Federal Budget Masterclass with National Priorities Project

Every one of today’s hot button issues can be found in the federal budget. How much we spend on education versus war, or health care versus incarceration, shows our values as a nation.

Now that Congress has begun the FY2023 budget process, join WiLL and the National Priorities Project in understanding how the budget will be developed and what values Congress will prioritize. We will also discuss how state legislators can effectively lobby their Members of Congress on budget requests that support their communities. Watch here. 

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Creating Fiscal Policy Based on Facts
Join the Women Legislators' Lobby as we learn about fiscal policy and oversight from Taxpayers for Common Sense. Taxpayers for Common sense is a nonpartisan budget watchdog that has served as an independent voice for the American taxpayer since 1995. They work to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly and that government operates within its means. Joining us is their Senior Policy Analyst, Wendy Jordan, who has analyzed every Pentagon budget request for the last 35 years to help the public understand multi-faceted defense programs. Watch here.

Supporting Ukraine: A Brief on the Ukraine Crisis for Legislators

In this webinar, Rachel Rizzo presents on the state of Ukraine, how you and your community can support Ukrainians, and the potential impact of this conflict on our nation. Rachel Rizzo is an adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), working in the Transatlantic Security Program. Her research focuses on European security, NATO, and the transatlantic relationship. Watch the webinar here.

• Download one pager here 

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Creating a Feminist Federal Budget 
In this webinar, Amy Matsui, Director of Income Security & Senior Counsel with the National Women’s Law Center, walks us through the federal appropriations process for various programs and how you as a state legislator can advocate for more funding for your state.

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October Action Summit for Women Legislators

Throughout October 2021 the Women Legislators' Lobby hosted over 30 virtual events. Click here to watch the recorded events. 

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Mechanics of an Interview

Learn from an experienced communications expert how to set up, prepare for, and execute a perfect media interview—either from home or at the television studio.

The 1033 Program: How the Federal Government Militarized The Police
Local and state police around the country are being armed with tanks, grenade launchers, rifles, and more through the Department of Defense’s 1033 program. This program has transferred excess military equipment to local police since the 1990s—giving the green light for police to use paramilitary tactics on civilians. In this webinar you’ll learn what action you can take on the federal and state level to stymie this dangerous program.

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Redefining Security After COVID-19: Getting The Federal Investments You Need
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that many of the national security threats of today cannot be mitigated by nuclear weapons or tanks—so why does our Congress continue to allocate more discretionary funds to the Department of Defense than all of the other agencies combined? In this webinar, you’ll learn about the United States’ trillion-dollar national security apparatus that has continuously failed to pass financial audits and has failed to keep Americans safe.

Op-ed Writing and Pitching 
Even with the advent of social media and the continued reign of talking heads on TV, the written word—both in print and digital outlets—is essential to persuading policymakers and the public. This webinar is more than a slide deck—in fact, you’ll practice writing components of an op-ed with live feedback from the trainer. Additionally, you'll learn about how to effectively pitch and place your op-eds.

Fundraising I.R.L. with Caitlin Smith

In the days of social distancing and digital everything, learn from an experienced fundraising consultant how you can take this unique moment in time to connect 1:1 in real life to build strong relationships with your supporters. Caitlin Smith is the Managing Director of Blackbird Philanthropy Advisors located in South Bend, Indiana. She counsels nonprofits, businesses, and political campaigns on strategy related to marketing, fundraising, communications, philanthropy, and social enterprise.

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Social Media 101
The ever-expanding social media landscape can be overwhelming, but it offers tremendous opportunity to
engage with both your constituents and people the world over. This training explores the value of curating a brand on social media and explores how state legislators can leverage Facebook and Twitter most effectively. This training is fit for legislators who want to start using social media or a refresh on the basics of account creation, posting, and engaging.

Twitter 102 
This session explores the value of Twitter for elected officials and dives deep on how users can leverage this platform most effectively. This session is for legislators who already have Twitter accounts and are looking for more information beyond the basics. You will receive a digital packet with workbook pages to review at the end of the session.

