Olympia Indivisible Teams

​Operational Teams:
  • Steering Committee
  • Call To Action (CTA)
  • Communications-Tech
  • Education
  • Membership

Governmental Teams:
  • Federal, State, and County Legislative and Advocacy Team (FSCLA) 
  • Members of Congress (MoC)
  • Port of Olympia Action (POAT)
Election Engagement Teams:
  • Candidate Interface Team (CIT)
  • Endorsement Team
  • Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Field Team
  • Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Writing Team

​Liaison:
  • Environmental Liaison
  • Reproductive Justice Liaison

​
​Operational Teams:

​Ensure Olympia Indivisible's operational efficacy, outreach, and sustainability.
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee meets every other Monday at 7:30pm.
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PURPOSE:
  • Promotes coordination and cooperation within the membership of OI;
  • Provides representation for members to other progressive organizations, as well as State and National Indivisible;
  • Acts as the final decision making body for OI’s culture and its political, legal, organizational, technical, financial, and media issues. Considers the impact of decisions on members, teams, and other stakeholders;
  • Works to ensure that OI does everything within its means to achieve its goals and to support our members and teams to act independently and purposefully towards OI’s mission;
  • Works to ensure that OI keeps its principles and values at the forefront of our actions and in all communications.
 
RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Develops and monitors organizational direction and structure;
  • Supports communication and cooperation among teams;
  • Organizes and facilitates a monthly meeting for the Leadership Team which is comprised of Team leads and co-leads;
  • Solicits input from, and communicates with OI membership;
  • Empowers teams and membership to act with creativity and independence;
  • Makes decisions about the operations and finances of OI. When making decisions for the organization, it fairly weighs all requests and acts impartially to do the most good with available resources.

​Contact the Steering Committee
Call To Action
Meets every Friday at 5:00 pm.
​If interested Contact the Action Team.
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PURPOSE:
Encourage Olympia Indivisible members to respond meaningfully and in a timely manner to what is happening on federal, state and local levels by taking pre-prepared actions. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:
The CTA Team works collaboratively to create the weekly Call to Action (CTA) email which is a selection of six to eight current actions to be taken. Each individual action item includes the reason for the action, background information, links, and scripts to make action-taking fast and easy to do. The CTA team meets weekly on Zoom.

During the week, CTA team members and other OI Team leads contribute suggestions for potential CTAs to a shared Google document (the CTA Suggestion page). (This is how we build a Call to Action for the suggestion page.)

At the weekly Zoom meeting, team members, after lively discussion, formulate a final selection of federal, state, and/or county calls to action which are current, important, and actionable. Editing the submitted actions takes place during the meeting. 

If you are interested in our team, we would like to invite you as a guest to one of our meetings.

Contact the Action Team
Communications-Tech
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PURPOSE:
​Acts as the megaphone for internal and external communications by strengthening and amplifying Olympia Indivisible’s (OI) messages, its voice, and its scheduled events through available media outlets.  
 
RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Works with the Steering Committee and OI Teams to develop communications to further OI and team objectives. 
  • Develops and maintains the OI website which is hosted by Weebly (Squarespace). 
  • Publishes all informational and action emails to members through MailChimp.
  • Provides content for and administers the internal and external OI Facebook pages, Instagram, Twitter, and Mastodon social media accounts. 
  • Edits and formats the final selection of weekly Call to Action (CTA) for accuracy and skimability. Publishes the CTA’s on the OI website and through a Mailchimp email which is sent to all OI members.
  • Gives technical support for programs that OI uses such as Slack, Google Products, Zoom, MailChimp, etc. 
  • Supports all teams with communication and technical support.
  • Maintains membership roster.

If you are interested in our team, please contact us for more information.
​
Contact the Communications-Tech Team
Education
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PURPOSE:
In conjunction with other teams, the Education Team will identify and deliver focused training in mission-critical skills needed for remote and boots-on-the-ground activism. The Education Team is a service team working on behalf of other teams to help them build a cadre of trained members.
 
RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Team Lead/Co-Lead: Build a successful team; inspire members to contribute their best; recruit new members as needed; schedule meetings and develop agendas; act as primary team resource and represent the team on OI committees
  • Team Liaisons: Coordinate with other OI teams to identify their training needs, possible venues, instructors/program developers and what educational programs may already exist.
  • Program Developers: Design and create training programs
  • Program Trainers: Deliver training
  • Communications: Maintain and update the Education Toolbox with up-to-date and ongoing training resources for members, and identify new resources and topics that are timely and useful.
  • Logistics: Manage logistics, venues, technology and materials. 
  • Mentoring: Act as mentor to new team leads in how to build successful teams ​
Contact the Education Team
Membership
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PURPOSE:
Sustain, engage and build an active membership.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Databases: Maintain OI’s membership databases
  • Registrar: Provide Registrar services
  • Welcome: Telephone new members to welcome them. Follow up with brief written introductory material about OI and OI resources.
  • Community Building: Create experiences that inspire, connect and unite OI members such as the annual picnic, group activism events, and other engagement activities.
  • All Member Meetings: Work with the Steering Committee and Comm-Tech in implementing All Member Meetings.
  • Materials management:  Inventory, store, check material in and out as needed.​

Contact the Membership Team

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​Governmental Teams:

The Governmental Teams carry out OI’s legislative advocacy at federal, state, and county levels.
Federal, State, and County
Legislative and Advocacy Team
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7/10/2022

PURPOSE:
The Federal, State and County Legislation and Advocacy Team (FSCLA) leverages OI’s membership strength to pass progressive and resist regressive laws, initiatives, policies, and regulations, and to support fair, democratic practices at federal, state and county levels. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Our 2022 priority will be to engage our membership in advocacy via the Take Action Network through the following activities:
  • Recruit, train and support OI members, to use the Take Action Network (TAN) to complete legislative actions during the 2022 WA Legislative session and throughout 2022 for federal, state, and county advocacy issues. 
  • Demonstrate how using TAN to support or oppose legislation is a powerful tool for Federal, State and County issues with specific focus on Washington Indivisible Legislative Action (WILA) and Olympia Indivisible (CTAs, Action Cafe).
  • Develop metrics to measure progress.
  • Coordinate with OI teams and allies.
  • As time allows, FSCLA will offer training to Indivisible chapter members elsewhere in Washington as well as to members of regional coalition partners.
  • As time allows, FSCLA will assist in bill tracker recruitment for WILA.

Help Wanted
  • FSCLA is recruiting for a two-member reporting team to attend Board of County Commission meetings and let FSCLA know when there are issues which call for advocacy or pushback. 
  • Help develop the Thurston County Board of Commissioners’ ten-year county plan.
  • FSCLA is recruiting for members to become action makers with TAN.
  • FSCLA is recruiting for members to become bill trackers with WILA in TAN for the 2023 WA Legislative session.

If you are interested in helping with any of the help-wanted issues, please use this form to reach out to FSCLA and we will get in touch with you.
Contact the FSCLA Team
Members of Congress (MoC)
MoC Meeting Summaries:
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PURPOSE:
Regularly meets with our Members of Congress or their South Sound Directors to discuss Olympia Indivisible’s immediate issues of concern. Team members also alert Olympia Indivisible members about upcoming town halls and public appearances by our Members of Congress.
 
RESPONSIBILITIES:  
MoC is responsible for the following activities:

Meet with our MoCs:
  • Present in person a written agenda to our Members of Congress that reflect the issues of concern by Olympia Indivisible. The agenda will be presented and discussed at regular visits to the Tacoma offices of our Senators and to the Lacey office of Representative Marilyn Strickland.
  • Agendas for these regular visits will be based on the OI Call to Action, information provided from the national Indivisible, members who attend the meetings, and other sources.

