Registration will begin on April 28, 2025.

Tuesday, June 17	Wednesday, June 18	Thursday, June 19	Friday, June 20	Saturday, June 21	Sunday, June 22
Workshops & Events (see times & description below)	Workshops & Events (see times & description below)	NO ACTIVITIES in observation of Juneteenth	Workshops & Events (see times & description below)	Business Sessions 9:00am – 11:30pm 1:30 – 3:00pm	Business Sessions 9:00 – 11:00am

You’ll need to register for Convention first in order to receive the Zoom registration links for all workshops and events.

Navigating the Noise: Mastering Communication in the Digital Age In today’s fast-paced information landscape, clear and compelling messaging is key to advancing your League’s mission. This workshop is designed for League members who want to sharpen their communication skills and increase the impact of their outreach efforts. Whether you’re writing a press release, creating social media content, or planning a community event, this session will provide practical tools and strategies to ensure your message cuts through the noise and drives civic engagement.

Leadership Succession Planning and Local League Leadership by Committee Hear strategies on how to find and develop members to become leaders. In addition, hear strategies local Leagues used when a president could not be found and ran their League by committee to represent their community. Attendees will be encouraged to share strategies their Leagues have utilized too.

Getting to Decision Makers: Make Your Voice Heard! Learn how public meetings are run and how you can contribute and make your voice heard. Get tips on listening and speaking skills that can make you a more effective communicator.

The Importance of DEI, Especially in Uncertain Times This session will focus on the critical components of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).  By integrating DEI principles, organizations make their programs more inclusive, culturally relevant, and accessible to those who need them the most while deepening their commitment to justice and equality. It is crucial to remain committed to DEI, especially during uncertain times.

Money in Politics – Campaign Finance Reporting Voters in your community need to know where candidates for local office are getting funding for their campaigns, but they’re not likely to pore through lengthy state filings to find out. You can convert those filings into easy-to-read graphics to post on your website using technology readily available on your home computer. The Alameda chapter has been doing this since 2018 and will share the basics in this workshop.

Hybrid Language Translation for Video, Audio, and Text on a Budget This practical workshop demonstrates implementing cost-effective multilingual content solutions by combining the latest machine translation solutions with strategic human oversight. Participants will learn to optimize translation workflows across various media formats, balance automation with human expertise, and achieve professional-quality results while maximizing limited resources.

Upholding Democracy Through Justice Reform We currently live in a political climate where our Constitutional and Civil Rights are at risk. Strengthening our resolve to achieve equity and justice in our criminal legal system is even more important.  Local Leagues must continue learning about ways in which we can support the safety and wellbeing of both our communities, especially those most impacted, and the peace officers who serve them.  Our workshop seeks to provide data and resources to address many of those needs.  By shining a light on best practices and holding local jurisdictions accountable, we hope to preserve the successes we have already made and meet the challenges that lie ahead.  What opportunities do local Leagues have to ensure voting in jails for those in pretrial detention, as well as for those who are on probation? How effective is oversight of law enforcement in your city or county?  What do communities need to know about law enforcement use of military equipment?  Are youth in the care of County Probation provided the programming necessary for them to return home with knowledge and skills to lead productive lives?  Join us for a rousing discussion of upholding Democracy through justice reform!

The Art of the Ask: Fundraising 101 for Local Leagues Fundraising is always a challenge, and in times like these, it can feel even more daunting. Leagues are competing for support from a limited pool of donors who care about strengthening democracy. Still, there are ways to navigate these obstacles and succeed. This session offers a practical roadmap to fundraising success, no matter the size or capacity of your League. You will learn how to cultivate donor relationships, select fundraising strategies and messages that match your League’s time and resources, and build confidence in making the ask. Whether you’re just getting started or want to sharpen your approach, this session will give you the tools and strategies to boost your League’s impact and financial resilience.

Resolutions Committee (if needed) If you are submitting a resolution (due no later than 12:00 pm on Friday, June 13) this would be your opportunity to consult with the Resolutions Committee.

Budget Adjustment Committee (if needed) If you are submitting a motion to adjust the proposed budget (due no later than 12:00 pm on Friday, June 13) this would be your opportunity to consult with the Budget Adjustment Committee.

Behind the Scenes: Preparing Your League for the Pros & Cons Informing voters about the ballot measures is an incredibly valuable (and valued) service. It’s imperative that Leagues and their Pro & Con speakers be as organized as possible with the right skills and information. We will provide timelines, training guidelines and information about working with non-traditional audiences that will facilitate your League’s preparation for future ballot measure presentations.

