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• AAUW Fund
• Branch Development
• Communications
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

• Finance
• Nominations and Elections
• Public Policy

• Speech Trek
• Tech Trek

Charmen's Chat

Charmen Goehring, President, AAUW California, statepresident@aauw-ca.org

SO MANY WAYS TO SHOW LOVE AND APPRECIATION THIS MONTH!
February. The month of hearts, flowers, chocolate, and all things love. One way you can love others this month is to donate a gift card to an AAUW member who lost their home during the Los Angeles fires or had major smoke damage. A committee has been created to manage the collection and distribution of gift cards. After the Paradise fire in 2018, we collectively raised over $150,000, which helped more than 30 members get their lives back on track. You can read more about the current effort HERE.

If you have been a member of AAUW for a while, you know who Lilly Ledbetter is. Lilly, who recently passed away, is featured in a new movie titled simply, LILLY. Sacramento member Erica Dias discovered a wonderful fundraising opportunity for branches. Groups can host a screening of LILLY before its release in April (the goal is to raise support for the movie and encourage ticket sales when it comes out). To finalize the process, anyone interested in hosting a screening can fill out this request form. This helps them gather the necessary details to coordinate the event. For nonprofit organizations, they are offering the film for a one-time licensing fee of $500. That fee differs for educational institutions and corporations. The contact is:
Kathleen Rodgers
Co-founder, Co-CEO
GSD Group LLC
(615) 504-3899
www.gsdgroup.com

February is also Black History Month and a wonderful time to show some love to our Black sisters and community. Search Yelp for Black-owned restaurants and businesses, visit a historically Black theater or concert venue, read a Black newspaper, or check out a Black church. You can also try this Black History Month Challenge.

Step out of your comfort zone a bit and discover some wonderful new things about our Black communities. 

For all that you will do this month to assist AAUW and your branches, thank you! And, many thanks to my talented Leadership Team for all that they do to support all of us! Happy February! 

Committee News

AAUW FUND TOP

Deanna Arthur, AAUW Fund Committee chair, aauwfund@aauw-ca.org

IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE!
AAUW Fund collected $475,275.15 in 2024 in California. 

We fell short of our $500,000 goal, but in these difficult times it was a valiant attempt. It is extremely important in these uncertain times that we support each other.

All the branches should have received their initial fourth quarter 2024 Fund report. Please check the report against your records. Remember that you can nominate a Branch Named Gift Honoree for each $750 donated by your branch or branch members. For more information, including the link for submitting a nominee, click HERE. These must be submitted by March 31st.

The deadline for submitting an application for the State Named Gift Honoree is March 1st.  This award is given to a person who has given outstanding service to the AAUW Fund and/ or California. Nominees should have proven leadership beyond their local branches at the inter-branch council and/or state levels. For more information, click HERE.

Don’t miss this opportunity to honor your members. 

Thanks for all your hard work and donations.

What I need to know: Time to nominate a State Named Gift Honoree and select Branch Named Gift Honorees.
What I need to do: Verify the accuracy of your year-end Fund report.
Should I include this in my branch newsletter? Yes, on how much your branch donated.

BRANCH DEVELOPMENTTOP

Sigrid Moranz, Director, Leadership, branch-development@aauw-ca.org

Rebecca Gomez, Director, Membership, branch-development@aauw-ca.org

BOXED LUNCH: A PROGRAM IN A BOX
Peer Group News
Did you miss the January 28th Peer Group Meeting featuring “Volunteers First”? If so, you can see the video on our website at Volunteers First.

If you saw the program and would like to show it at your branch meeting, we have also assembled a package with the Slides, Narrative Script, and Handouts. You can find it all on our website. Click HERE, open Branch Development, and scroll down to Meeting Materials.

All you need to do is draw a crowd!

Branch Activity of the Year
Don’t forget to submit your branch’s best program(s) of the year for consideration. All the information you need can be found on our website Branch Activity of the Year 2025. The deadline to submit is March 15th. Contact Patricia Souza for more information at souzapellow@gmail.com.

NCCWSL Lives!
Watch your email for news of the 2025 NCCWSL Conference. It will be in the same place, University of Maryland, May 30th to June 1st, same price around $600 for the conference, dorm room, and meals. Enrollments will open in February. Contact Susan Bangasser for more information at sbangasser1@gmail.com.                                                                                 

B2B Bonus: Quick Tips for Things to Try

Branch Tools – one-stop shopping for all the support for your branch. Click HERE for Branch Tools.

