by Lunell Haught, Miriam Kerzner, Helle Andersen, Maren Halvorsen, and Samantha Dilday, LWVWA Awards Committee

At the 2023 LWVWA Convention in Pasco we will again recognize local Leagues for their excellent work, members who contribute to a welcoming culture, and remember those who made the League what it is today.

We so often rush from one thing to the next, without stopping to acknowledge our successes, so by submitting nominations you help us honor and acknowledge our work and the people who make it possible. We look forward to your submissions.

League Awards

The "Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy" Awards reflect the League's vision for a democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge, and the confidence to participate. You can nominate your local League for any or all of the following categories:

Strengthening Democracy

This category is to showcase the work of Leagues that activate their grassroots network to empower voters and advocate change around key issues such as protecting voting rights or increasing voter registration and turnout.

Community Connection

This category aims to highlight how Leagues have leveraged issues affecting their local community to engage new voters and/or protect voters' rights, especially among underrepresented communities.

Effective Member Engagement and Recruitment

This category is for democracy-building and voter-empowering programs and activities that are innovative and have been successful in gaining visibility and recruiting new members.

The person submitting the nomination is often the local president, and the contact person the member who led the effort, although that's not required. Any member may nominate a project.

The deadline for nominations is March 24. The Awards Committee will make the final decisions and there may be more than one winner per category. Winners will get award artwork for their website (sample available soon). So much excellent work has been done by many Leagues around the state, and we are really looking forward to seeing the nominations!

Member RECOGNITION

We all know the importance of welcoming new members to our ranks and creating a positive climate where all members feel valued and useful. League members strive to be inclusive, collaborative, and generous. But there is always one member, in every local League, who epitomizes these qualities, and serves as an inspiration to others.

Maybe it's that they step up to serve more than others, host League social events at their home, or simply listen without interrupting. They make an effort to include others, provide support when needed, and put their own ego aside for the good of the group. They work actively to keep their local League together, helping to resolve conflicts and build connections.

It’s time we recognized these people in our ranks, and so this year we are inaugurating a new statewide award to be given out at our gathering in Pasco this May. We call these people Bridge Makers. Local League members can submit names and short descriptions of members who make their League a welcoming place with a positive culture-- the Bridge Makers in your League.

Remembrance

Local Leagues who have had important members pass away during the two years prior to Convention may submit their name and a maximum 200 word biography so others can remember and be inspired by their service to the League of Women Voters.