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FEATURED
WATCH
READ
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
FACTS AND FIGURES
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Featured
STATEMENT FROM MASS WOMEN'S POLITICAL CAUCUS REGARDING SENATOR BROWN'S OPPOSITION TO ELENA KAGAN
August 5th, 2010
We are
disappointed that Senator Scott Brown has chosen to oppose Elena Kagan for appointment
to the U.S. Supreme Court, even as Ms. Kagan is receiving support by many of
Senator Brown's Republican colleagues.
Ms. Kagan has
contributed her legal expertise to two Presidents, clerked for Justice Thurgood
Marshall, served as a distinguished law
professor and Dean of Harvard Law School, and is uniquely qualified for this
position.
Early on, the
Caucus urged President Obama to support the appointment of a woman to fill the
Supreme Court seat being vacated by Justice Stevens. We are proud the Senate has move forward in confirming Elena Kagan as the fourth woman in
history to sit on the Supreme Court of the United
States.
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Upcoming Events
Thursday, October 7, 2010 6pm -- 8:30pm Fairmont Copley Place
Sponsorships are available for one of the city's most prestigious award ceremonies. Please contact
Priti Rao, MWPC Executive Director, at
priti@mwpc.org for sponsorship information. Watch the MWPC website for more details to come, www.mwpc.org.
Thank you!
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Get Involved, Make a Difference!
The Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus is calling for volunteers in
its continued efforts to provide on the ground help to
endorsed/re-endorsed women candidates this election cycle. No matter
the amount of time you can give, we can make sure that your time is
spent productively. You may choose to volunteer your time in Boston or at a campaign headquarters closer to where you live. Volunteers for evenings and weekends are
especially welcomed. Your time can make all the difference. To
volunteer, please call the MWPC at 617-451-9294.
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What We're Watching How the Commonwealth's New Fiscal Budget Impacts Women
On June 30, 2010, Governor Patrick signed a $27.6
billion spending plan for this fiscal year, containing
massive spending cuts in areas such as public education, local aid, and health and dental coverage for the poor as the result of difficult economic conditions and stalled federal stimulus funds. Steep cuts
in local services coupled with hundreds of additional layoffs at the
state level are expected.
What are some of the most critical short and long term impacts to
women? According to Senator Patricia D. Jehlen (D-Somerville) and
Representative Alice K. Wolf (D-Cambridge), Co-Chairs of the MA Caucus
of Women Legislators, this year's budget can be summed up as follows:
That the bad news for women outweighs the good in the FY11 budget is
not a surprise to anyone this year. The next fiscal
year's budget threatens increases in certain TAFDC
benefits, breast and cervical health programs, domestic violence
services and housing assistance.
Even level funding for certain crucial programs directly impacting women remains a hard-fought challenge. Head Start and
Pre-Kindergarten services, programs to improve parenting skills, and
sexual assault evidence collection are just a few of the level funded
programs which face reductions if certain vetoes are not overridden.
The list of cuts, of course, is much longer; from childcare resources
and Healthy Start programs to the administration of domestic violence
shelters, women are significantly impacted.
The MWPC will be monitoring the budget impact on women and their families.
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"This recognition is one that pays tribute to the growing influence of MWPC in working as a change agent to elect more qualified women to office." said Executive Director, Priti Rao.
Congratulations are in order to MWPC, to Priti, and to Joyce Ferriabough, Media and Political Strategist & MWPC Board Member.
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Newsletter Staff
Written By Linnea Walsh
Edited By Joyce Ferriabough
Editorial Support Gail Jackson-Blount Alex Zaroulis Ann Murphy Jessica Gibbons Naomi You
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A Message from Lora Pellegrini, President, MWPC
Welcome to the Summer edition of our newsletter.
MWPC is energized by new leadership with the
appointment of a new Executive Director and Office Manager.
Priti Rao has been named Executive Director of the Massachusetts
Women's Political Caucus (MWPC). Priti previously served as this
organization's Associate Director and most recently as Acting Executive
Director. She brings enthusiasm, commitment and top-flight campaign
skills that are critical to achieving our mission of supporting a new
generation of women seeking political opportunity. Priti's rise from
intern to executive director is a source of great pride for our
organization as it epitomizes our fundamental role in supporting and
mentoring women political leaders. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke
College, where she majored in Politics and Spanish. Her campaign
experience includes coordinating field activities for multiple
Congressional and City Council races in upstate New York and
Massachusetts.
