KFA Representatives Attend NGLTF Power Summit

On April 7th through 9th, representatives from the Kentucky Fairness Alliance attended the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) Power Summit in Milwaukee, Wisc., as a partner in NGLTF's Capacity Building Project. Board of Directors Vice Chair Sheri Arms and Membership and Development Coordinator Casey Willits represented KFA at the Summit.

The entire first day focused on the difference between, and the work of, our 501(c)(3) Education Fund and 501(c)(4) Action Fund. This intense education on the subtle but important differences leaves KFA better prepared to influence the 2006 elections within the guidelines of tax and election law.

The rest of the weekend was dedicated to training on the two key parts of winning campaigns: volunteer recruiting and fundraising.

Participants completed their training by putting their newly acquired skills to use—knocking on doors to identify pro-Fairness voters and phoning their friends and family to ask for contributions. In just 75 minutes, Sheri and Casey raised $475 just by asking people they know to support the work of KFA.

"The fundraising portion was my best experience of the weekend," Casey said. "It enforced my belief that the only way for us to properly equip ourselves to fight the good fight is to believe 100% in our mission, to clearly plan our goals, and to have no fear in asking people who support us in their hearts to make the commitment to support us with their contributions."

Wisconsin faces an anti-marriage amendment vote this November. The issue campaign Fair Wisconsin is well on its way to making its home state the first to defeat an anti-marriage amendment.

They are building on the lessons learned in the 18 states that have already passed bans on civil unions and/or marriage for same-sex couples. They have trained over 1000 volunteers and have a strong plan to raise the estimated $6 million needed to defeat their ban (in comparison, Kentucky raised about a tenth of that amount in 2004!).