Track our MoCs:
  • Organize a system to track and monitor how our MoCs voted on legislation
  • An emphasis will be to track the votes, public statements, and bill sponsorships of Representative Marilyn Strickland.
Report on actions by our MoCs:
  • Report to the Call to Action Team the results of how our MoCs voted or took action to for potential inclusion in the Call to Action;
  • Post the agenda from each MoC visit on the OI website.

Hold our MoCs accountable:
  • Hold our MoCs accountable for their voting and public statements.
  • If one or more of our MoCs does not vote or make a public statement, or sponsor a bill according to our ASK, the team will alert the Call to Action Team to suggest this information be included in the next Call to Action. Include the follow-up ASK at the next office visit.

Get reports about the actions by OI membership with our MoCs:
  • Request from the offices of our MoC a weekly report of calls and emails from OI members.
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Track the dates and locations of public appearances and town halls of our MoCs:
  • Promote the town hall or public appearance to OI members;
  • Create bulleted lists of OI issues of concern to be distributed to OI members prior to the public appearance or town hall;
  • Designate speakers to ask questions;
  • Document members speaking or rallying at town halls:
  • ​Post photographs on social media and the OI website.

Contact the Members of Congress Team
Port of Olympia Action (POAT)
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PURPOSE
The Port of Olympia Action Team monitors the decisions and expenditures by the Port of Olympia to assure that the Port works for the benefit of Thurston County residents.  

RESPONSIBILITIES
The team tracks and analyzes actions taken by the Port Commission and develops actions for the team, Olympia Indivisible members, and in partnership with others in Thurston County. The goal is to hold the Port accountable for responsible fiscal policies, fair and democratic practices, transparency, environmental stewardship, and to provide widespread public involvement.  The team will advocate for JEDI-  justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Contact the Port of Olympia Team Action

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​Election Engagement Teams:

General Principles:  Olympia Indivisible does not accept or contribute money or in-kind contributions for candidates for public office.  The power of OI is in our people and our engagement will take the form of participatory volunteerism.
We ask all members of OI participating in the electoral engagement process to follow best practices as outlined in the "A Practical Guide for Winning Elections".
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Candidate Interface Team (CIT Formerly State & County Elections)
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PURPOSE: 
Helps OI-endorsed candidates get elected!
 
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Candidate Interface Team (CIT) publicizes opportunities for OI members to volunteer in support of endorsed candidates. We coordinate with other OI teams as needed, and share information with other Indivisible Chapters in CD10 and statewide, as well as with non-Indivisible groups who are endorsing the same candidates.


  • Interface and partner with other teams within OI to publicize endorsed candidates' events, activities and opportunities for engagement to OI membership as well as coalition and non-indivisible groups.
  • Select a dedicated OI liaison from team membership to communicate directly with endorsed candidates and their campaigns. This member will function as a point of contact for campaign information and further contact as well as engagement information for OI membership. 
  • Watch for potential new, or game changer candidates for races at the state, county and municipal levels.

Game Changer Defined - A newly introduced element or factor that changes an election in a significant way.

Contact the Candidate Interface Team
Endorsement
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PURPOSE:
During each election cycle, the Endorsement Team of Olympia Indivisible collects information about candidates for selected elective offices within Thurston County in Washington State. Candidate information is presented to the membership of Olympia Indivisible to help them make informed voting decisions and to determine whether or not Olympia Indivisible should endorse the candidate.
 
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Endorsement Team collects information about candidates running for elective office. The focus is on county level offices and state legislative districts (LD), especially LD 22. The Team also works on federal, statewide, and select local races depending on circumstances and team capacity.

Individual team members focus on one or more sets of elective offices. The Team prepares and sends candidate questionnaires designed to understand their positions on key issues relative to the OI core values. They then discuss questionnaire responses, may arrange candidate interviews via Zoom, and conduct a presentation for OI membership with the results of the work.  

