Save the Date: The Big Share is March 7

An online day of giving focused on social and environmental justice

Madison, WI – On Tuesday, March 7, Community Shares of Wisconsin and its nearly 70 nonprofit members will host The Big Share®, an online day of giving focused on social and environmental justice. Now in its ninth year, the annual campaign is themed “Make Change Happen” and aims to raise over $650,000 and engage 5,000 donors. Visit thebigshare.org for details.

“Community Shares of Wisconsin is a hub for supporting the local causes we care about most,” said Board President, Bernie Hoes. “All donations help make change happen. With a minimum donation of $5, we hope to engage all individuals looking to get involved. The Big Share amplifies your donations with matches and nonprofit bonuses, making it a great tool for people who want to work for systemic change.”

The Big Share Live, a day-long telethon, returns in 2023. The March 7 online event will feature local entertainment and information from Community Shares’ member nonprofits. The Big Share Live will broadcast on thebigshare.org and on YouTube to allow the public to follow along with the fun and help participating charities win cash prizes donated by local businesses and individuals.

Individuals who want to donate to The Big Share early can donate any time between February 1 and March 7. A major focus again in 2023 will be empowering individuals in the community to create peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns for their favorite Community Shares member nonprofits. The fundraisers that raise the most money or secure the most donors will win extra prizes for the nonprofit they are supporting. Individuals can create a fundraising campaign now and raise money for their favorite nonprofit from February 1 through March 7.

Fundraising information: https://www.communityshares.com/peer-to-peer-page/

Follow Community Shares of Wisconsin on social media for ways to engage with The Big Share throughout the community and leading up to the event, including a kickoff and Power Hour at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, March 6. Both the kickoff and the full day of events on March 7 will have a special focus on virtual and donor-led experiences, allowing donors, supporters, and nonprofits to interact online.

facebook.com/communityshares

twitter.com/commshareswi

instagram.com/commshareswi/

“Now is a key time to support the nonprofits working for equality and systemic change,” said Executive Director Cheri Dubiel. “The last three years have both demonstrated and exacerbated the need for change. Our member groups work to improve life and create a just place for all. The Big Share gives every donor, large or small, an opportunity to empower these groups and make change happen.”

The Big Share’s 2023 principal partner is Madison Community Foundation.

Media sponsors are The Cap Times, Triple MMM 105.5, and News 3 Now.

Since 1971, Community Shares of Wisconsin and its members have worked together to advance social justice and protect the environment in Wisconsin. Together they envision a future where people come together to ensure every member of their community is safe, healthy, and able to thrive.

CSW Is Planning for the Future

Photo provided by Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health

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As we come to the end of 2022 we have an opportunity to share our successes and look to the future. There is a lot to celebrate and we have a lot of opportunities for growth. CSW staff have been successful at consistently increasing fundraising revenue while achieving the goals of our racial justice work, demonstrating that our donors and community are in support of our priority to advance racial equity and inclusion. Financially,

1. Between 2017 and 2021, fundraising revenue went up 22% and member distributions went up 24%
2. CSW has distributed over $1 million per year to our member nonprofits over the past three years

2022 is also the final year of our current three-year strategic framework, which has closely guided our work. A central goal of the framework is a focus on our diversity, equity, and inclusion work and we have a lot to be proud of in our efforts to become a more diverse and intentionally anti-racist funder.

• Thanks to the work of our Membership and Executive Committees, we approved bylaw and membership policy changes at our November 2022 board meeting. CSW membership requirements will now be more centered on alignment with our social and racial justice mission and less based around meeting criteria to participate in workplace giving campaigns.
• Since 2018, our Membership Committee has added 12 new nonprofit members led by people of color and focused on racial justice, resulting in new funding in the amount of $300,678 through October 2022.
• 23 of our 69 member groups are led by BIPOC leaders in 2022 compared to 8 in 2018.

We will be engaging in a new strategic planning process over the next six months. Where do we go from here?

We will start with a review of our existing plan and an overview of results since 2020. We will then work with an outside consultant to lead us through an evaluation and strategic planning process. The process will incorporate recommendations from the nINA Collective and our members to ensure racial justice continues to be central to CSW’s goals.

