Volunteer: Join a Team!
The League Needs You...
Since 1920, individuals like you have shaped the issues impacting our communities and our democracy through their connection to the League. The League of Women Voters of Palo Alto is an all volunteer-run organization and our success depends on the enthusiastic participation of our members.
We are a grassroots organization
Volunteers make everything we do possible. It's our volunteers who organize our programs and forums, speakers, and manage our election activities and register voters.
Why Volunteer?
Come to an LWVPA Team Meeting and learn about important issues affecting you and your community! You can copy the meetings from our Google Calendar to yours.
To learn more about, or join, any of our VOTER SERVICES or ISSUES or BOARD SUPPORT Teams, please contact the chair. Team meeting dates/times are shown on the calendar at our home page.
CORE TEAMS - Help us move the League mission forward by joining a group within one of our CORE TEAMS:
1. VOTER SERVICES (Voter information, education & registration)
Kathy Miller and Liz Jensen, co-chairs
2. ISSUES (Action on key public policy issues & League positions)
Lisa Ratner, chair
3. BOARD SUPPORT (Critical operational/management support to ensure our work is carried out in meaningful and strategic ways)
Liz Kniss, board president
1. VOTER SERVICES (Voter information, education & registration)
Learn more about all aspects of Voters Services (VS) work here. This team's work focuses on voter registration, voter education, and getting out the vote. We also have a Youth Vote Team that visits high school classrooms to register and educate teens about voting, and a Beyond Palo Alto team that works on get-out-the-vote post-carding in alliance with Reclaim Our Vote.
Contact our Voter Services co-chairs to discuss the area(s) that most interest you.
2. ISSUES (Advocacy and action on critical public-policy issues & League positions)
Learn about and involve yourself in one of these Teams (described under ISSUES below) focused on topics that matter to you:
HOUSING & TRANSPORTATION - Steve Levy, chair
IMMIGRATION - Lisa Ratner, chair
LOCAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM Task Force - Lisa Ratner, chair
NATURAL RESOURCES - Mary O'Kicki and Hilary Glann, co-chairs
OBSERVER CORPS - Kevin Ma, chair
RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP - Hilary Glann & Stacey Ashlund, co-chairs. See more in Additional Team Information below.
Contact our Advocacy chair to discuss the area(s) that most interest you.
3. BOARD SUPPORT (Critical operational and management support to ensure our work is carried out in meaningful, strategic ways.)
Our Board Support Teams (described under BOARD SUPPORT below) are:
BUDGET - Kathy Miller, chair
COLLABORATIONS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH - Karen Kalinsky, chair
COMMUNICATIONS - Hannah Lu, chair
EQUAL JUSTICE - Dan Zalles, chair
FUNDRAISING - Lynne Russell, Abbie Dorosin, Heike Enders, co-chairs
MEMBERSHIP - Cari Templeton, chair
NOMINATING - Terry Godfrey, chair
Contact the League to learn more about, or to join, one of these teams.
EVENTS (Educational forums to amplify priority issues/positions) - Myra Lessner, chair
Additional Team Information:
1. VOTER SERVICES
To work with our Voter Services Team, contact Kathy Miller or Liz Jensen and also check here.
2. ISSUES
HOUSING & TRANSPORTATION TEAM
Meets 1:30 to 2:30 pm on the third Monday of each month
The Housing and Transportation committee meets to discuss and, when appropriate, take positions (consistent with state and national positions) on housing and transportation issues in Palo Alto. The committee often prepares letters and speaks before the city council and planning commission to reflect local LWV positions. The committee has guest speakers to brief us on local housing and transportation issues.
For location and further details, please contact Steve Levy.
NATURAL RESOURCES
For information on this team's work or to join in, please contact Mary O'Kicki or Hilary Glann.
OBSERVER CORPS
Observes local government meetings to educate ourselves on the political process and monitor for League-relevant items. Training provided.
To volunteer as an Observer, or ask about it, contact Kevin Ma.
RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP TEAM
Meets 7:00 to 8:30 pm on the second Thursday of each month
This team follows the League of Women Voters of the US position on gun safety: 'Protect the health and safety of citizens through limiting the accessibility and regulating the ownership of handguns and semi-automatic weapons. Support regulation of firearms for consumer safety'.
