The Hidden Power Within Local Government. A virtual training. Wednesday, February 28, 7-8 PM, Zoom. Advanced registration required. Image includes an illustrated group of different women voters and the Colorado 50-50 logo.

The Hidden Power Within Local Government

Did you know Colorado has both a Presidential Primary and a caucus? You have probably already received your mail ballot. You can drop it off or vote in person between now and March 5. That takes care of one part of the election.

Another very important part of the election will be happening at caucuses around the state from March 5-9. That’s where you can support local candidates to get on the ballot for the June Colorado Primary. Some caucuses will happen in person and some will be by Zoom. It just depends on what party you’re affiliated with and what county you’re in.

You can become a delegate at caucus to help support your favorite candidates. Delegates go on to the county assembly, the state assembly, and may even go to the national convention. Many people don’t know that if you want to be a delegate, you must attend your local caucus.

Getting candidates on the ballot isn’t the only thing that takes place at caucus. It’s also where people step up to be precinct organizers. These are the folks that do some volunteering to encourage their neighbors to get out and vote.

But that’s not all precinct organizers do. They also choose replacements for some elected officials who don’t or can’t finish their terms. This is also known as a vacancy committee process. Here’s a startling fact: 29 of 100 of our state legislators were chosen by a vacancy committee! Precinct organizers hold a surprising amount of power in Colorado – and the place to become one is at caucus.

Join us for an online webinar on Wednesday, February 28, from 7-8 PM, called “The Hidden Power Within Local Government.” There you will hear from regular folks just like you. You can learn more about:

  • How to attend a caucus
  • What it’s like
  • How to vote at a caucus and help get local candidates on the ballot
  • How to become a delegate
  • How to become a precinct organizer

By the way, we want you to know that participating at caucus and beyond is pretty easy and not that complicated. We just want to break it down for you, since we want you to feel comfortable and good about going.

At Colorado 50-50, our mission is to demystify the process of getting involved in local politics. We want to see as many people participate as possible, because that’s what makes our democracy work! We hope you will join us for this interesting and fun webinar.

Advanced registration is required, and easy to do. Simultaneous Spanish language interpretation will be provided. See you on Wednesday, February 28.

50 Phenomenal Women Coming To A Ballot Near You

Group photo at #RunAsYouAre Denver training
Photo credit: Alisa May Geiser

Colorado 50-50 was thrilled that 50 women attended the #RunAsYouAre2019 training in Denver on May 18, 2019. We partnered again with Vote Run Lead – and this year we were one of 20 locations offering the training on the same day.

It was a powerful full-day campaign training. The women learned that they are qualified to run for office and explored how their life experiences will make them effective elected officials. They learned how to kickstart their campaigns with concrete actions that will make them successful on the campaign trail. They also had time to connect and network with other Colorado women who were on the same path.

“I appreciated that the event brought together women from both sides of the political world with a common goal to inspire and empower more women to run,” said participant Tara Eveland. “It isn’t often in today’s political climate that we come together to support and uplift one another.” 

Another participant, Princess Mack, said she welcomed “the space to run for a political position being authentically yourself.”

You can see more wonderful photos taken at the event by Alisa May Geiser in this online gallery.

Also, we were happy that MSNBC did a broader feature story, “Black Women Candidates Could Shake Up The 2020 Election,” and interviewed some of our participants.

We want to express our appreciation to those who generously donated to make #RunAsYouAre2019 possible. The donors who supported the training, including scholarships and stipends, are the Soeurs de Coeur Fund and the Geri Brown Memorial Fund, both of which are donor-advised funds held at The Women’s Foundation of Colorado

Run As You Are – Denver campaign training on May 18

Colorado 50-50 is partnering again with Vote Run Lead to bring the Run As You Are training to Colorado. The full-day campaign training for women will be held on Saturday, May 18, at the WeWork location in downtown Denver.

This year’s training is especially exciting because it is part of Vote Run Lead’s National Day of Training being held in 18 cities around the country. As the United States’s largest and most diverse national women’s training organization, Vote Run Lead is uniquely positioned to train women to run as they are.

Joining the Denver team are State Senator Faith Winter, State Representative Dominique Jackson and Community Organizer Erin Hottenstein.

Are you wondering if you should attend? Yes – if you have ever been curious about running for office. Yes – if you know you are going to run in 2019, 2020, or the next five years. Yes – if you are volunteering for a woman candidate and you want to know more about campaigns. Yes – if you would like to learn campaign nuts and bolts and then find a woman candidate to help.

#RunAsYouAre2019 will not only be inspiring and uplifting, but chock-full of practical information and steps you can take to run a successful campaign. You will also spend the day with a room full of incredible and dynamic women.

The cost to enroll is only $25 and can be done online here: http://bit.ly/VRLRAYA2019

Scholarships, along with travel and childcare stipends are available. We want you to attend! Just email info@colorado5050.org.

Lastly, don’t forget to bring a friend! Sign up now – we’re going to have a blast!

Colorado Springs Information Session

Learn more about our May 18 Run As You Are training! We’ll be holding a casual information session in Colorado Springs on Friday, April 26. We’ll be gathering at 12 PM at the Wild Goose Meeting House, 401 N Tejon St. Come a few minutes early if you want to grab yourself some lunch.

Colorado 50-50 and VoteRunLead are partnering to bring Run As You Are to Denver. It is a daylong workshop for women who want to run for office and support other women who want to run. VoteRunLead’s signature “How to Run for Office” trainings will be in 18+ cities across the country, led by VoteRunLead’s national certified trainers.

