At the state Convention last year in Clark County, members asked a critical question: "How will you use member dues to support local Leagues in this change moment?  

In essence, they were asking, "How will we build the needed muscle to deliver on our mission?"

That query came on the heels of a multi-year transformation of the League’s national organization that, among other developments, has brought about a modernization of its infrastructure — and, as a result, more funding from per-member dues being redirected to state Leagues.  

What has unfolded over the past 12 months, since the membership was asked those important questions? 

Two weeks ago in Lacey, at state Council, President Karen Crowley provided that answer in a presentation titled “Asked & Answered: How the LWVWA plans to support Local Leagues and Build Capacity.” 

Crowley said that the board, at a retreat last summer, began its response by crafting a plan to establish strategic priorities for the coming biennium, particularly as the Washington League, already with more than 3,000 members, continues to grow.  

In the past year, Crowley noted, Washington has grown by more than 650 members. 

The board identified the following priorities: 

• Strengthen operational infrastructure
• Grow financial resources
• Focus on membership and leadership development
• Enhance internal and external communication
• Increase statewide community outreach and engagement
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From there, beginning in September, an ad hoc committee of representatives from local Leagues and the state board** began surveying membership statewide to draft a more specific, tactical plan. They asked two questions: "What do you value about what we are doing?" and, perhaps just as important: "What's missing?"

“It took some time, but local Leagues clearly said they wanted more support,” the president said. “Very loud and clearly, you asked us to help reduce cost, risk and administrative burden,” Crowley added.  

“And now we are answering:  We know you need more and we’re going to give you more.” 

The survey, to which 19 of the state’s 20 Leagues responded, actually identified six areas where local Leagues want the state to focus: 

• Bulk purchases and financial support
• Technical tools and support
• Training
• Efficient and effective communications
• A policy and resource library
• A review of current services
  
  

After the ad hoc committee completed its work in February, state board members returned to the drawing board for more deliberation and discussion, recognizing that local Leagues want the state organization to transform from “a resource provider to an infrastructure builder,” Crowley said. 

In April, the board voted to take a number of steps forward toward this goal, including adding bulk purchases and financial resources for the following: 

• Reimbursements to local Leagues of up to $300 each for four years toward director and officer insurance
• Zoom licenses for every local League beginning in 2026-2027
• A $3,000 annual increase of Ed Fund grants to local Leagues
• Reduced Council registration fees for new members and scholarship support
• "Swag" at Council for local Leagues to distribute as they see fit. 
  
  

In the areas of technical tools and structured training, the board-approved plan has the state offering Canva and candidate forum training; expanding Membership, Engagement and Leadership Development training; adding more advocacy training; establishing a communications affinity group; and adding the services of a summer Communications intern.

Recognizing the importance of good policy and governance, state leadership intends to develop a library collection of best practices that local Leagues can use. Leadership will also explore new opportunities for communication between local Leagues and with the LWVWA.

The plan also calls for much-needed staff expansion, moving from an administrative director to an executive director and hiring a development manager to begin as a part-time employee and expanding to additional hours as revenue permits. 

Having reviewed the costs of publishing and distributing the civic education textbook, “The State We’re In: Washington,” state also is looking to hire a program manager. 

Crowley noted the cost of these changes won’t be fully covered by the additional revenue that comes to the state League as a result of the new national dues payment structure. That amount is estimated to be approximately $42,000.  

But she noted a number of board members also have come forward with sizable personal contributions to enable the transformation to go forward. “You have an extraordinary board,” Crowley said.  “Board members are willing to step up to help fund this because they believe in this.  They believe in this work.” 

Crowley acknowledged the changes will take time. “We’re starting a journey, and it’s a multi-year journey.” 

Crowley added, “Our Intention was to be grounded and responsive to what you asked for. You asked, and we answered.” 

**The ad hoc committee was made up of Robin Barker of Bellingham-Whatcom, Vallie Needham Huisman of Thurston, Barb Tengtio of Seattle King, Toyoko Tsukuda of Clallam, Sasha Bentley of Klickitat-Skamania, and Karen Crowley of Snohomish (the last three also represent the and state board).  

Over an eight-month span, nearly 130,000 people walked past displays in Snohomish County libraries created by the League of Women Voters to raise awareness about voting and democracy.  

The outreach by the League of Women Voters of Snohomish County began in September 2025 at the Lynnwood Library and finished in May 2026 at the Snohomish Library.  

In between, displays of various sizes and themes informed passersby at the Brier, Mount Lake Terrace, Mukilteo, Edmonds, Marysville and Monroe libraries.  