What I need to know: The Volunteer First video is posted to the California website.

What I need to do: Consider submitting an entry for the Branch Activity of the Year award. Advertise the NCCWSL program, decide if the branch will offer scholarship(s), and if so, establish the procedure. 

Should I include this in my branch newsletter? Yes, all these items could interest members.

COMMUNICATIONS TOP

Michelle Baer and Donna Holmes, Directors, Communication Committee Co-chairs, communications@aauw-ca.org

TIPS FOR AVOIDING EMAIL SCAMS THAT APPEAR TO COME FROM FRIENDS OR FAMILY
Email scams don’t always pretend to be large corporations; sometimes they impersonate people you know – family, friends, or even colleagues. These scams can be especially dangerous because they are working to exploit established trust.

Here are four tips to recognizing and avoiding email scams.

1. Be suspicious of unusual requests. If a friend or family member suddenly emails you asking for money, gift cards, or sensitive information, be skeptical.
2. Look at the writing style. Proceed with caution if you encounter unusual wording, spelling or grammatical errors, or phrasing that just doesn’t “sound like” the person.
3. Stay calm. Scammers frequently rely on urgent language to drive immediate action. Do not rush to respond to the request until you determine its validity.
4. Look carefully at the sender’s email address. Many email systems just show you the sender’s display name, which is easy to manipulate. The email address itself must be inspected. In most systems you can hover your mouse over the sender’s name to reveal their email address. Check the email address carefully. Frequently, the email address is entirely wrong and easy to dismiss as fraudulent. In more sophisticated scams, the email address may be only slightly different.

 If you have identified the email address as incorrect, then delete the message (optionally, report as spam).

However, if after reviewing an email message, you still have some doubts, how do you proceed?

First, it is very important to NOT reply to the message and do NOT click on any links or attachments.

Then, reach out to the purported sender directly, such as by a phone call or text, to validate whether the message is authentic.

With a bit of knowledge and careful attention, it is possible to avoid many email scams.

What I need to know: Anyone and everyone may be targeted for a scam.

What I need to do: Share this information with all members.

Should I include this in my branch newsletter? Yes

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION TOP

Lata Murti, Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, diversity@aauw-ca.org

LET’S JOURNAL AND REFLECT!
Now that we have spent the last two monthly AAUW California DEI Peer Group Meetings viewing and discussing responses to the Fall 2024 DEI Branch Survey, let’s take some time to reflect on these responses individually and as a group.

Bring your journals and favorite writing implement to our February 19th DEI Peer Group Meeting. We will take the hour to write and reflect on the Fall DEI Survey results and what they mean to and for us as individuals, branches, and AAUW California.

Don’t worry if you haven’t attended our last two meetings, during which we discussed survey results. I will share some of the results again, in relation to our prompts for journaling.

Everyone interested is welcome to this and all of the monthly DEI Peer Group Meetings. You don’t have to be a branch DEI coordinator to attend!

Join us on Zoom on Wednesday, February 19th, at 7 pm! Click HERE to register.                                                          

What I need to know: The DEI Survey results meeting is on February 19th at 7 pm.

What I need to do: Register to attend.

Should I include this in my branch newsletter? Yes, all members interested in DEI are invited.

FINANCE TOP

Kathy Ford, Chief Financial Officer, Finance Committee chair,  cfo@aauw-ca.org

NOW’S YOUR CHANCE TO JOIN THE AAUW CALIFORNIA BOARD AS CFO.
There are additional opportunities to add your talents to the Finance Committee and Investment Subcommittee.

There are multiple opportunities to add your financial expertise, interest, and skills to support the mission and goals of AAUW California. The CFO position is a critical and necessary role that allows you to participate in state leadership, get to know and work with all the other leaders, and have an impact on decision-making.

The Finance Committee has two members who will continue in their roles, but there is room for 2-4 more members. The important activities include reviewing and approving the state and Tech Trek budgets and creating and participating in the Finance Peer Group sessions. The peer group sessions give you a chance to reach out to and support all the branch finance officers around the state. 

The Investment Subcommittee meets quarterly and reviews the state investment performance with the state’s investment advisor. This sub-committee also has room for 1-2 more members.

