Girls Inc. of the Valley launched their new initiative, She Votes, to educate and support our future of women voters. Their goal is to make sure every girl sees herself as a voter, knows the process, and is ready when it’s her turn. They’re launching this campaign with two primary goals:
- Pre-register to vote as many 16 and 17-year-old girls as possible in a community-wide volunteer effort
- Launch a peer fundraising and visibility campaign to support the She Votes curriculum
The Girls Inc. team are the experts on girls and their development, both locally and nationally. Girls Inc. of the Valley is part of a 150-year-old organization that always puts girls first, inspiring them as they grow into strong, smart, and bold women. The privilege of voting is our most powerful agent of change. Only 14 states in the United States allow 16 and 17 year-olds to pre-register to vote, and Massachusetts is one of them. Girls Inc. of the Valley aims to pre-register as many 16 and 17 year-old girls as possible in this community-wide volunteer effort. She Votes and Girls Inc. has received commitments from a variety of sponsors including MassMutual and Peerless Precision at the “Leader” sponsorship level, Lotus & Compass Inc. at the Change-Maker sponsorship level, and Chikmedia at the Activist sponsorship level. There are a variety of sponsorship levels for She Votes:
Leader – $2,500+
- Shout outs across all Girls Inc. social media network
- Inclusion in e-blasts, with logo and link
- Logo on fundraising website
- Mention during virtual event
- Opportunity to give a welcome message during the event
- Inclusion in press release
Change Maker – $1,000
- Shout outs across all Girls Inc. social media network
- Inclusion in e-blasts, with logo and link
- Logo on fundraising website
- Inclusion in press release
Activist – $500
- Shout outs across all Girls Inc. social media network
- Inclusion in e-blasts, with logo and link
- Inclusion in press release
Stakeholder – $250
- Shout outs across all Girls Inc. social media network
- Inclusion in e-blasts, with logo and link
The campaign will launch on Sunday, October 11th, UNICEF’s International Day of the Girl, and last through Saturday, October 24th. Girls Inc. of the Valley will be hosting a kickoff, Facebook Live with sponsors on Sunday, October 11th. The She Votes campaign will take place right here in the Valley; simultaneously national and international media activities will take place all across the globe.
“Girls Inc. teaches us that today’s girls are tomorrow’s leaders,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren. “I want every girl in Massachusetts and across the country to know they can get out there and make their voices heard. Once you turn sixteen, you can pre-register to vote here in Massachusetts. You don’t have to wait until you’re 18 to be ready for the next election.”
Those who pre-register will receive a sticker that says “I pre-registered to vote!” and GIFs have been created that can be used as stickers on Instagram stories saying “I helped someone pre-register to vote” and “I voted.” Facebook frames have been designed for volunteers to show how they’re helping! The volunteer who reports back with the highest number of pre-registered girls will receive a branded gift from Girls Inc. of the Valley for their efforts. For those who’d like to help fundraise for the girls in the Pioneer Valley and help Girls Inc. of the Valley reach their fundraising goal, donations can be made using this link: https://www.givegab.com/campaigns/shevotes.
Senator Elizabeth Warren will be recording a video for this initiative to encourage girls to pre-register to vote. Girls Inc. of the Valley will be showing video spotlights from these influential women in politics to highlight the importance of voting and having women in elected office:
- Elizabeth Warren, United States Senator
- Maura Healey, MA Attorney General
- Denise Hurst, Springfield School Committee
- Pat Duffy, newly elected State Representative
- Sarah Etelman, South Hadley Selectboard
- Andrea Miles, South Hadley Selectboard
- Mary Olberding, Hampshire County Register of Deeds
- Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, Hampden County Register of Deeds
The She Votes campaign is a bold initiative designed to significantly move the needle on providing tangible opportunities for Pioneer Valley girls to achieve academic and personal success. More than 85% of the girls who participate in Girls Inc. of the Valley’s programs say they view their future positively and this initiative aims to continue that influential experience for all girls; what girls learn, families learn too!
“We want to make sure girls aren’t intimidated from exercising their right, and the best way to do that is, from a young age, make sure they see themselves as voters, potential leaders, and as civically engaged members of their communities,” said Lara Kaufmann, Girls Inc. Director of Public Policy.
Girls Inc. of the Valley serves the girls in our communities each year with intensive, research-based programming designed to empower girls and provide opportunities to succeed in school and beyond. This initiative will help Girls Inc. of the Valley to learn and share with their families the voting process, and be ready to become “a generation of activists accelerating social change.”
