About Us

INDEX

About the League of Women Voters

We believe in the power of women to create a more perfect democracy. That's been our vision since 1920, when the League of Women Voters was founded by leaders of the women’s suffrage movement. For 100 years, we have been a nonpartisan, activist, grassroots organization that believes voters should play a critical role in democracy.

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, has fought since 1920 to improve our systems of government and impact public policies through citizen education and advocacy. The League's enduring vitality and resonance comes from its unique decentralized structure. The League is a grassroots organization, working at the national, state and local levels.

There are Leagues in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Hong Kong, in addition to the hundreds of local Leagues nationwide. The League of Women Voters of the United States and the League of Women Voters Education Fund operate at the national level with grassroots support from state and local Leagues.

The League of Women Voters is strictly nonpartisan; it neither supports nor opposes candidates for office at any level of government. At the same time, the League is wholeheartedly political and works to influence policy through advocacy. It is the original grassroots citizen network, directed by the consensus of its members nationwide. The 900 state and local Leagues – comprising a vast grassroots lobby corps that can be mobilized when necessary.

Over time, the League’s legislative priorities change to reflect the needs of society and critical issues of concern. The organization remains true to its basic purpose: to make democracy work for all citizens. The League of Women Voters makes a difference in the lives of citizens because of the energy and passion of thousands of members committed to our principles.

To read more about the history of the League of Women Voters visit lwv.org

League Organization

Program & Action

The League's Program and Action are supported by the General Fund. This is a 501c-4 nonprofit organization that seeks to influence public policy and citizen opinion based on its principles and issue positions. Issue positions are established by extensive unbiased study and agreement by the membership. The studies in progress and the current issue position statements constitute the League's "Program".

The LWVAL takes action to oppose or support legislation or public policy only if the action can be based on one or more points of the following:

• Principles of the LWV

• LWVAL Issue Positions

• LWVUS Issue Positions

Citizen Education & Voter Services

The League's Citizen Education activities and Voter Services are supported by the Education Fund. The LWVAL-EF is a 501c-3 nonprofit organization that seeks to educate citizens about complex public issues in a strictly unbiased way and encourage participation in the democratic process. The “Ed Fund” supports such activities as voter registration drives, nonpartisan candidate debates and forums, and unbiased issue forums. It does not support or oppose legislation or public policies. Find out more about the League’s Education Fund activities here.

Our Mission and Roles

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy. We never support or oppose any political party or candidate.

The League of Women Voters has two separate and distinct roles.

• Voters Service/Citizen Education - We present unbiased nonpartisan information about elections, the voting process, and issues.

• Action/Advocacy - We are always nonpartisan, but, after study, we use our positions to advocate for or against particular policies in the public interest.

To conduct our voter service and citizen education activities, we use funds from the League of Women Voters of Alabama Education Fund, which is a 501(c)(3) corporation, a nonprofit educational organization. The League of Women Voters of Baldwin County, a membership organization, conducts action and advocacy and is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) corporation.

Our Vision, Beliefs, and Intentions

The goal of the League of Women Voters is to empower citizens to shape better communities worldwide. The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political membership organization which:

• acts after study and member agreement to achieve solutions in the public interest on key community issues at all government levels

• builds citizen participation in the democratic process.

• engages communities in promoting positive solutions to public policy issues through education and advocacy.

The League of Women Voters Education Fund is a nonpartisan public policy educational organization which:

• builds citizen participation in the democratic process

• studies key community issues at all governmental levels in an unbiased manner

• enables people to seek positive solutions to public policy issues through education and conflict management.

We believe in:

• respect for individuals

• the value of diversity

• the empowerment of the grassroots, both within the League and in communities

We will:

• act with trust, integrity and professionalism

• operate in an open and effective manner to meet the needs of those we serve, both members and the public

• take the initiative in seeking diversity in membership

• acknowledge our heritage as we seek our path to the future.

Principles of the League of Women Voters

The League of Women Voters believes in representative government and in

the individual liberties established in the Constitution of the United States.

The League of Women Voters believes that democratic government depends

upon the informed and active participation of its citizens and requires that

governmental bodies protect the citizen's right to know by giving adequate

notice of proposed actions, holding open meetings and making public records

accessible.

The League of Women Voters believes that responsible government should be

responsive to the will of the people, that government should maintain an

equitable and flexible system of taxation, promote the conservation and

development of natural resources in the public interest, share in the solution

of economic and social problems that affect the general welfare, promote a

sound economy and adopt domestic policies that facilitate the solution of

international problems.

The League of Women Voters believes that cooperation with other nations is

essential in the search for solutions to world problems, and that the

development of international organization and international law is imperative

in the promotion of world peace.

Founding and Early History of the League of Women Voters

From the League of Women Voters of the United States:

The League of Women Voters was founded by Carrie Chapman Catt in 1920 during the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. The convention was held just six months before the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, giving women the right to vote after a 72-year struggle.

The League began as a "mighty political experiment" designed to help 20 million women carry out their new responsibilities as voters. It encouraged them to use their new power to participate in shaping public policy. From the beginning, the League has been an activist, grassroots organization whose leaders believed that citizens should play a critical role in advocacy. It was then, and is now, a nonpartisan organization. League founders believed that maintaining a nonpartisan stance would protect the fledgling organization from becoming mired in the party politics of the day. However, League members were encouraged to be political themselves, by educating citizens about, and lobbying for, government and social reform legislation.

This holds true today. The League is proud to be nonpartisan, neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties at any level of government, but always working on vital issues of concern to members and the public. The League has a long, rich history, that continues with each passing year.

Read more about the history of the League of Women Voters over the decades and its journey to the vibrant, modern organization that it is today.