My term is coming to an end on June 30th, but I’m always available to answer questions and provide support.

Have questions about any of the positions – just contact me, Kathy Ford, at cfo@aauw-ca.com. I’d love to spend time with you to discuss the opportunities to serve.                                                                             
B2B Bonus: Quick Tips for Things to Try

A couple reminders:

If you miss the February 6th Finance Peer Group session on Fundraising, check the AAUW California Finance Peer Group section on the state website HERE and select Finance to access the recording and meeting materials.

If you plan to sell merchandise as a fundraiser in 2025, be sure you obtain a sales permit.  You can learn how to do this at the CDTFA website.

What I need to know: AAUW California is seeking a new CFO.

What I need to do: Apply if interested and/or share with possible candidates.

Should I include this in my branch newsletter? No, this is for a very small cohort.

NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS TOP

Elaine Johnson, Nominations and Election chair, nominating@aauw-ca.org   

We seek enthusiastic, committed, proven leaders to serve on the AAUW California Board of Directors. Are you one of them?

This spring, we are seeking candidates for:

President-Elect: three-year term 2025-2028 (one year as President-Elect and two years as President)
Chief Financial Officer (CFO): two-year term 2025-2027
Directors (three): two-year term 2025-2027

Nomination/Application deadline: March 1, 2025

Note: You must be an AAUW California member in good standing to apply.

Click HERE to apply!

The 2025 Candidate postings are open for viewing in the order of receipt of completed nomination form. 

Want to know more about serving on the AAUW California Board of Directors?

• Click HERE to review AAUW California Board of Directors’ Roles and Responsibilities.
• Click HERE for AAUW California committee responsibilities.
• Click HERE to review AAUW California Policies and Procedures. Section 800 contains information specific to the Nomination and Election process and section 300 contains information about the candidate position. (Please note that you may be required to enter a password. Contact AAUW California office if you need this information.)

The election will open April 26th and run through May 16th. Each member with an email address on file will receive an email on April 26th with a link to their ballot. Members without email will receive a paper ballot. All ballots must be returned by May 16th to be counted! If you do not receive an email with your link, first check your spam folder. It will be coming from siteadmin@aauwca.org via SurveyMonkey. You can also search your inbox: the subject will be 2025 AAUW California. Election Ballot. If you still cannot find it, email webteam@aauw-ca.org for assistance.

Public Policy Priorities for 2025-2027

Members will also be asked to approve the Public Policy Priorities for 2025-2027. These are critical to our advocacy efforts. The PPP for 2025-2027 will be made available in March or April.

For more information, contact Elaine Johnson, Nominations and Elections Committee Chair, at nominating@aauw-ca.org.

B2B Bonus: Quick Tips for Things to Try

Keep your eyes on the prize and step up to support strong state leadership.

Be willing to advance AAUW California goals by stepping up to a leadership position. AAUW leadership skills and experience are transferable to other organizations.

What I need to know: Volunteers/candidates needed for several positions. Public Policy Priorities will be available in the spring.

What I need to do: To apply, complete the application by March 1st.

PUBLIC POLICY TOP

Amy Hom and Melissa Maceyko, Directors, Public Policy Committee Co-chairs, publicpolicy@aauw-ca.org

PROJECT 2025 IS BECOMING REALITY AND DEI IS UNDER FIRE
Project 2025 is Becoming Reality. Take Action to Fight Back!

As Co-Directors Amy Hom and Missy Maceyko outlined in a webinar in October 2024, the objectives of Project 2025 directly counter the Public Policy Priorities of AAUW California. With federal policy pronouncements and changes taking place at a head-spinning pace since January 20, 2025, it is clear that there is a concerted effort by a number of coalitions in the federal government to make Project 2025 become reality. For example:

• The Executive Order declaring that there are “only two genders, male and female”.
• The Executive Order eliminating federal funds for schools that recognize transgender identities or teach about structural racism, white privilege, and unconscious bias.
• The Executive Order directing federal agencies to look for ways to expand access to private school vouchers.
• The Executive Order rescinding a dozen Biden-era executive actions supporting racial equity and combating discrimination against gay and transgender people.
• The Office of Management and Budget ordered freezing all federal financial assistance (since rescinded but with a standing order for agencies to restrict DEI programming and “woke gender ideology”).
• The Executive Order withdrawing the United States from the 2015 Paris Agreement that seeks to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis.