Although the initial project is wrapped up, the LWVSC is now scheduling its next round of displays and exploring new venues. 

Brenda Mann Harrison, who leads the effort, explained the power of the outreach. 

Each time a LWVSC volunteer climbs a ladder to secure information to the back of a display wall — or places a doll dressed as a suffragist on a glass shelf — library visitors stop to watch, read or ask questions.  

“Libraries are community gathering places, which makes them the ideal places to increase awareness of the resources and services the League offers,” Harrison noted. 

Topics were numerous and varied: candidate forums, a constitution quiz, the League student video contest, civic education books in Spanish and English, voter resources and registration information, “know your rights” facts, Unite & Rise, reasons why LWVSC members joined the League, and much more. 

At the Snohomish Library, the huge display case, which measures nearly 8 feet high and 7 feet wide, highlighted the importance of every vote.  It featured handwritten messages from community members who were asked, “Why do you vote?” 

More than 20,000 people passed by those testimonials in May alone, according to data from the Sno-Isle Libraries district.  

Feedback has also indicated the impact of the project. Harrison noted librarians gushed over the number of comments they received and members of the community reached out to League members to say things like, “It was the best display ever at the Edmonds Library.” 

But the most rewarding compliment for LWVSC volunteers comes when they look back into a library lobby after setting up a new display and find people just standing there, soaking up the information. 

Several League members support the project, including Harrison, Jane McClure, Julie Titone and Laura Hudgins.  

Nineteen of Washington’s 20 local Leagues participated in the June 6-7 “The Power of Us,” the state League’s biennial council that was promoted as an innovation lab. With eight workshops and roughly the same number of caucuses, the event was a demonstration of great ideas, creativity, passion and determination.

Next year’s statewide event, a biennial convention, will take place at Gonzaga University in Spokane.

Win a signed first edition! Author and historian Heather Cox Richardson has generously donated a signed first edition of "How the South Won the Civil War" that will be given to one attendee. Yes, the recipient must be present at the July 29 event to win.

Snohomish County League member Kathy Gill earlier this month interviewed American historian Heather Cox Richardson, author of the highly acclaimed newsletter “Letters from An America.”  A Boston College professor, Richardson is the first author to be featured in a series of book club-like conversations the LWVWA is conducting to commemorate this year’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That virtual conversation, open only to League members, will take place at noon July 29, when Richardson discusses “How the South Won the Civil War,” published in 2020.

Gill, who arranged for Richardson to participate in the book club conversation, said registration is required to attend. Unlike school, though, members can attend without completing the book, Gill added.

Here are a few questions Gill posed to Richardson in advance:

1. What are your goals/hopes when you accept invitations like the League’s to discuss your books and current events?
   
   I want people to feel like they're part of a larger community talking about ideas and figuring out how to make the world a better place. And for me, it's always fun to meet the people on the other side of the laptop screen.
   
   
2.  Please share some coping strategies for remaining grounded in such tumultuous times.
   
   Be with other people. That's huge. And do things you love. It really doesn't matter what that is, so long as you love it. Now, if you can combine both people and doing something you love, you're strengthening your community directly, and that's good for you, your friends, your community, and the nation. Remember that it's always okay to take breaks from the craziness. Recharge and come back.
   
   
3. What can we do outside of our work with the League of Women Voters to course correct the country?
   
   Find something you care about and work with people to move that ball forward. Think about what kind of a world you want to live in, and work for it. Even if it's just one little thing a day, if you do it every day, you'll make a difference. It helps to take stock of what you've done every month, rather than every day, so you can see how much you've accomplished.
   
   
4. We live in a very progressive state that votes by mail. How can we help others ensure free and fair elections in states hobbled by the current redistricting craze?
   
   Find the organizations doing that work and ask them how you can help.
   
   
5. Repairing the institutions tattered and torn by this administration will take years. Where do you think we should start?
   
   By bringing your skills to a cause you care about, first of all, but also by demanding that your representatives stand firm on the rule of law. Speak up, speak up, speak up... against the slush fund, Trump's arch, the impoundment of funds, the Iran War, the corruption... all the places where Trump and his loyalists are ignoring the law and the Constitution.

“Letters from an American,” which contextualizes modern political news within American history, has amassed more than 6 million subscribers. To mark the country’s 250th birthday, Richardson has launched 250 to 250, a series of one-minute videos “to make real the belief that we are all created equal and have a right to have a say in our democracy. “– by Kathy Gill.

San Juan Island League Co-president Susan Martin submitted an opinion piece to the San Juan Journal as part of the League’s partner project with the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.   