Supporting Priti as our new Office Manager is Jessica Gibbons and a
dedicated team of interns and volunteers. I
am very grateful for their hard work and commitment.
On the electoral front, the MWPC Political Action Committee (PAC) has endorsed or re-endorsed
more than 35 candidates, with more endorsements currently under
consideration. An endorsement from the MWPC is a working endorsement. By that we mean, it is an endorsement that translates into hands-on, on-the-ground support for women candidates, with resources
that run the gamut from consulting support, fundraising, campaign skills
training, communications and other Get Out the Vote activities. By putting our
money and our woman power (and we
appreciate the support of men as well) where our mouth is, we work to help make a difference for these
candidates, some of whom are running for the very first time.
MWPC Legislative Training: Sharing Successful Strategies  | In June the MWPC sponsored a legislative training session for all
endorsed candidates and their staff members. Former State
Representative Susan Tracy, President of Strategy Group, Inc., coordinated this training, and served as moderator. Presenters included: David Paleologos, Director of
the Political Research Center at Suffolk University, Political Operative Extraordinaire Gus
Bickford, Angelique Pirozzi, Deputy
Caucus Manager for Vice President Al Gore ('99/'00), Jon Patsavos, former New
England Finance Director for John Kerry and Hillary Clinton's presidential
campaigns, Helen Corbett, Senior Partner at Corbett & Lalli, Anne Danehy,
President of Strategic Opinion Research, and Riche Zamor, Founder of Social
Context, a social media networking group. Discussion topics included
taking the pulse of the electorate, statewide polling, voter identification, Get Out the Vote
strategies, media training and strategy, utilizing new media, and all
important fundraising techniques...
I hope you will be inspired by
the the many activities we've been engaged in to help give women the
tools they need to win. Please help us continue our work to bring about real change in the Commonwealth by volunteering your time or
making a contribution to our PAC fund. For more information on how to get involved, visit us
at www.mwpcpac.org.
Have a wonderful summer and thank you for your continued support.Lora Lora Pellegrini
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A Message from Priti Rao, Executive Director, MWPC
 Greetings!
I am honored to be named
Executive Director of the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus. Having
started at the MWPC as the first-ever Representative Deborah Blumer intern, I
am grateful for the caring, committed mentorship of the MWPC, an outstanding
organization of women who understand that our democracy is more effective and
representative when there are more women in public office and at our
policy-making tables.
These past several months in
my new role, I have had the opportunity to speak to a number of groups
interested in how the MWPC plays a role in fostering women's leadership and
maximizing women's potential in this area. In May, I participated as a panelist
at the University
of Massachusetts McCormack
Institute's Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy leadership forum. I
was fortunate to participate in the National Conference for NOW held here in Boston, and was honored
to speak at World Boston's international women's round table focusing on women
in politics. During the lively conversations at these events, we focused on how
women bring a unique perspective to policy discussions. At a time when
challenges loom large, having a woman's voice at the table makes a significant
difference.
And speaking of challenges,
2010 is proving to be an especially challenging year for those of us committed
to the goal of achieving political parity in this state. Consider this: According to a recent report by the UMass Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy's Political Progress for New England Women Project, as of 2009, women hold 26% of all legislative seats at the state level. This
represents a one percent increase from 2007 and reflects very slow advances for
the election of women to the Massachusetts Legislature. The growth of
representation by female elected municipal officials has been slow - 2007 figures
show that approximately one in three Massachusetts municipalities had no women
serving in their governing body; while an improvement from 2004 when 42% of
cities and towns had no women serving on local boards, political parity has not
been realized in the majority of municipalities. It is clear that much more
needs to be done in order to level this all-too-important playing field.
Our goal this year, as every
year, is two-fold: to encourage more women to run for office and to continue to
fully support those women in office who support our mission. We are trying to maintain the
progress that we've made, and at the same time involve more women in the political process.
We can't do it alone. We
need you! I challenge to each and every one of you to help us in
our work. Take an hour or two or more each week to join us in helping a
candidate on a campaign. Please take a minute to look through our endorsed
list of candidates below. Maybe there
is someone who interests you. Contact us if you can help in any
way whether holding a sign, making phone calls, writing a check or just telling
your neighbor to vote - all of it makes a difference. This election season is a
historic one, with more candidates running than ever before. We need to make
sure that our strong committed women candidates win. See you on the campaign
trail!