While this may seem overwhelming, there are also coalitions that are pushing back in a number of ways, including through legal challenges.

AAUW California is building out our own action-items database, which will go live for you this spring. For now, we ask you to take action by choosing one self-focused, one other-focused, and one political-focused item from the list below.

Self-Focused: Education

• rewatch the webinar from the fall, as needed, to get a sense of what Project 2025 is/does and/or read the document itself.
• read the legal challenges linked above to better understand how organizations are working to fight back.

Other-Focused: Education & Connection

• whatever you take away from your homework in self-education--be sure to tell one friend about what you learned. You can do this over lunch.

Politically-Focused: Outreach to Senators

•  sign the petition opposing the confirmation of Linda McMahon. Text “SIGN PTGHEX” to 50409.
• reach out to potential swing Senators from outside of California to voice your opposition to confirmation/s:

○       Lisa Murkowski, Alaska. 202-224-6665. Contact form

○       Susan Collins, Maine. 202-224-2523. Contact form

○       Thom Tillis, North Carolina. 202-224-6342. Contact form

○       Rand Paul, Kentucky. 202-224-4343. Contact form

○       Mitch McConnell, Kentucky. 202-224-2541. Contact form

○       John Curtis, Utah. 202-224-5251. Contact form

○       Bill Cassidy, Louisiana. 202-224-5824. Contact form

○       Joni Ernst, Iowa. 202-224-3254. Contact form

○       Chuck Grassley, Iowa 202-224-3744. Contact form

 Podcast: Is DEI Illegal?

In advocating for gender equity and social justice through policy and legislation, there is a direct link between public policy work and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work at AAUW California. Co-Director Missy Maceyko has recorded a recent podcast episode on how to understand DEI work in light of the federal attack on DEI. The podcast also touches on programs and actions in which you can and should continue to engage in your organizations--those that historically overlap with DEI work, but that are not always coded as DEI, such as mentorship programs and/or training in how to speak across difference.

Click HERE to access on YouTube

Article:

Narratives about “DEI” and hiring clearly overlook the fact that many people who are labeled as DEI-hires, including many women, are hired based on merit, regardless of their identity, even as they often have to overcome additional hurdles to enter into historically masculine fields and gain the qualifications and experiences to succeed. For more on DEI-hiring and DEI-blame, as seen in the case of the January 2025 LA Fires, see the article We Didn’t Start the Fire. The LA FIres are a tragedy. DEI is the solution, not the problem. by Missy Maceyko, Co-Chair of AAUW California Public Policy Committee

Click HERE to access an excerpt from the article for branch newsletters.

Click HERE to access the full article on the Willing Observers website.

Lobby Days 2025

We encourage all members to participate in Lobby Days 2025, an important act of advocacy to promote our legislative priorities. Meetings will be held in person at the state Capitol on Tuesday, April 8th, and virtually via Zoom on Wednesday, April 9th. For more information about the event, see the article HERE.

If you would like to participate, please complete BOTH of the following steps:

• Step 1 - Register for the Lobby Days event HERE.
• Step 2 - Register for the mandatory training which will be held on March 31st, 7-8 pm Pacific. Register for the training webinar HERE.

School Board Project

The School Board Project is now ready to begin the next phase, which will entail monitoring school boards for compliance to California law. Please take a moment to complete the survey which arrived in all members inbox on February 4th to help us get a better picture of where we are following the recent elections and where we need to focus to provide the best tools to help our branches engage at the local level.

AAUW Public Policy Priorities

As most of you know, AAUW California is currently undergoing the biennial review and update of our Public Policy Priorities (PPPs). The California Public Policy Committee is working together to consider all of your feedback and, based on this, will release proposed updates to members for a vote this spring. Your input and this process are important as these Priorities shape our actions as an organization.

The same is true of AAUW National, which is also in the process of updating its Public Policy Priorities (PPPs) for 2025-2027.

Proposed changes to AAUW National’s PPPs were shared with membership in early January, along with an invitation for all members to review and comment. Over the course of the last month, several members who have reviewed these proposed changes, alongside AAUW National’s other public statements and strategy documents, have expressed concern that AAUW National appears to be narrowing its focus to higher education, and in doing so, moving away from other priority areas.