THE ELECTIONS:

Federal Elections:
  • Congressional Representative, District 10 

State Offices: 
  • Governor 
  • Lieutenant Governor 
  • Attorney General 
  • Secretary of State 
  • State Senate, Legislative District 22
  • State Representative, Legislative District 22, Positions 1 and 2

​Thurston County:
  • Assessor
  • Thurston Conservation District 
  • Board of County Commissioners
  • County Clerk
  • County Auditor
  • County Sheriff
  • Port of Olympia Commissioners
  • Prosecuting Attorney
  • Public Utility District
  • Superior Court Judges
  • Treasurer

Contact the Endorsement Team
Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Field Team
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PURPOSE:
Expands the electorate, combats voter suppression, and gets out the vote!

RESPONSIBILITIES:
The team registers voters to expand the electorate and combat voter suppression.  The team focuses particularly on increasing voter registration of young people and under-represented communities (low income, immigrant, persons of color, LGBTQIA, etc.).

The GOTV Field Team members observe all Thurston County Auditor guidelines concerning voter registration and adhere to strict non-partisan comportment at voter registration events: team members neither promote or oppose any candidate, political party, or campaign while registering voters.
 
The GOTV Field team works in collaboration with the Thurston County Auditor’s Office and with League of Women Voters Thurston County to determine how/when/where they can assist with voter registration and Getting Out The Vote (GOTV) events in Thurston County. The team also independently seeks to develop relationships with Thurston County high schools, colleges, universities, organizations, and events to solicit opportunities to do voter registration and build a relationship of mutual trust.  

When time and energy permit, the team seeks opportunities to encourage pro-democracy voters to fill out and mail their ballots. As time allows, the team also does ballot observation to strengthen trust in our electoral system and push back against disinformation.
Get Out The Vote Writing Team (GOTV) & Postcards For Progress (P4P) Writing
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PURPOSE:
We train and coordinate members to write letters and postcards to advocate progressive candidates, issues and causes, to get out the vote for regular and special elections and to speak out against repressive actions that undermine our values and democratic institutions. We support other teams for elections in Super States, Washington State, and other local campaigns and legislation. Watch for our parties in the weekly Call to Action.
 
RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Learn “best practices” for writing effectiveness.
  • Recruit trainers to teach writers how to do this work efficiently and effectively.  This includes members of the Candidate Interface Team.
  • Obtain letters, postcards, and/or addresses from campaigns, VoteFwd.org, or others.
  • Recruit and mentor writing party hosts.
  • Send trainers to letter-writing parties as instructors and to provide necessary supplies, including the letters and postcards, if needed.
  • Proofread letters/cards, and train proofreaders.
  • Store completed letters/cards if needed and mail at appropriate dates.
  • Host and publicize some writing parties.
  • Inventory, manage materials.
  • Design postcards if needed.
 
Contact the GOTV Writing & Postcards Team

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​Liaisons:

Environmental Liaison
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PURPOSE:
The Environmental Liaison does environmental advocacy work on behalf of Olympia Indivisible.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 
  • Transmits information to Olympia Indivisible members on environmental issues,
  • Lobbies our CD-10 Congressional Representative about environmental federal legislation, 
  • Advocates on issues relating the restoration of the Puget Sound ecosystem.
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Contact the Environmental Liaison
Reproductive Justice Liaison
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​PURPOSE:
The Reproductive Justice Liaison does reproductive justice advocacy work on behalf of Olympia Indivisible.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Transmits information to Olympia Indivisible Steering Committee and, as needed, collaborates with other OI teams on resources, issues, actions, and needs related to abortion rights and reproductive justice;
  • Represents OI at trainings and meetings related to abortion rights and reproductive justice;
  • Coordinates training related to reproductive justice, including with other organizations as approved by the Steering Committee.

Contact the Reproductive Justice Liaison