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Our Mission Statement
Welcome
to the National Organization for Women - Minnesota Chapter.
This statewide organization was formed in 1971 and our
mission is still the same: taking action to bring women
into the mainstream of American society NOW, exercising
all privileges and responsibilities thereof, in truly
equal partnership with men.
What
are MN NOW's Core Issues?
MN
NOW has actively worked to change the political, social,
economic and cultural landscape for women in Minnesota. Our
primary emphases are:
- ratification
of an unamended Equal Rights Amendment
- repeal
of all laws restricting safe, legal abortion
- protection
of lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender civil rights
- eliminating
racism
- freedom
from violence
- opposition
to punitive welfare reform
What
does MN NOW do?
MN
NOW is a multi-issue, grassroots advocate working for
women's rights in Minnesota. Unlike single-user
groups, MN NOW works on the whole range of women's
issues, which allows us to shift focus when the need
or desire arises for the maximum benefit of women.
MN
NOW carries out its mission in various ways. We
propose and monitor legislation that affects women;
develop public policy; provide information to members
and other women's organizations through mailings such
as our newsletters the Minnesota NOW Times and Legislative
Update and legislative Action Alerts; lobby legislators
and government officials; testify at public hearings;
assist in the organization and support of local chapters
of MN NOW; produce educational materials; provide speakers;
and endorse and support political candidates who will
work to advance MN NOW's issues. We also
serve as an information resource for women, students,
media, government and international groups.
To
carry out our work of grassroots political activism,
MN NOW has several statewide committees in need of
your volunteer efforts, including:
-
Chapter/Membership
Development - Members plan and implement
efforts to recruit and sustain members and develop
local
chapters statewide. Efforts may include campus outreach, event tabling, educational
forums, speaking to students or other community groups,
and more.
- Fundraising
- Members
help with all aspects of fundraising. In addition
to a share of NOW membership dues rebated to chapters
by our
National
office, MN NOW depends on members' ongoing financial
contributions to sustain us, as well fund actions and issue campaigns, communication and membership . You can help by
assisting with ideas, design, and implementation
of our fundraising and member reactivation appeals
to our members and in planning and coordinating special
Join Our Email Activist Network
- Newsletter
Committee - Chaired by our Newsletter Editor,
committee members help to produce the organization's
quarterly newsletter, the Minnesota NOW Times.
The purpose of this publication is to report on MN
NOW policy, actions, events, chapter news, and to
provide a forum for MN NOW members. This may consist
of writing, editing and proof reading articles, soliciting
advertisements, or helping with the labeling and
bulk mail preparation.
- Political
Action Committee - MN NOW formed a PAC in 1982
to help elect feminist women and men to local and
state office. The PAC members represent each of Minnesota's
eight congressional districts to ensure a strong
voice statewide.
MN
NOW believes that there is strength in numbers and
that we can broaden our message by bringing women's
concerns to broader issue coalitions. We are members
of the Minnesota Women's Consortium, the Affirmative
Options Coalition, the Women Candidate Development
Coalition, the MN Coalition of Organizations for Sex
Equity in Education (MCOSEE), the MN Housing Partnership
and the Pay Equity Coalition. This is another
opportunity for you, the activist, to get involved
with an issue of particular interest. You can
be a MN NOW coalition liaison.
Local
chapters of ten or more MN NOW members are active throughout
the state. Current chapters include: Fergus
Falls NOW, Minnesota Valley NOW (south metro area,
Prior Lake, Shakopee),
Sherburne-Wright NOW (2 counties NW of the Twin Cities),
St. Cloud/Great River NOW, and Uptown NOW (metro area chapter). Although we have active members
in Duluth and Rochester areas, there are currently
no
formal
chapters. If
you are interested in connecting with members in any
of these areas please check the Chapters page
or contact MN NOW.
MN
NOW has approximately 2,400 members and is primarily
supported financially through membership dues and contributions. Membership
is open to anyone who believes in the mission of the
organization.
Please
join Minnesota NOW today!
mailto:mnnow@mnnow.org
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