Sincerely,
Priti Priti Rao
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Welcome to the MWPC Team Jessica Gibbons- Office Manager
 Jessica's role
is varied for sure, and ever critical to keeping the MWPC moving forward. Her role includes supporting Executive Director, Priti Rao, by managing scheduling, event
planning, day-to-day operations, and coordinating the activities
and projects of the organization's interns and staff.
Jessica believes that her affiliation and being part of the MWPC is a
natural fit to the values she holds true to. Jessica comes to the MWPC after
graduating from Westfield State College in January, 2010 with a Bachelor's
Degree in Communications and a minor in Women's Studies. She actually
began her career with MWPC as a full-time intern last fall, and was promoted to
interim staff in January. In May the MWPC Board voted to hire her for the permanent position of Office Manager. MWPC congratulates Jessica as she assumes this
role.
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Commonwealth Commentary: An Educational ForumA special thank you to the Blue Cross Blue Shield
of MA, sponsors of the MWPC's
Commonwealth Commentary speaker
series. View the State House News Coverage by Jim O'Sullivan and Michael Norton here. 
Captions (Clockwise): 1. Why Women Run: The April 2010 Commonwealth
Commentary event featured State Representative Karyn Polito (left), Republican
Candidate for State Treasurer, and Suzanne M. Bump, Democratic Candidate for
State Auditor (right) discussed their campaigning and challenges women candidates face running for
political office. 2. Party Chairs Respond to Audience Questions: Jennifer Nassour, Chair, Massachusetts Republican Party, and John Walsh, Chairman, Massachusetts Democratic Party. 3. 2010 Election Strategies: From left to right are Janet
Wu, moderator of the panel discussion and WCVB-TV political reporter; John
Walsh, Chairman, Massachusetts Democratic Party; Priti Rao, MWPC Executive
Director, and Jennifer Nassour, Chair, Massachusetts Republican Party.
Supporting Women on the Move
 Captions (Clockwise): 4. Celebrating a Successful Campaign
Kick-Off: State
Representative Kate Hogan and MWPC Executive Director Priti Rao. 5. Yes, We Also Celebrate Men Who Support Women!! MWPC 9th Annual Good Guy Awardees: From left to right: Rick Rendon, Founder &
President, Empower Peace and Co-Founder and Senior Partner of The Rendon Group, Inc.;
Gregory Torres, President, MassInc.; Speaker of the MA House of Representatives
Robert
DeLeo; U.S. Senator John Kerry, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement
Award; and
Sheriff Frank Cousins Jr., Sheriff of Essex County. Check Out Our 2009 Good Guy Awardee, Robert Davoli in the Boston Globe here. 6. Pearls of Wisdom from Ayanna Pressley, an MWPC Backed Winner: From
left to right: Representative Gloria Fox (7th Suffolk District), Councilor At-Large Ayanna Pressley,
MWPC ED Priti Rao, and MWPC Board Secretary, Joyce Ferriabough-Bolling at the
February MWPC Annual Meeting. 7. Supporting a Champion for Women: MWPC Executive Director Priti Rao with State Representative Ruth
Balser at her campaign kickoff event. 8. Talking Leadership: MWPC Executive Director Priti
Rao was a featured panelist on the University of Massachusetts Boston Center
for Women in Politics and Public Policy Panel Women's Leadership Forum held in May, 2010.
 Captions (Clockwise): 9. Women's International Forum: Priti Rao and State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz (second to right) at the 2010 National Organization for Women (NOW) Conference. 10. The National Stage: NOW Conference took place July 2-4 in Boston, MA. 11. Newly Elected Groundbreaking City Councilor Ayanna Pressley Keynotes MWPC Annual Meeting: Pressley
speaks to MWPC members and supporters at the Annual Meeting held on
February 1st, 2010 at Simmons College.
 Captions (Clockwise): 12.
Running to Win: North
Adams City
Councilor Gailanne Cariddi (left) candidate for State Representative in the 1st
Berkshire
District and Priti Rao (right), MWPC Executive Director, at the June
Legislative Training Seminar hosted by MWPC. 13. Our 2010 Industrious Interns: From left to right: MWPC
ED Priti Rao, Marian Swain, Emily O'Shaughnessy, Naomi You, Office
Manager
Jessica Gibbons, Anne Feldman, Alexandria Icenhower, Olivia Lenson, and
Gaby Gerlach. 14.