Youth Councils That Work: Building California’s Next Generation of Leaders A joint session presented by the League of Women Voters of San Francisco (LWVSF) and the League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo County (LWVNCSMC), featuring youth council members and adult mentors from both organizations. Discover practical strategies for creating effective youth councils while exploring how to connect these initiatives across California. Learn recruitment techniques that reach diverse populations, approaches for balancing youth autonomy with supportive mentorship, and methods for maintaining momentum through leadership transitions. Most importantly, join us in envisioning a connected network of youth councils that amplifies young voices and creates meaningful civic impact throughout our state.

Group Coaching: Implementing DEIBAJ Practices This is a group coaching session to brainstorm and problem-solve around diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, accessibility, and justice practices for local Leagues.

Advocacy for Change: Tools, Strategies, and Action Does your League want to help create meaningful change in your community?  This interactive workshop will guide you through the fundamentals of League advocacy, providing you with the tools, strategies, and confidence needed to turn your ideas into action. By the end of this workshop, you’ll have the practical knowledge and skills to advocate with purpose and impact. You’ll also leave with an actionable plan to move your advocacy efforts forward.

Increasing Membership and Engaging Members The first part of this workshop will focus on membership recruitment. We will try to come up with good answers relating to why someone should join, when so many popular programs the League provides can be accessed without becoming a member. This includes Vote411, Candidate Forums, Prop Talks and educational programs open to the public. We will then discuss strategies to increase membership, emphasizing that all League leaders should be involved, not just the membership committee. The second part of the program will focus on retaining members and finding that delicate balance between encouraging them to be involved yet not pushing too hard with people who need to take League participation one step at a time. Having both a robust voter service committee and strong interest groups facilitate new members finding a League home.

Moving Forward Together! Celebrating Women Who Shape Your Cities – While Increasing Membership and DEI! In this workshop you will learn how an award event celebrating women who have made significant contributions to your cities can have multiple benefits for your local Leagues. From creating new connections with businesses, engaging underrepresented communities, to forming new partnerships, strengthening relations with your elected officials, and many other benefits including such as improving your “coffers” by also making it a fundraising event.

Reaching Functional Zero: Redondo Beach Got There — Your Community Can Too! Redondo Beach reached “functional zero” homelessness in 2024 from a high of nearly 300 a few years ago.  Although it took time to refine its approach and increase its outreach, many unhoused individuals are no longer homeless or on the streets. Can its model be replicated? How does a community get started?  What does “functional zero” even mean?  Attend this workshop to find out!

Anatomy of an Earth Day Event This is our chapter’s second year in a row of planning an Earth Day Teach In. Our 2024 event brought together local climate activists across organizations to network and do outreach to college students. It was the most ambitious event our chapter has done in recent years, and received glowing reviews from attendees. Our intent is to build collaborations among local climate organizations, and the teach-in was a big first step in that direction. This year, we are building on the experiences of last year to make the planning more effective. We would love to take the attendees through our processes of planning, speaker outreach, communications, and logistics. To strengthen democracy in California, we need to be able to bring stakeholders together. Events such as the Earth Day Teach In are a great way to do that, and we hope our workshop will help other chapters in their planning of similar events.

OneVoice Social – Strengthen Your League’s Social Media Presence and Impact Looking to grow your League’s presence on Instagram and Facebook, without the stress of creating content from scratch? Join us for an interactive workshop introducing OneVoice Social, our new subscription service that delivers high-quality, ready-to-use social media posts tailored for Local Leagues. Discover how OneVoice Social can help amplify your League’s voice, drive civic engagement, and strengthen democracy in California, one powerful post at a time. We’ll also cover tips and strategies for creating your own content to spotlight local events, initiatives, and the unique impact of your League’s work.

Climate Change and California Water Worldwide, the most noticeable impacts of climate change on most people’s lives have to do with water.  From major events like drought, wildfires, and flooding, to a reduction in ample, clean water for everyday uses, Californians are feeling the effects of a changing climate.  Join us to hear how things stand and how we can respond.  The workshop will open with an overview of where Californians get their water, presented by Jane Wagner-Tyack, who convenes LWVC’s water discussion group.  Then Felicia Marcus, a Visiting Fellow at Stanford University’s Water in the West Program and former chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, will talk about the major challenges that California faces in adapting present water management strategies to successfully operate in a world impacted by climate change.

Voting Methods: Turn Theory into Practice! We’ll introduce and practice alternatives to “First Past the Post” voting: Ranked Choice, Approval, and STAR Voting. This includes both single-winner and proportional multi-winner. Then, we will vote for our favorite voting methods, and submit feedback about what we liked and disliked about each one. Voting methods expert and author of the upcoming book Invisible Democracy, Aaron Hamlin, will attend as a guest to answer technical questions about different voting methods from participants.

Delegate Briefing Virtual conventions are still new to us all. Join us for a briefing on how to cast a vote, and queue for debate. The Parliamentarian will also go over some basics in our procedural rules.

Meet the Nominees Come meet the LWVC slate of nominees for the 2025-2027 term!

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