Join us to learn more about the training. Feel free to bring anyone you think may be interested in such a great opportunity! We hope to see you there!

Winning With Women Panelists Announced

Winning With Women will be happening at UNC in Greeley on Thursday, November 29, at 6 PM.

Colorado 50-50 is happy to announce the panelists for our upcoming event!

  • Stacy Suniga, Greeley City Council
  • Carly Koppes, Weld County Clerk & Recorder
  • Rochelle Galindo, State Representative-Elect

We invite you to join us on Thursday, November 29, 2018, at the University Center at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. Doors open at 6 PM.

There will be information from our sponsors Electing Women, League of Women Voters, and the University of Northern Colorado Political Science Department. We will also provide handouts and maps about local offices, boards, and commissions.

The panel will begin at 6:30 PM, followed by an intentional networking session. Light refreshments will be served.

The event is free and open to the public. However, seating is limited and donations are being accepted, so we encourage you to register and donate here: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/colorado-5050-13445338125

Run As You Are

Run As You Are Training

Women from all over Colorado – from Colorado Springs to LaPorte and Aurora to Boulder – came together on March 3, 2018, for a full day of workshops designed to get more women running for office. The Run As You Are training was put on by Colorado 50-50 and VoteRunLead. The morning kicked off with lead trainer Faith Winter, who started her political career on the Westminster City Council and then became a state legislator. She was joined by Dominique Jackson and Dafna Michaelson Jenet, also state representatives. The lunch panel brought even more insights and anecdotes from women politicians, including State Representative Joann Ginal, Larimer County Treasurer Irene Josey, and Greeley City Councillor Rochelle Galindo. From practicing stump speeches to starting a 90-day challenge, participants walked away with practical information, new connections and a newfound energy. To see a photo album from the day, visit us on Facebook.

Colorado 50-50 and VoteRunLead greatly appreciate the time and expertise shared by the trainers and panelists. We would also like to thank our sponsors and donors whose contributions made the training possible: Women’s Foundation of Colorado, Judi Wagner, Pemberly Woods, King Soopers, and Kathy Yates. And, here’s a big shout-out to our volunteers!

The last thing participants did was sign a pledge that included these words: “We are the leaders we have been waiting for.”

One Won’t Cut It – Invite your friends to the next Winning With Women

Only one.

 

Eight city or town councils in Northern Colorado have only one woman on council. That corresponds to 14% female representation. Not 50-50, but 86-14. Colorado 50-50 analyzed the membership of 15 city and town councils across our region. Even with women making up half our population, these councils have only one woman each.

 

Overall, we found 98 elected council members, but only 23 of them were women. Crunch the numbers and you find that means women make up 23% of all elected council officials in our area. It’s a good thing Eaton, Evans and Milliken are leading the way with three female members each, or these numbers would look much worse. Johnstown had an all-male council until very recently.

 

At Colorado 50-50, we believe this must change. We are advocating for gender parity in politics. Research has shown the many benefits of women becoming elected officials. They collaborate. They reach across the aisle. They solve problems.

 

We believe the best place to start changing is right here – by talking to our women friends and encouraging them to get on a path to leadership. Supporting them to apply to boards and commissions. Urging them to run for office.

 

That’s why we’re happy to announce our second #WinningWithWomen, happening Wednesday, November 15, at All Saints Church in Loveland.

 

We are going to demystify the process of running for office through a panel discussion of elected women officials along with a networking session. In the panel discussion, we will hear how women decided to run and what their experiences were both on the campaign trail and in office. After the panel discussion, we will move into a speed networking session. Bring a stack of business cards!

 

Tickets are available for $15. Childcare is available for a fee with an advance RSVP. Seating is limited, so get tickets today!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/winning-with-women-tickets-38849375528

 

 

How to run efficient meetings (and get home before midnight)

Has your use of parliamentary procedure gotten a little rusty since high school? Were you never introduced to Robert’s Rules back then? Maybe you know something about it, but you have wanted to learn more ever since someone used it against you in a meeting.

One of our Winning With Women panelists – former Fort Collins Mayor Susan Kirkpatrick – urged us to learn parliamentary procedure and how to run a good meeting. She said it would pay dividends for anyone in public office, or on a board or commission. Now, we have the opportunity to take her up on her advice at a training on Saturday, September 23, in Fort Collins!

In this day-long workshop, you will learn pragmatic parliamentary tips that will help you in any leadership role. Professional Parliamentarian Lola Fehr will help you get familiar or refresh your knowledge of Robert’s Rules of Order. Understand the duties and responsibilities of board members, what constitutes a conflict of interest, and how to solve problems and work through disagreements. By the end, you will know how to run a great meeting!

Saturday, September 23, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at Foothills Unitarian Church in Fort Collins. A catered lunch is included. Co-sponsored by Foothills Unitarian Church and Colorado 50-50. Fee for non-church members is $35. Childcare available for $5  with advance RSVP to childcare@foothillsuu.org.

This training is open to the public. Space is limited, so register now using the following link.

https://foothillsuu.churchcenteronline.com/registrations/events/77317

Winning With Women

On May 6, 2017, we had a fantastic panel discussion and 75 people in the audience at #WinningWithWomen. Many thanks to our speakers: Betsy Markey, Rhonda Solis and Susan Kirkpatrick! After the panel discussion, participants engaged in a speed-networking session. Many stations around the room provided maps and information about election calendars, elected offices, and appointed boards and commissions.  We are grateful to our sponsors: Public Speaking for the Professional and Northern Colorado NOW (National Organization for Women). Finally, a big shoutout  to all our wonderful volunteers!