The project, “America’s 250th First Freedom: Celebrating the First Amendment,” asks local League members to submit letters to the editors of their local news outlet on a variety of topics exploring the link between democracy and free and robust press. Local presidents are being asked to send longer opinion page articles.  

The League’s “America’s 250th First Freedom” project is part of the Democracy Power-Up! effort to “train up, speak out and make change.” It is based on the LWVWA’s Local News & Democracy position, adopted by consensus by the state League in 2023 and the national League in 2024 by way of concurrence.  

Martin’s op-ed reports on actions Britain took against emboldened editors and publishers, like Benjamin Franklin’s older brother, James, who published The Current. The elder Franklin was arrested and jailed for his outspokenness. Britain also retaliated by passing the Stamp Act. 

Family and friends of Cynthia Stewart gathered May 30 in Olympia to honor and say good-bye to a woman whose impact, they all agreed, will continue to be felt for years to come on the League of Women Voters — and on society. 

Among League members paying their respects were members of the Lobby Team, which Cynthia led for several years, and state League President Karen Crowley, who was invited by Cynthia’s family to offer remarks. 

Cynthia was a member of both the Thurston and the Tacoma-Pierce County Leagues and had served on the boards of directors of both locals, Crowley noted. She also served multiple terms on the state League board, most recently as first vice president for advocacy. 

Crowley said Cynthia generously shared her knowledge, judgment and experience, regularly mentoring others, and that she led the Lobby Team with skill and dedication. Her gifts for organizing, leadership, and clear communication helped create a Lobby Team that will be capable of pursuing important work for many years.  

Cynthia brought intelligence, commitment and generosity to every part of her work with the League, Crowley said. “Her leadership strengthened our advocacy, her mentorship empowered our members, and her dedication advanced our mission. She is — and will continue to be — deeply missed.” 

Cynthia Joy Stewart was born in 1947 and died April 6, 2026. She is survived by her sons, David, Michael, Scott and Eric; four grandchildren; two brothers; one sister; and two nieces and two nephews. 

The Abigail Stuart House, the historic building where the memorial was held, was built in 1908 and was named for a founding member and the first president of the Women’s Club of Olympia. Stuart was also a prominent local leader in the women’s early suffrage movement in the Pacific Northwest. 

In two weeks, members will get a first look at the most significant changes coming to the League of Women Voters of Washington over the last decade.

In addition to the trainings, workshops, and the election of new officers and directors that happen traditionally at state wide events, members who attend the Power of Us, the state’s biennial council June 6-7 in Lacey, Washington, will get an overview of the new LWVWA Transformation Journey.

The transformation is expected to result in a larger, more unified and more impactful organization, said state President Karen Crowley, much like the national League’s Transformation Journey did after its launch more than 10 years ago

“This will build both capacity for local Leagues and the state League,” said Crowley.

In Washington, members at both the state and local level have known for a long time of the need to build capacity, Crowley said. “We’ve been under-resourced with not enough people to do the work. We’re known this for many years and we’ve known that there is much more work to be done.”

The result, Crowley said, is that local League members and local leadership will see greater support and direct investments back to them. “The Transformational Journey will build both capacity for local Leagues and the state League.”

The ability to make these changes, Crowley said, is in part due to the new dues structure that came about with the national organization’s transformation.

As a result of that reorganization, a larger portion of dues income is being directed from the national to the state. “You asked at last year’s state convention what we’ll do with those added funds and this is the answer. We’ll have increased resources and a better ability to service local Leagues.”

After the 2025 convention, Crowley convened a task force of three board members and three members from local Leagues to come up with the plan: Robin Barker from Bellingham-Whatcom; Vallie Needham Huisman, Thurston County; Barb Tengtio of Seattle King; and three state board members, Sasha Bentley, Toyoko Tsukuda, and Crowley.

The task force then moved forward with an extensive statewide survey that Crowley said “made clear the time is right for the LWVWA to evolve from being a resource provider to becoming an infrastructure builder.”

That focus includes reducing costs, risk and administrative burdens for local Leagues, making League values more visible and building capacity for leadership, communications and advocacy statewide, she said.

Also making the changes possible, Crowley said is the unanimous support of the state board “The board unanimously believes in this plan.”

Also notable, she added, is that board members themselves are making additional personal financial commitments to the plan over several years to come.

Implementation of the transformations will take time, Crowley said. “This will take place into 2027,” said she.

“But we are now on the road.”

Crowley will speak about the transformation journey at a 3:30 workshop Saturday titled Asked and Answered: How LWVWA will use new resources to support Local Leagues and build our collective capacity.

