In 2010 (after the defeat of the question at the 2009 convention) we said our goals were:
- Get the AAUW board to take a strong stand in favor of support of the mission as the only requirement for membership.
- Assemble a large group of members who support this change.
- Assist the board with grass roots efforts to sell the change to those who currently feel the degree requirement is essential to AAUW’s identity and its mission.
In 2014, seeing that the board was not going to take a leadership role and that without their help any thought of experimenting with the requirement was impossible, we switched to a simple strategy of proposing a bylaws change that would drop the degree requirement. We are still committed to goal #2 and will work on grass roots lobbying through the 2015 election.
Until 2015 we asked for a minimum donation to “join” the network. The nominal amount of $5 was a way for us to confirm a commitment to our efforts. In the past we have used individual donations to pay for buttons, flyers, organizing phone calls, and more.
For the 2021 vote we were pleased to see the board and staff fully on board with encouraging members to vote for the change. We dropped any request for a contribution and welcomed all who wanted to be listed to join our “Supporters”. By the end of the campaign, we listed 294 endorsements, including 29 from state presidents.
We are beginning work on a campaign to support the 2024 vote.
If we finally fold this effort, hopefully after a successful vote, any remaining funds will be donated to an AAUW effort.
If you need more information, please contact us.
Open Up AAUW 