The Benefits of Membership in Voices for America’s Children
Visibility – Increased visibility for members and members’ efforts before grant-making foundations, media, national policy groups, and federal legislators
Grants – Opportunities to apply for Voices’ grants designed to help build organizational capacity
Technical Assistance – Access to the technical assistance on state/local policy development and analysis and organizational management from the Voices’ national team and a network of over 800 member staff across the country through phone calls, in-person meetings and the Peer-to-Peer Exchange Program whereby Voices covers the cost of travel for tailored networking, learning and mentoring between two Voices colleagues
Learning Opportunities – An opportunity to benefit from extensive learning events, including regular virtual conferences, annual regional meetings, leadership retreats and the annual Forum, for which there is a generous scholarship program to support the attendance of both executives and senior staff
Board Development – In-depth networking and learning for the chief executive officer and a board leader at a retreat featuring training on topics related to the management of a child advocacy organization
Advocacy Tools – Subscriptions to Voices’ print and electronic communications, including its monthly e-newsletter, periodic fact sheets, issue brief and special reports
Online Library – Access to an online resource library covering policy issues, advocacy strategies and organizational management
Policy Influence – An opportunity to participate in one or more of six policy advisory groups to lend experience, expertise and insight on state/local needs to the development of federal policy recommendations and to help shape policies in other states and localities through information exchange with other members
Federal Link – Support to engage more deeply in federal advocacy, which may include being accompanied by Voices staff for a visit to Capitol Hill, participating in a fly in of members, engaging in Voices trainings or contributing to the policy advisory groups so that the network policy positions that are taken to the Administration and members of Congress are reflective of a nationwide view of what will work best for children
Leadership Opportunity – Eligibility of the chief executive to serve on the Voices’ Member Leadership Council, an influential advisory group of twelve member executives who are elected by their peers, which oversees the policy advisory groups
National Collaboration – Representation in the Children’s Leadership Council which is a coalition of more than 50 national child advocacy organizations speaking with one voice to achieve a singular mission – building the public awareness and creating the political will necessary to make greater federal investments in America’s children and youth a reality, of which Voices is the official convener.