For those seeking more information or who aren’t able to attend council, Crowley said she will hold two briefings about the transformation plan via Zoom at noon and 6 pm on Thursday, June 18.

As local Leagues commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the state League is partnering with the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association to pay homage to the document’s First Amendment, which was adopted 35 years later. 

The state board, in late April, approved a project proposed by the Local News & Democracy team to help expand awareness about the vital connection between a free press and democracy. 

“As the state League’s study, ‘The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy,’ showed us, robust local news coverage is critical to having healthy communities and a true democracy,” state President Karen Crowley said.  

The president noted other extensive research links the loss of credible local news with declines in voting, in people running for local office and the public’s engagement in civic activities. The decline also is linked with higher government costs, greater political polarization and challenges in conducting public health efforts.  

One element of the project will be to encourage local Leagues to pose questions in pre-election forums to candidates about their perspectives on local news and whether legislation plays a role in addressing the news crisis. 

A second feature will be to ask local Leagues to write letters to the editors of their local news outlets about the importance of robust local news and why the League has identified it as a priority. 

Finally, the campaign is looking to create a series of op-ed essays signed by Crowley and local League presidents detailing the reasons for the League’s support for local news with suggestions about how to address the problem. 

Kate Hobbie and Dee Anne Finken, both from the Clark League and members of the Local News team are facilitating the project. Both will be in touch with local League presidents in the coming weeks to give them more information. 

Meanwhile, members are welcome to contact Hobbie or Finken to volunteer.  

Winners of the LWVJC 2025 Essay Contest are, from left, Claire Porter (first place), Livia Lee (second place) and Calliope Mosher (third place). Porter and Lee are from Port Townsend High School and Mosher is from Chimicum High School.

In 1919, a year before women won the right to vote, League of Women Voters founder Carrie Chapman Catt announced three goals for the newly formed organization. One was to “make democracy so safe for the nation and so safe for the world that every citizen feels secure.”  

Borrowing from that idea, the League of Jefferson County on May 1 kicked off its fourth annual essay contest for high schoolers with this prompt:  

How as voters can we ensure that democracy is safe and citizens feel secure? 

The students’ responses will be published in June. If they are anything like last year’s, they will be heartbreaking, refreshing, moving and thought-provoking — so much so that the judges will have a hard time narrowing down the winners, said Karen Steinmaus, the local League’s essay contest lead. 

“Our high schoolers are definitely engaged, writing on immigration, LGBT rights, and federal funding cuts that impact school lunch programs,” Steinmaus added. 

Ninety-six high school-age students participated in 2025, thanks to outreach by League members to civics, history and science teachers in Jefferson County schools, and to home-schooled students.   

Prize money came from the Jefferson League’s Civic Education Grant fund. Steinmaus said the League last year was able increase prize payouts to $500 for the first-place finisher, $300 for second and $150 for third.  

By Judy Hucka, co-president, LWV of Whidbey Island

The Whidbey Island League has co-sponsored all of the past year’s pro-democracy rallies on the island:  Hands Off, Make Good Trouble and No Kings.  

But rallies aren’t eveyone’s cup of tea, and we wanted to do something that offered more tangible ways to advocate for our democracy. 

Thus was born the April 18 Democracy Fest, a nonpartisan and “big-tent” event emphasizing education, celebration and fun for all that took place at Greenbank Farm. Response exceeded our hopes, with more than 350 attendees, including about 50 young future voters and quite a few “dogs for democracy” walking their humans.  

The vibe resembled that of a county fair, with music, games and food trucks. 

A few highlights: 

• The arrival, on horseback, of Paul Revere and under-recognized 16-year-old Sybil Ludington, who performed a rousing skit about their courageous rides to warn “the British are coming” during the Revolutionary War. Coincidently, the fest was held on the 251st anniversary of Revere’s famous 1775 ride. 

• A democracy trivia contest with questions from the new U.S. citizenship test 

• A kids’ voting booth, where future voters weighed in on how to solve problems facing Whidbey’s animals. Dog-friendly fireworks was the winner, edging out reducing marine plastic pollution to save the orcas and improving deer-crossing safety. 

• Workshops by the Island County elections supervisor on election security 

• A democracy sing-along and tribal stories from America’s oldest democracy 

• Tables with information on voter registration, voting rights legislation and voting threats  

The event was organized by the Whidbey Island Pro-Democracy Coalition, which includes the League, Indivisible Whidbey, and several other local democracy advocates. 

 All in all, it was a community-building day, reminding us all that “democracy is not a spectator sport!”