By Beth Pellicciotti, Research Plan Committee, LWV of Washington 

The League has passed its 100th anniversary and now we are looking to the future. We want to ensure that we sustain the momentum of those first 100 years—that we are forward-looking in our planning, laser-focused on our mission, and effective in our actions. During the LWVWA 2021 Convention, LWVWA President Lunell Haught provided an overview of a research assessment study that the state Board of Directors is leading to help us maintain this momentum.  

Now all League members will have their chance to evaluate the progress of the state League and to provide ideas for future improvement. In the next month, League members will receive an email invitation with a link to complete a survey. This is one way your state League obtains grassroots information about how we’re doing and improvements we can make. For the past few years, the state League has been working on programs to improve its impact on our members, our communities, and our state. We want your opinion about how this is going and things we should or should not change. 

The survey contains a mix of questions—some requiring only concise answers but others that are open-ended for those who have more to say. It is focused on the state League and its activities; unless stated otherwise, it is not intended to be an evaluation of local League activities.  

The Big Picture 

The Strategic Plan was adopted in January 2017 to provide a roadmap for what the state League, supported by the local Leagues, should focus on the next five years. This review, Research Plan for Assessing LWVWA Effectiveness, initiated in January 2021, is based upon input from League members as well as external communities and partners with whom we work. The first phase involved 100 interviews by trained League members to identify themes to explore with the broader membership. (See the July 16, 2021, This Month in the League to learn more about the Research Plan and these interviews.) 

The second phase is a survey of the entire League membership to elicit their opinions on League activities: the impact of state League activities in addressing its mission, the effectiveness of the state League in facilitating local League activities, and the efficiency of its organizational capability.  

In later phases, we will ask external partners and others in the community about how well we are doing. This information is essential for answering the following questions: Are we doing what matters, and what improvements do we need to make to better further our mission? This study is also important for accountability to our members and our outside supporters, as it demonstrates that we are not afraid of honest appraisals and recommendations for readjustments.  

We cannot stress enough that we are seeking all members’ opinions, regardless of how long you have been in the League or how active you have been. You joined the League for a reason, and we want to know whether your expectations are being met and whether we are living up to our stated purpose of being “the League.”