The League of Women Voters is a grassroots organization, and some of our most important work comes directly from local Leagues. This is especially true in program planning. Program planning sets the agenda for activities at the local, state, and national levels—and it all starts locally.  

Each year, usually in January, local Leagues get together and plan the “programs” for the upcoming two years. The “program” is defined in the LWVUS bylaws as:  “action to implement the principles and those governmental issues chosen by the convention for concerted study or concurrence and action.”  A proposed program may include studies, concurrence with another League’s position or educational programs.  

Every year, a local League can propose its own programs, like planning its “to-do list” for the upcoming year. The program is approved by membership at a local league’s annual meeting. In odd-numbered years, local leagues also propose programs for implementation at the state level, for example, a statewide study of local news. The state board will then recommend which of these proposals should be undertaken, and a vote is taken to approve the proposed two-year program at the state convention. All program planning processes should incorporate a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) lens into the analysis. 

In even-numbered years, local leagues can propose programs to the national league through a survey posted on the LWVUS website. Learn more about program planning at the national level here. In addition to information about the process, you can review the survey form and register for program planning webinars early next year.  

This year, the LWVWA is requesting the local Leagues support the LWVUS adopting, through concurrence, the LWVWA positions on The Decline of Local News. You can find information about this study and positions here.

We will be sending out more information in December on this issue, so be on the lookout!