ENG 6331 UHD EHL Proposal

1
The Empower Houston Leaders ProjectA Proven
Approach to Building Grassroots Leadership, Civic
engagement and voting in Historically Disengaged
Communities
2

• Creating an empowered network of grassroots
  leaders to effect civic participation and voting
  in Harris County

3
overview

• Texas and Harris County Suffer From a Lack of
  Civic Engagement
• Civic Engagement is a Process that takes Face-to
  Face Action!
• EHL is Designed to Engage Low Propensity Minority
  Participants
• Hands on experience with Community Projects
  Residents want!
• How does Texans Together make this happen?
• How does this increase voting in these areas?
• How does this voter network work?
• Accountability
• Where we are today
• How can you help?

4
Texas and HARRIS COUNTY SUFFER FROM a LACK OF
Civic Engagement and Voting

• In 2008, Latino adult citizens voting in Texas
  and Harris County lagged far behind the country.
  Texas is the only Hispanic-rich state where the
  Latino turnout percentage has declined since
  2000 the other states have increased turnout
  significantly.
• US Census Voting Data (2011)

5
Other states have increased markedly civic
participation and voting through grassroots
leadership development

• Renewing and building civic participation
  doesnt really happen through one more direct
  mail piece or a better television commercial. It
  requires person-to-person connections, leading to
  positive experiences within a supportive
  community addressing personally felt issues.
  Effective grassroots leaders are active at the
  heart of these endeavors.
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation,
  Grassroots Leadership Development

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Breakout Groups Where The Class Works On
Individual Projects
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The EHL Project Is Designed To Develop Lower
Income, MInority Grassroots Leaders

• Materials and training are devised for working
  people.
• Trainers are from minority, working class
  backgrounds.
• Grassroots leaders continue to learn leadership
  skills with supervised community organizing
  projects after the classroom training ends.
• The Project utilizes social media and regular
  networking meetings to build an activist culture.
  
• It provides small stipends and mentorship for
  leaders own projects.

8
For Each EHL Leadership Class

• We recruit and accept 30 potential grassroots
  leaders from disengaged communities
• We provide 8 practical trainings on engaging
  their communities
• Leaders receive small stipends and supervision
  for community projects of their choosing
• Leaders are part of an on-going grassroots
  network that includes regular meetings
• Each leader commits and receives support to work
  with volunteers to turn out 100 neighbors to vote
  in Nov. 2014

9
Where the Grassroots Leaders and voter Teams
WILL BE Located
10
How the Voter Network Works

• 200 EHL leaders become voter captains in the
  target areas
• Each of the 200 EHL leaders forms a voter team
  with 5 volunteers
• Each of the 200 voter teams is responsible for
  engaging 100 potential voters who normally do not
  vote
• Each team hosts 2 house parties or meet-ups
• Each team will have 3 personal contacts (2
  in-person and a phone call ) with each of the
  20,000 targets

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accountability

• Each Voter Teams list of 100 identified
  potential voters will be collected
• Participation of each potential voter on the
  lists will be verified after the Election
• An accountability report will be provided to
  each donor by the end of December 2014

12
Where The Project is Today

• We have raised 550,000 of our 1,266,038,000
  budget
• Our current funding will pay for
• training 2/3rds of the planned 200 voting
  leaders
• making 3 personal contacts to 13,000 targets
  out of 20,000 planned targets

13
conclusion

• Because of Texans Together reputation and
  collaborative community partnerships, we believe
  we can train more constituents in Harris County
  and graduate them into our Grassroots Organizing
  Network.
• This network helps disengaged communities
  increase voting, improve their neighborhoods and
  become self-sustainable local leaders.
• In order for this innovative method of engaging
  constituents in the minority communities, we need
  your help!
• The Meadows Foundation was founded on improving
  peoples lives and a major part of that mission
  is through civic engagement.
• Please greatly consider our funding proposal of
  60,000 and join other donors in making a change
  in Houston!