For location and further details, please contact Co-chairs Hilary Glann or Stacey Ashlund.
3. BOARD SUPPORT
COLLABORATIONS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH TEAM (CoCO)
Meets a few times a year, usually on a weekday evening.
In order to increase our League’s effectiveness, we identify other organizations who share our values in general and our goals on individual issues, and then work with those allies in a variety of ways. For example, we connect with them:
• for possible co-sponsorship of events or publicity on an issue-by-issue basis;
• for possible collaboration on our mutual advocacy and voter education goals and programs;
• for possible membership in coalitions or organizations that advance our common advocacy objectives;
• for possible sharing of resources such as publicity or event space.
If you would like to join CoCO, please contact the chair, Karen Kalinsky.
COMMUNICATIONS
Join our Communications Team! We produce the VOTER newsletter and e-blasts to members, maintain an active Facebook page, publicize upcoming events, and present up-to-date information for members and the public on our website, and more. We need people who love to write publicity pieces, publish online and tell people about all the exciting opportunities our LWV offers.
If you are interested in creating content and helping to promote our awesome League, please contact Hannah Lu.
EQUAL JUSTICE
This team will facilitate the League's efforts to make operational the principles of both equity and racial justice. It will advocate for equity while working to foster anti-racism in our lives, our League, and our community. To join this new team and help set its path, please contact the Equal Justice Team.
MEMBERSHIP
For ways to be engage with our Membership Team, contact Cari Templeton.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Who will be the next generation of League leaders? The Nominating Committee is always on the look-out to bring talented, diverse, and dedicated members to the League’s board of directors. This committee communicates during the first few months of the calendar year and makes recommendations for a slate of board nominees to be voted on at the Annual Meeting in the spring.
To reach the Nominating Chair, contact the Board.
EVENTS
If you enjoy the many programs and events we provide, and you have new ideas for others, this is a great team to join.
To participate in planning our events, contact Myra Lessner.
LOCAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM Task Force to study what form, if any, local election financing reform should take. If you would like to join the task force, contact Lisa Ratner.
Since 1920, individuals like you have shaped the issues impacting our communities and our democracy through their connection to the League. The League of Women Voters of Palo Alto is an all volunteer-run organization and our success depends on the enthusiastic participation of our members.
We are a grassroots organization
Volunteers make everything we do possible. It's our volunteers who organize our programs and forums, speakers, and manage our election activities and register voters.
Why Volunteer?
- Gain experience in leadership and collaboration
- Hone your skills or learn new ones
- Learn about critical advocacy and voter education activities
- Get a behind-the-scenes view of League operations and decision making
- Meet other fascinating League members
- Get involved in our work--to engage with elected officials, empower new voters and learn about issues that impact your community.
Come to an LWVPA Team Meeting and learn about important issues affecting you and your community! You can copy the meetings from our Google Calendar to yours.
To learn more about, or join, any of our VOTER SERVICES or ISSUES or BOARD SUPPORT Teams, please contact the chair. Team meeting dates/times are shown on the calendar at our home page.
CORE TEAMS - Help us move the League mission forward by joining a group within one of our CORE TEAMS:
1. VOTER SERVICES (Voter information, education & registration)
Kathy Miller and Liz Jensen, co-chairs
2. ISSUES (Action on key public policy issues & League positions)
Lisa Ratner, chair
3. BOARD SUPPORT (Critical operational/management support to ensure our work is carried out in meaningful and strategic ways)
Liz Kniss, board president
1. VOTER SERVICES (Voter information, education & registration)
Learn more about all aspects of Voters Services (VS) work here. This team's work focuses on voter registration, voter education, and getting out the vote. We also have a Youth Vote Team that visits high school classrooms to register and educate teens about voting, and a Beyond Palo Alto team that works on get-out-the-vote post-carding in alliance with Reclaim Our Vote.
Contact our Voter Services co-chairs to discuss the area(s) that most interest you.
2. ISSUES (Advocacy and action on critical public-policy issues & League positions)
Learn about and involve yourself in one of these Teams (described under ISSUES below) focused on topics that matter to you:
HOUSING & TRANSPORTATION - Steve Levy, chair
IMMIGRATION - Lisa Ratner, chair
LOCAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM Task Force - Lisa Ratner, chair
NATURAL RESOURCES - Mary O'Kicki and Hilary Glann, co-chairs
OBSERVER CORPS - Kevin Ma, chair
RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP - Hilary Glann & Stacey Ashlund, co-chairs. See more in Additional Team Information below.