These three things will not change in the next strategic plan:

1. Our focus on social and environmental justice
2. Our representative membership structure
3. Our commitment to building the fundraising skills of our members

How should we prioritize our work in the next three years? What do you think? Share your thoughts by emailing or calling me directly.

Cheri Dubiel
Executive Director
cdubiel@communityshares.com
608-888-9586

Community Shares of Wisconsin advances organizations throughout Wisconsin that are leading efforts to protect our civil rights and build a safe and sustainable future where everyone can thrive.

Together we transform our community.

Jan Miyasaki Receives Special Backyard Hero Award

Wednesday 8 O’Clock Buzz host Jan Miyasaki (right) and David Lorentzen (left), engineer of the Wednesday Buzz and Tuesday Local News.

Jan Miyasaki, the host of the Wednesday “8 O’Clock Buzz” on WORT FM, has dedicated many of her broadcasts to highlighting the phenomenal work of CSW’s member nonprofits and social and environmental justice issues. This year, CSW presented Jan with our Backyard Hero award for her commitment to equity, environmental justice, and social justice.

CSW’s Executive Director, Cheri Dubiel, surprised Jan with the award during a broadcast of “8 O’Clock Buzz” that was dedicated to this year’s CSW Change-Maker Award winners, Dana Pellebon from OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center, Phyllis Greenberger from Disability Rights Wisconsin, and Elisabeth Lambert from the ACLU of Wisconsin.

“Not only is Jan an excellent talk show host for CSW member WORT, a community radio station, but she is a very long-time leader and activist in the community working on the issue of human trafficking and providing services to abuse survivors, mostly through her program, Project Respect,” said Cheri.

Jan became a WORT volunteer in the mid-1980s as a reporter on “Her Turn”, WORT’s Sunday morning news broadcast from a feminist perspective. In the mid-1990’s, she became part of the “8 O’Clock Buzz” lineup and has been there for nearly thirty years.

Jan has dedicated her life to service and we are so grateful for her and her work. Congratulations, Jan, and thank you for all you do!

Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition Works To Create Accessible Voting

Photo provided by Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition

Three Community Shares of Wisconsin organizations demonstrate the power of collaboration through their work to advocate for and create equal access to voting: Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired, Disability Rights Wisconsin, and League of Women Voters of Wisconsin. All three organizations, along with forty other organizations, as well as individual advocates, comprise the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition.

The Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition is the only coalition in Wisconsin focused on the entire voting experience of people with disabilities. The coalition has three main goals:

Goal 1: Assist people with disabilities to exercise their rights under the law to fully participate in the electoral process. This includes providing direct voter assistance, outreach, education, and resource materials.

Goal 2: Improve the accessibility of Wisconsin elections for voters with disabilities. This includes providing education and resources to policy makers, election officials, and poll workers about voting rights, accommodations, and accessibility.

Goal 3: Protect the voting rights of people with disabilities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic or other public health concerns or emergencies.

Member organizations of the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition make a huge impact in the community. They gather data about the experiences of people with disabilities during voter registration, at the polling place, and while voting. They also offer educational opportunities to both people with disabilities and service providers in order to increase voting by people with disabilities. All of the data gathered, voter feedback, and education about voting access helps this coalition to advocate for needed change that will increase voting by people with disabilities.

Working up to the November 8 election, the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition urged voters with disabilities to cast their ballot. They provided resources on absentee voting, voting on Election Day, and voting rights and accommodations. These resources are critical to engaging voters with disabilities and ensuring an equitable and accessible voting process. They also encouraged allies to use accessible voting equipment to show election workers the value of this equipment, it is crucial this equipment is available to all voters who need it.

Thank you to Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition and our members who are a part of it!

The WDVC is a non-partisan effort to help ensure full participation in the entire electoral process of voters with disabilities, including registering to vote, casting a vote, and accessing polling places. The Coalition is coordinated by Disability Rights Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities.

• Resources are available on the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition website at disabilityvote.org.
• The Disability Rights Wisconsin Voter Hotline is available year-round at 844-347-8683 or email info@disabilityvote.org.