We want to address this concern and provide some insight into AAUW National’s overall strategy, as reported. With all of the different issue-areas now under attack, AAUW National has to conserve its resources. As part of building wider coalitions with other like-minded organizations, they have made the decision to put their focus on education, where they have the most expertise and the best opportunity to make an impact.

This does not mean AAUW National is abandoning its commitment to other areas, like social justice. Instead, they are strategically deciding to rely heavily on coalition partners who are leaders in these other areas. By working in a coalition, different organizations can lead in the areas where they have more expertise, with the rest of the coalition adding their collective influence. AAUW National’s focus on higher education is simply direction given to the Public Policy staff regarding where to invest the majority of their time and resources.

If you missed it…

“2024 Revisions to Title IX: How they Impact AAUW Values and Public Policy Priorities” with Kathi Harper, chair of the School Board Project. Find the recording HERE.

“Reproductive Rights: Where Do We Go From Here?” with Emily Bazelon, noted staff writer for the New York Times Magazine. Find the recording HERE.

What I need to know: Project 2025 is happening now. AAUW Public Policy Priorities are being re-designed before the membership is asked to vote on them.

What I need to do: Educate yourself by watching the Project 2025 webinar. Remember to sign up for Lobby Days.

Should I include this in my branch newsletter? The Public Policy Co-chairs will send out an email to all members containing the above information down to the Take Action portion. Branches should include the other information as appropriate.

Program News

SPEECH TREK TOP

Cathy Foxhoven, Speech Trek Program Director, and Speech Trek Committee chair, speechtrek@aauw-ca.org

DON’T MISS THE FINAL SPEECH TREK COMPETITION FOR AAUW CALIFORNIA!  

Mark your calendar for April 26th for the Annual Meeting.

Twelve branches will be submitting the video of their first-place winners for the semi-finals. Each branch will upload the video to YouTube. AAUW California will then upload the videos to the AAUW California YouTube channel. The video must be submitted to the state-level contest by March 15th. The top three videos and the two honorable mentions will be announced by April 8th. Then, the top three videos will be judged for the finals. The honorable mentions, 4th and 5th place winners, and receive $500 each. This year, the top three finalists’ videos will be showcased at the AAUW California Annual Event on April 26th. Please note that this meeting will be held virtually, and the Speech Trek Program Director will introduce each video and announce the winners.

The first-place winner will receive $2,500, the second-place winner will receive $2,000, and the third-place winner will receive $1,000. This final competition will give the participants more prize money than ever before!

If you are unsure of instructions on uploading your videos, please contact the webteam or Marlene Cain.

What I need to know: The three final Speech Trek videos will be presented at the Annual Event on April 26th; and the winners announced.

What I need to do: Register for the Annual Meeting.

Should I include this in my branch newsletter? No, this information is for the Speech Trek leaders. 

TECH TREK TOP

Mary Isaac, Tech Trek Program Director, and Tech Trek Committee chair, techtrek@aauw-ca.org

 🎵 Tech Trek Trekkin’ Along… 🎵

Let’s distract you with the latest until the Superbowl is over, then GO!

• Over half the branches have completed their MOU. Thank you.
  –Due date is February 15th.
  –60% of branches have submitted 2025 Volunteer Conduct Agreements (VCA) HERE.
• CampDoc application sessions for camper and staff applicants are open now!
  –Only overnight volunteers and workshop presenters must apply.
  –Zoom Office Hours are from 3:00-4:30 pm on February 14th and 28th. Registration is HERE.
• The Tech Trek website now has a new look, with everything available from the main page for families, schools, donors, and volunteers! Buckets of kudos and thanks go to Sandi Gabe and Dawn Johnson for getting us here as fast as they did! Keep your eyes peeled for updated camps and alums pages soon!

Your Action:

Make double sure branch Tech Trek volunteers complete their VCAs before they start communicating with minors and share the updated website far and wide!

 Branch Coordinator YouTube Playlist

What I need to know: The Tech Trek website has been revised & all in one location which now contains all everyone needs to know about Tech Trek!

What I need to do: If your branch has not completed your MOU, do it now as the deadline is February 15th.

Should I include this in my branch newsletter? Yes, include a link to the refreshed website with your branch’s Tech Trek news.