Facebook 102
This session will explore the best practices for state legislators using Facebook during COVID-19. WiLL’s
National Partner, Facebook, will be leading legislators through all the unique tools, such as Facebook Live and Ads Authorization, developed to help them engage with constituents on the platform.

Instagram 101

This training will inform women legislators across the country on new ways to reach large audiences on Instagram through photos, videos, stories and messages. Join us to learn how you can showcase the passion that drives your legislation using Instagram.

Instagram 102
This webinar will inform legislative staff on Instagram's new product features, best practices for creating engaging content, and how to evaluate their content's performance using Insights.

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Mask vs. Missiles: COVID-19’s Implications on the Federal Budget 
Every year’s budget process is unique in certain ways, but this year due to COVID-19, the budget process is more unusual than ever. Congress, like everyone else, is adapting to the ‘new normal’ COVID-19 created. While traditional in-person lobbying, voting, and hearings are a thing of the past—we’ll walk you through how Congress adapted and how you can best leverage these changes for your constituents.

 

Digital fundraising During COVID-19
Hal Irish, the Associate Director of Advertising at Authentic Campaigns will share their expertise on all aspects of digital fundraising from email campaigns to paid ads. You’ll walk away knowing what a strong digital fundraising plan encompasses and how to start building one. Joining Hal will be Wisconsin State Rep. Melissa Sargent, who will be fresh off her primary race for the State Senate to talk about how her campaign was impacted by COVID-19 and what changes she made to meet the moment. 

 

Facebook Ads for State Legislators
This training will inform women legislators and their staff about Facebook’s recent election integrity efforts ahead of the U.S. 2020 Election. Some of these efforts include the Facebook and Instagram Voting Information Centers, our upcoming Ads Restriction period, and updated election misinformation policies. Join this webinar to gain a better understanding of what tools are available to you to empower your constituents to be civically engaged this election.

 

Tips for your Best Virtual On-camera Interview
Broadcasting has changed tremendously due to COVID-19, with a limited capacity to bring in guests to studios it's becoming more common to have guests interview from home. Communications expert Jalina Porter will lead a session on navigating today’s media landscape. As a part of the session Jalina will work one-on-one with 10 randomly selected legislators who sign up and provide feedback on their TV interview skills. This webinar will not be recorded, all participants will be emailed a one-pager summarizing the main points of the webinar.
 

The Power of Speechwriting and Storytelling
Learn how to craft and deliver a powerful political speech from expert speechwriter Christopher Huntley. Christopher has written political speeches for elected officials such as Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Senator Elizabeth Warren, including her convention speech this year. Join us for a webinar that will walk you through the speechwriting process and highlight the importance of telling your authentic story.
 

Meditation for Legislators 

This class will help nurture peace of mind, creativity and equanimity in spirit and health in the body. The teaching practice is designed for all levels and lifestyles, the only thing required is a willingness to try something new. After class you will feel more calm and balanced as a resting state rather than the exception to the rule.
 

Election Integrity with Facebook

This training will inform women legislators and their staff about Facebook’s recent election integrity efforts ahead of the U.S. 2020 Election. Some of these efforts include the Facebook and Instagram Voting Information Centers, our upcoming Ads Restriction period, and updated election misinformation policies. Join this webinar to gain a better understanding of what tools are available to you to empower your constituents to be civically engaged this election.
 

Fighting Gendered Disinformation Online with Lucina Di Meco, Thenmozhi Soundararajan, and Kristina Wilfore
A growing body of evidence shows that women politicians around the globe – and in the United States - are facing a deluge of gender-based attacks online, mixing weaponized hate and disinformation with the anonymity provided by social media to destroy women’s reputations and push them out of public life. Join us in a conversation aimed at increasing understanding of the dynamics of gendered disinformation and online abuse and threats against women in politics, as well as successful response tactics that can be deployed by female candidates, politicians and activists

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