ground rules Informal Q&A after the forum Timeline ON THE BIG DAY

25. More ways to engage candidates Candidate Appearances at Your Event Elected Official… or a Candidate? Share Your Research Timeline AND FOR MORE….

26. For more information on: –A Nonprofit’s Guide to Hosting a Candidate Forum (Eng. And Sp.) –Checklist on a Timeline Factsheet –This presentation and our online narrated candidate forum training Resources RESOURCES www.nonprofitvote.org/work-with-candidates.html

27. George Pillsbury –gpillsbury@nonprofitvote.org –617-357-8683 Cheryl Crawford –ccrawford@massvote.org –617-542-8683 ext. 211 Contact CONTACT INFORMATION