Endorsing Our Supporters: State Representative Katherine Clark,
candidate
for the 32nd Middlesex and Essex Senate seat, is one of a number of
candidates
endorsed by the MWPC PAC. From left to right: MWPC ED
Priti
Rao, Board Member Gail Jackson-Blount, Representative Clark, and Board
Member
Alex Zaroulis. 15. MWPC Executive Director
Priti Rao: University of Massachusetts Leadership
Forum
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2010 Endorsed Candidates

Designed by Naomi You, MWPC Deborah
Blumer Intern
The MWPC PAC is proud to endorse/re-endorse 35 candidates this
year to date.
Our candidates represent many different districts and
counties
all across Massachusetts.
Current Endorsement Links:Congresswoman Niki Tsongas -Re-election, U.S.
Congress (Endorsed by NWPC) Suzanne Bump -State Auditor Rep. Cory Atkins -Re-election, State Rep, 14th
Middlesex Rep. Ruth Balser -Re-election, State Rep, 12th
Middlesex Rep. Jen Benson -Re-election, State Rep, 37th
Middlesex Rep. Jennifer Callahan -Re-election, State Rep,
18th Worcester Councilor Gailanne Cariddi -State Rep, 1st
Berkshire *Sen. Harriette Chandler -Re-election, State Senate, 1st Worcester Rep. Katherine Clark -State Senate, 32nd Middlesex
& Essex Sen. Cynthia Creem -Re-election, State Senate, 1st
Middlesex & Norfolk Councilor Eileen Donoghue -State Senate, 1st
Middlesex Rep. Carolyn Dykema -Re-election, State Rep, 8th
Middlesex Rep. Lori Ehrlich -Re-election, State Rep, 8th
Essex Sen. Susan Fargo -Re-election, State Senate, 3rd
Middlesex Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante -Re-election, State
Rep, 5th Essex Sen. Jennifer Flanagan- Re-election, State Senate, Worcester & Middlesex Denise Garlick -State Rep, 13th Norfolk Rep. Danielle Gregoire -Re-election, State Rep,
4th Middlesex Rep. Kate Hogan -Re-election, State Rep, 3rd
Middlesex Rep. Pat Jehlen -Re-election, State Rep, 2nd
Middlesex Rep. Kay Khan -Re-election, State Rep, 11th
Middlesex Patricia Lawton -State Rep, 8th Plymouth Jane Morriss -State Rep, 1st Middlesex Sen. Therese Murray -Re-election to State Senate Shaunna O'Connell - State Rep, 3rd Bristol Karen Payne - State Rep, 6th Suffolk Rep. Alice Peisch -Re-election, State Rep, 14th
Norfolk Rep. Pam Richardson -Re-election, State Rep, 6th
Middlesex Rep. Rose Sandlin -Re-election, State Rep, 3rd
Hampden Debra Silberstein -State Senate, 2nd Essex &
Middlesex Rep. Harriet Stanley -Re-election, State Rep, 2nd
Essex District *Rep. Ellen Story -Re-election, State Rep, 3rd Hampshire Noreen Suriner -State Rep, 2nd Berkshire Kelly Tynan -State Rep, 10th Suffolk Rep. Martha Walz -Re-election, State Rep, 8th
Suffolk *website not available to date |
Help Us Reach Our $10,000 Fundraising Goal
Funds will help our
candidates win elective office
 Your generous donation of any
amount--be it $5 or $500 (the maximum individual amount allowed under law)--to
The MWPC Political Action Committee (PAC) will go directly to help provide
financial support to women candidates. For example, a $100 donation will fund
two phone back sessions for a candidate, while $500 will provide a candidate
with an intern to work full-or part time on her campaign. It's money that makes
a difference.
Visit www.mwpc.org to learn how to donate to our PAC.
Thank you!
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News Your Campaign Can Use
Successful Fundraising Strategies in a Down
Economy
By Kristin MacEachern, Fundraising Strategist/Consultant
Tough economic conditions call for employing tough and creative,
sometimes out -of- the- box fundraising strategies. Creative? Yes, but
fear not. Know that even this year, people are still contributing. However, it
just may be less than what they gave in the past. So it is essential to
ask more people to support your fundraising goals.
1. Widen your NET and your ASK. Instead of getting
one $500 contribution from one person you may have to reach out to two
people for $250 or five people giving $100. You will get to the same
goal, just with more donors.
