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Fund
Drive
to Support Our Work in the Community Background The League of Women Voters of Tompkins County is having a fund drive to support our educational initiatives in the community. We need your help! For almost 90 years members of the League here in Ithaca have worked in a non-partisan way to promote informed and active citizen participation in government. We have studied many political issues concerning local government (Tompkins County Charter), redistricting, children's issues, financing of education in K-12 and higher education, voter registration,voting machines, alternatives to incarceration, the death penalty, environmental issues like clean water and clean air, a nuclear power plant, urban sprawl, freedom of information and many more. And, we have made ourselves heard on those issues with the help of the National and State branches of the League of Women Voters, who are lobbying in Washington and in Albany. Even though we do not support or oppose any political party or candidate, we organize candidates' forums every fall in preparation for the general elections and one every spring for school board candidates. We offer advice to outlying communities on ways to conduct a forum and we provide moderators. We distribute non-partisan voter guides. We provide voter information for new citizens at naturalization ceremonies. We register voters. We offer information to the public by phone and web site. We published a booklet about all area schools with periodical updates and an extensive guide to our local government. Why Does LWVTC Need Funds Now? We do not have a paid staff to accomplish all the initiatives described above. Still, to run our organization we have to raise funds. For about 30 years we sold UNICEF Christmas and Holiday cards. For many years we assisted Cornell with its student elections in the fall and spring. Unfortunately we lost these two sources of revenue to commercial marketing and computerization. Instead of raising funds every year, we decided to open an account with the Community Foundation of Tompkins County. We are very pleased to report that a long time supporter of our League has offered to match up to $15,000 of contributions made to this fund. This is a rare opportunity which the League is unlikely to see again in the near future. A successful campaign will guarantee that money will be available in the future to continue the community education efforts the League has consistently provided over the years. It can also be a way for us to honor the work of some very dedicated members and establish a legacy in recognition of their exceptional efforts on behalf of our community. How Can I Help? Contributions received through December of 2006 will be eligible for matching. These gifts are tax deductible and payment should be made directly to the Community Foundation of Tompkins County at 309 N. Aurora Street, Ithaca, New York. Please, write "LWVTC Education Fund" on the memo line of your check, so the donation will be credited to our fund. We expect to continue our educational services to the community well into the future. A well-informed citizen is the key to good government. Please help us meet our goal by giving what you can to the LWVTC Education Fund. |