Capwiz & Women Employed

Utilizing Capwiz to secure state legislative support.

Challenge:
Women Employed is a leading national advocate for women’s economic advancement. Their mission is to improve the economic status of women and remove barriers to economic equity. Since 1973, Women Employed has won several changes in government and business policies that continue to improve the working lives of millions of women. Some of these changes include improvements to corporate policies regarding working women, discrimination cases, and fair pay practices. They also have established vital mentorship, education and training, career development, and sexual harassment prevention programs.

Women Employed spends much of its advocacy efforts on making college accessible to women through increased funding for financial aid and supportive programs like tutoring, counseling, and child care once women reach college.

The Monetary Award Program (MAP), a need-based financial aid program in Illinois, helps women take advantage of higher education opportunities. MAP is offered to help several qualified low-income students participate in college programs; however, several qualified individuals are turned down because the program is significantly underfunded. In 2004, over 50,000 eligible students were denied funding. Women Employed needed to reach out to Illinois state legislators with information about MAP and how it was an essential program for many people.

Solution:
Women Employed used Capwiz to target state legislators in a manner that would unify their members’ different voices into one basic message. The action alerts offered a quick, straightforward method for members to complete one simple task – write to their legislators about the importance of MAP. With the help of their members, Women Employed was able to create an impressionable response among the state offices, sending over 1,200 messages to Illinois legislators in just five months.

The large volume of member communications was also paired with Women Employed’s aggressive outreach efforts through meetings and testimonies with targeted elected officials. To successfully maintain the momentum of their legislative agenda, Women Employed regularly used Capwiz to inform supporters on the activities surrounding their campaign.

In the end, $12 million was awarded for MAP funding in Illinois. This achievement was the first increase in years, and one that has already benefited thousands of low-income students across the state. Women Employed continued to motivate their supporters by promoting this major legislative victory that was achieved in just five months. The advocacy campaign for MAP was posted on the Take Action page of their site to illustrate the impact of member involvement that was shown on this particular issue. Multiple e-mails went out to its members, thanking them for their support and encouraging them to invite other people to make a difference. Capwiz proved to be essential for Women Employed and its members to achieve legislative success.

www.womenemployed.org