2. Follow Up. Follow up. Follow up. This is the
key to fundraising success. Every time someone says yes, follow up with
them on a weekly basis until fulfillment is reached.
3. Budget Wisely. In your fundraising spreadsheet,
make sure you have a column for the fundraising goal and a column for
the budget number for the commitment. For example, if someone commits
to raise $2500 at an event, budget that event for $1500. It is good if
they reach their goal, but if not, you will have already planned for it.
4. Set a Campaign Budget. Your fundraising goals
should stem from this budget. How much do you need to run your campaign?
Staff expenses, office expenses, collateral material. Find out what you
need to win and work from there.
5. Identify and ask others to raise money for you. These fundraisers comprise your Finance Team, and they are critical to a
winning campaign. Whether they raise you $500 or $5000 it is critical
that your supporters take some ownership.
6. THE ASK. Asking people to help you is the most
critical component to successful fundraising. Whether you are asking
for $100 as an individual contribution or for a supporter to raise the
campaign $5000 you need to follow a couple of key rules of THE ASK:
- Ask in person or over the phone. Do not ask in an email. People like
the personal touch.
- Ask for a specific amount and then let the person reply. Do not
answer for them.
- Give supporters a specific deadline for the contribution or the
fundraiser. Then stick to that deadline.
7. Make--and check--your list twice. Lists are the
life line of a campaign and of fundraising. Make a comprehensive list of
everyone you are going to ask to host a fundraiser and/or an individual
contribution of $200 or more. Make sure you get their cell phone
number and their email address.
8. Using
the Internet. Recent national and state elections use of the Internet in
fundraising generated front page news. But as a candidate are advised
to be realistic in your expectation as to its prowess at the local
level. For most candidates, simply having a contribution or donate
button on your website will not be enough to generate what you will
need.
Here are some tips to make your website fundraising work for you:
A. When you make fundraising calls, ask individuals who agree to donate, to go on line and give immediately.
B. Make sure individuals know this is the most cost effective way for
them to give to you.
C. Include your campaign website on your business return envelope and
carry them with you. When someone commits to giving on-line treat it
like a commitment. Be sure to follow up with them and ask them to give
by a specific time.
D. Get their email address to send them the link to your website.
Kristin MacEachern has worked on a variety of
ballot issues campaigns and for Democratic candidates for the last 18
years. Over the last five elections Kristin has played a lead role in
field and fundraising, Senator Pam Resor's re-election campaign,
Massachusetts Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign, and Mayor Tim
Murray's re-election campaign and Lieutenant Governor's campaign. In
2008, Kristin coordinated services for contested legislative races.
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MWPC Member Profile
Full name: Ashley Marie Hause
Party Affiliation: Republican Hometown: Littleton, Colorado. Occupation: Account Coordinator at O'Neill and Associates, a public affairs firm in
Boston. Why are you a member of MWPC?I have been a member of MWPC for almost 3 years now. Initially, I got
involved to learn more about Massachusetts politics and network with
people in the MA political world; but soon came to find that MWPC offers
more than most political organizations. They offer hands-on
opportunities to get involved with local and state politics, as well as a
wide range of professional development opportunities. MWPC's access
and relationships across the state enable the organization, along with
its members, to get involved with any campaign of their choosing and
truly make a difference at the grassroots level. As a member of the Young Professionals (YP)
group, I feel that MWPC is invaluable to a younger generation of women
because it allows us to get involved in with issues or candidates that
we are interested in, network with some of the state's greatest
political and professional leaders, and expand upon our existing
interests and skill sets. Of all the women in politics, who do
you watch most closely and why? There are several women who I admire both personally and
professionally in politics - a few in particular being, Michelle Obama,
Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Hillary Clinton. I think each of these women
demonstrate a unique story, yet they share the commonalities of hard
work, determination and balance. They come from modest beginnings but
have proven to be tremendous leaders and role models for not only their
own daughters/families but to young women everywhere. Each of these
women has made significant contributions to raising the profile and
level of equality of women today. In addition, they each seem to lead
by example by demonstrating a sustainable work-life balance which, I
feel, is equally as important as their professional contributions. Would you like to be featured in a future Member
Profile, or
do you know someone else who should be?
E-mail
priti@mwpc.org and let
her
know. Thanks!
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© 2010 Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus, 9B
Hamilton Place, Boston, MA 02108
(617) 451-9294 FAX: (617) 523-2292
http://www.mwpc.org
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