24 Point Pledge

YDA President Crystal Strait and the 2009-2011 officers have made the following 24-point pledge to the membership of the Young Democrats of America.   

Focus on Local Programs:

1) Invest in a minimum of one YDA partnership program for every state that applies.

2) Host a minimum of 20 online forums/trainings on chapter building, fundraising, campaigns and leadership development.

3) Hold thematically focused national conferences to introduce ready-made programs-in-a box for immediate implementation for local chapters and states.

4) Hire National Campaign Director by April 2010 to work with all states on their individual field plans.

5) Run at least 5 peer-to-peer young voter contact campaigns in areas targeted in order to maintain or exceed 2008 youth gains.

6) Make staff and national leaders available to help draft membership, campaign, and finance plans for local chapters and state organizations.

Make YDA stronger through Direct Issue Advocacy:

7) Run 4 issue-advocacy campaigns in cooperation with allied organizations designed to organize, educate and recruit YDA members at the local level.

8) Create and test a new youth advocacy model based on YDA’s proven peer-to-peer voter contact model.

9) Create an online database of talking points, literature and advocacy tools designed for local chapters and state organizations.

10) Host a series of conference calls with with high profile elected Democratic officials and allied organization on the youth role in issue and policy advocacy.

11) Implement an annual “Making Change Work” lobby day in Washington, DC.

Strengthen YDA’s Infrastructure & Finances:

12) The President will re-institute scheduled monthly one on one calls or meetings with each State President and members of the Executive Committee.

13) Hold national leaders accountable by publishing and updating a list of what each National Officer and Executive Committee Member is responsible during each General Session of the National Committee.

14) Announce in 2009 the entire 2010 schedule of national meetings in order to negotiate better hotel contracts and maximize participation.

15) Expand YDA’s Tomorrow Club to 2,000 donors

16) Each of the nine national officers will raise $25,000 annually for YDA through continued call-time, events, and donor meetings.

17) Create a YDA Finance Council of committed annual mid-level donors.

18) YDA Finance Committee members will host in-state fundraisers that benefit YDA programs and state organizations raising a total of $40,000 for YDA.

19) Re-establish the Dollars for Young Democrats “dial for dollars” donor program.

Help YDA Leaders Make an Impact by:

20) Write simple and concise chapter building manuals specific to high school, college, and young professional chapters and distribute them to every new chapter created on Demopolis.

21) Design position specific (i.e. President, Treasurer) resource tool kits to help state organization officers develop their leadership skills and better serve their members.

22) Construct specific trainings for state presidents at every national meeting.

23) Host a biennial leadership retreat for state presidents in Washington, DC to share best practices, strengthen skills, and develop organizational action plans.

24) Host the first High School Democratic Youth Leadership Academy during the summer of 2010.