In this issue...
President's Message
Featured Program
- Shirley Chisholm documentary and discussion February 19th
State News:
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Charitable Trust Grants are here for you
- Consider making a broader impact in 2022
- New online donation option for AAUW NJ
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Notes from January Advocacy Discussion
National News:
News & Other Events:
- Suffragists Speak video and discussion - February 28th
- Save the Dates: AAUW NJ Equity Event -
March 19th and more
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Research
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Education
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Advocacy
Equity
for all
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Brrrr it’s cold outside, but that doesn’t mean we’re hibernating! I’m happy to see from the branch newsletters that most branches are meeting regularly both virtually and in-person. National AAUW staff is taking advantage of the winter doldrums to install the long-awaited, improved data infrastructure.
Your AAUW NJ board has been busy getting ready for spring, too. Check out our updated, streamlined aauwnj.org website. Thank you, webmaster Sharon Suber, for sharing your talents and insights, and for your patience while the rest of us work on the content for the various pages! It’s still a work in progress, so check back often - does anyone have a great group picture of active AAUW members that we might put into rotation on our homepage?
Also busy this season is our Nominating Committee: Jackie McGuinness, Gail Davis, Sally Goodson, and Carol Cohen. If you hold a board position for your branch, pretty please consider doing the same job for the state, maybe as a co-director or as part of a team.
Recent history has shown it’s not safe to ignore politics, politicians, or the political process. But how can one person have influence without a lot of money, or time? See the article below for some ideas that came out of our Advocacy Discussion in January.
We had hoped for an in-person spring convention to celebrate being together, working on our equity mission, enjoying the company of amazing women, but unfortunately, COVID-19 had other plans. Jackie McGuiness is putting together a new plan for a virtual event on March 19th and we’re holding out hope for an in-person gathering later in the spring.
Hang in there, we’re going to pull through this pandemic winter together!
Karen Brown, President
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Chisholm '72
Unbought and Unbossed:
Discussing the Legacy of
Shirley Chisholm
Saturday, February 19
@2pm via Zoom
This event is sponsored by the Summit College Club Branch in honor of Black History Month. Mark your calendar now; we hope you plan to join us.
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How Can the AAUW NJ Charitable Trust
Help You?
Ever wanted to do something to advance our mission but lacked the funds to do it? A grant from the Charitable Trust may be the answer.
This unusual trust exists to help YOU – AAUW NJ members, branches, and state organization – to fulfill our mission and goals. Areas of particular interest include gender equity in education, workplace, and leadership for women and girls.
We’re in this together! Collaborations are encouraged with other like-minded organizations to achieve these goals.
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Learn about the Charitable Trust and how the Grant Program works here.
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Download a CT Grant Application here.
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Contact for more information: aauwnj.ct@gmail.com
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Consider making
a broader
impact in 2022
If you hold a board position for your branch, please consider doing the same job for the state. You can join as a director, co-director, or part of a team.
For instance, if you are doing program planning or setting up the Zoom meetings, or putting together a newsletter, it might take only a little more time to leverage your work up to the state level. If you have been a Membership or Public Policy Chair you already know the ropes of AAUW. If several people share a position on the state board, a job-sharing schedule can be worked out to lessen the burden. Click here to check out our open positions
to learn more and have your questions answered.
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Good News!!!!
Our aauw-nj.aauw.net website has been revised to make donating to AAUW more convenient to access.
Go to https://aauw-nj.aauw.net and on the opening page you will see the tab “DONATE”. Clicking DONATE will bring you to our webpage with several options.
The New Jersey option is the AAUW NJ Charitable Trust. Clicking the “Donate Online” button will give you the option to pay with PayPal, Credit or Debit cards. Select the “CT Grant Program” to support everything the AAUW NJ members are doing with CT Grants, or you may choose to designate your gift to Tech Trek NJ. You may also include a note to the Charitable Trust in the second step of the online process.
If you choose to donate to the Charitable Trust by check, please contact aauwnj.ct@gmail.com and you will be contacted with mailing instructions.
Remember, since 1881 AAUW has relied on the generosity of individuals like YOU to support its mission as one of the nation’s leading voices promoting education and equity for women and girls. Thank you for your generosity.
Nina Del Collo, Funds Director
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DON’T IGNORE POLITICS
Notes from January 18, 2022
Advocacy Discussion
On January 18, 2022, several AAUW members met with Sandra Matsen, a former volunteer lobbyist for the League of Women Voters of NJ. Our goal was to find ways for AAUW NJ to be effective in influencing NJ politics now. Given that we don’t currently have AAUW NJ members willing to dedicate much time to lobbying or community organizing, we looked for ways to target strategic areas with minimal effort. Here are some ideas that emerged:
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Collaborate + Share Resources: Collaborate with the LWV NJ and other non-partisan groups who share our mission – it’s a win-win. Be a liaison – work with your branch and state boards to promote issues we have in common, and action items we can address together. For all the information on elections in NJ and much, much more: League of Women Voters of New Jersey
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Act Locally: Few votes are needed to sway a local election. Learn who’s representing you in Trenton and contact them directly: New Jersey Legislature
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Focus on the Women: particularly, of the NJ Legislature. Show our support for women leaders by meeting them to find out their priorities, inform them of our AAUW priorities and the AAUW research behind our positions, and find common causes to champion.
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Hooray!
AAUW National is (finally) upgrading their data systems
Please complete time-sensitive transactions and download any needed information by no later than 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 3, 2022.
Blackout Period: During installation, February 4 through February 15, no one will be able to login to the Member Services Database (MSD) or use other online applications for dues and donations processing.
AAUW is investing additional staff time and resources to ensure you receive the support you need. If you have any questions, please reach out to connect@aauw.org and/or register to drop in to virtual “office hours” on Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. ET.
What will the new system be like? Stay tuned.
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Suffragists Speak:
Race, Slavery and the Fight for “The Vote"
Monday, February 28 via Zoom
Video at 6:30 pm
Discussion at 7:35 pm
This program was originally written and presented live in March 2020 by members of T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center, AAUW-NMCB and League of Women Voters.
We now have a professionally created video [approx. 57 min] which we invite you to watch. You may access it on YouTube video at a time convenient for you between now and the branch meeting. If you prefer, you may watch it via Zoom at 6:30 pm, immediately prior to the branch meeting/discussion starting at 7:35 pm.
Log on at 6:30 pm to watch the video with others if you have not viewed it earlier. There will be a 10 minute break at the end of the video before the discussion begins. If you are joining for the discussion, be sure to logon before 7:35 pm to share your reflections and questions.
This video spans history that is a significant part of Black History Month and Women's History Month; it is also an opportunity to invite others you know to view the video and encourage them to consider showing it in a classroom or to religious and community groups. The video viewing and discussion are open to the public.
Register to receive the Zoom link for the meeting on February 28 by sending an email to aauw.nmcb@gmail.com.
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Save the Date
AAUW NJ Equity Program
March 19, 2021
via Zoom
STILL TO COME…
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If your branch is forwarding the AAUW mission in some way, please share your activities with aauwnj@gmail.com. We want to celebrate you!
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See what's happening on our social sites |
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