Contact our Advocacy chair to discuss the area(s) that most interest you.
3. BOARD SUPPORT (Critical operational and management support to ensure our work is carried out in meaningful, strategic ways.)
Our Board Support Teams (described under BOARD SUPPORT below) are:
BUDGET - Kathy Miller, chair
COLLABORATIONS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH - Karen Kalinsky, chair
COMMUNICATIONS - Hannah Lu, chair
EQUAL JUSTICE - Dan Zalles, chair
FUNDRAISING - Lynne Russell, Abbie Dorosin, Heike Enders, co-chairs
MEMBERSHIP - Cari Templeton, chair
NOMINATING - Terry Godfrey, chair
Contact the League to learn more about, or to join, one of these teams.
EVENTS (Educational forums to amplify priority issues/positions) - Myra Lessner, chair
Additional Team Information:
1. VOTER SERVICES
To work with our Voter Services Team, contact Kathy Miller or Liz Jensen and also check here.
2. ISSUES
HOUSING & TRANSPORTATION TEAM
Meets 1:30 to 2:30 pm on the third Monday of each month
The Housing and Transportation committee meets to discuss and, when appropriate, take positions (consistent with state and national positions) on housing and transportation issues in Palo Alto. The committee often prepares letters and speaks before the city council and planning commission to reflect local LWV positions. The committee has guest speakers to brief us on local housing and transportation issues.
For location and further details, please contact Steve Levy.
NATURAL RESOURCES
For information on this team's work or to join in, please contact Mary O'Kicki or Hilary Glann.
OBSERVER CORPS
Observes local government meetings to educate ourselves on the political process and monitor for League-relevant items. Training provided.
To volunteer as an Observer, or ask about it, contact Kevin Ma.
RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP TEAM
Meets 7:00 to 8:30 pm on the second Thursday of each month
This team follows the League of Women Voters of the US position on gun safety: 'Protect the health and safety of citizens through limiting the accessibility and regulating the ownership of handguns and semi-automatic weapons. Support regulation of firearms for consumer safety'.
For location and further details, please contact Co-chairs Hilary Glann or Stacey Ashlund.
3. BOARD SUPPORT
COLLABORATIONS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH TEAM (CoCO)
Meets a few times a year, usually on a weekday evening.
In order to increase our League’s effectiveness, we identify other organizations who share our values in general and our goals on individual issues, and then work with those allies in a variety of ways. For example, we connect with them:
• for possible co-sponsorship of events or publicity on an issue-by-issue basis;
• for possible collaboration on our mutual advocacy and voter education goals and programs;
• for possible membership in coalitions or organizations that advance our common advocacy objectives;
• for possible sharing of resources such as publicity or event space.
If you would like to join CoCO, please contact the chair, Karen Kalinsky.
COMMUNICATIONS
Join our Communications Team! We produce the VOTER newsletter and e-blasts to members, maintain an active Facebook page, publicize upcoming events, and present up-to-date information for members and the public on our website, and more. We need people who love to write publicity pieces, publish online and tell people about all the exciting opportunities our LWV offers.
If you are interested in creating content and helping to promote our awesome League, please contact Hannah Lu.
EQUAL JUSTICE
This team will facilitate the League's efforts to make operational the principles of both equity and racial justice. It will advocate for equity while working to foster anti-racism in our lives, our League, and our community. To join this new team and help set its path, please contact the Equal Justice Team.
MEMBERSHIP
For ways to be engage with our Membership Team, contact Cari Templeton.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Who will be the next generation of League leaders? The Nominating Committee is always on the look-out to bring talented, diverse, and dedicated members to the League’s board of directors. This committee communicates during the first few months of the calendar year and makes recommendations for a slate of board nominees to be voted on at the Annual Meeting in the spring.
To reach the Nominating Chair, contact the Board.
EVENTS
If you enjoy the many programs and events we provide, and you have new ideas for others, this is a great team to join.
To participate in planning our events, contact Myra Lessner.
LOCAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM Task Force to study what form, if any, local election financing reform should take. If you would like to join the task force, contact Lisa Ratner.
