Wiki source for AmbassadorProgram
===**Ambassador Program**===
The Ambassador Program is a self-sustaining program wherein our concerned members are reaching out to their communities to bring them the wealth of information that Vote Smart has. Our job is to be supply them with the information and necessary handouts, and keep them engaged with what is going on at Vote Smart.
http://votesmart.org/ambassadors
**The mission of the ambassador program:**
- To grow the number of informed voters in the United States by spreading the word about Vote Smart.
- To grow our membership numbers and increase our donations.
- The Ambassador Program is our Outreach department here at Vote Smart. To this end, we need use our ambassadors to spread our reach to new organizations & the media.
**What is an ambassador?**
- An Ambassador is a concerned citizen who is a member of Vote Smart.
- The primary purpose of an Ambassador is to inform the public of our existence, so that voters can use us to obtain information on their candidates & officials.
- An Ambassador is self-motivated: they will promote Vote Smart in their community when they have time, as they wish to contribute.
- Our communications with ambassadors typically happen via email.
- There has been discussion of potentially creating an ambassador forum on Facebook; however, many of our ambassadors are older and not all like this idea.
**What can an ambassador do?**
- Place brochures in public venues (libraries, civic groups, politically affiliated groups) or hand them out at speaking engagements
- Email, speak with, or share information on social media with friends and family.
- Write a letter to the editor of any newspaper or publication
- Rate Vote Smart on Charity rating sites (ex. Great Non-Profits)
- Ambassadors can share our videos and materials with people they know and/or in short presentations with local organizations and groups. This could include: civic clubs, political organizations, college groups, high school classes, college classes, religious organizations, retirement homes, career fairs, community fairs or picnics, etc. See full list of potential organizations in Ambassador Guide.
- Ambassadors can urge the public to call their candidates for public office, to encourage them to take the Political Courage Test
- Any other random tasks that can help to promote Vote Smart - ex. Emailing ambassadors to see if they like a new brochure, soliciting feedback
**What is Vote Smart’s role?**
- We provide the information and brochures necessary for a concerned citizen to reach out into their community and create more informed voters.
- We also provide fact sheets about the Project and what it provides along with a video, which will demonstrate the need in our society that the Project fills.
- We provide our information packet to organizations that are interested in getting out the informed vote. We will lend them our informational video and provide all necessary brochures, including VSDM’s.
- We can help set up organizations with an ambassador to give a presentation.
===**Ambassador Program Overview and Best Practices 2021**===
When first starting the Ambassador Coordinator role, it’s important to make a personal overture to Ambassadors -- I was asked to call each Ambassador whose phone number we had on record, with the goal of introducing myself and checking to see if they were still interested in continuing as an Ambassador. Our list of Ambassadors is now better maintained and more up to date, so I would not recommend individual phone calls -- instead, along with an official introduction from Richard, a personal email should be sent to each Ambassador whose email we have. This message can be relatively informal, and serves to establish a relationship between the Coordinator and Ambassadors. All replies, however brief, should be answered within a few days, to help establish communication.
**What makes an “active” Ambassador?**
I have defined an active Ambassador as someone with whom I have had at least one affirmative contact (a clear “yes, I would like to serve as a Vote Smart Ambassador”), and whose correct email address we have. There may be old records in DonorPerfect that were given the AMB flag in the past, but if I haven’t been able to reach that person, I can’t count them as an actively involved Ambassador. Phone numbers aren’t enough, as the vast majority of our communication with Ambassadors occurs over email. Therefore, a rough estimate of the current number of active Ambassadors can be found by checking the number of contacts in our “ambassadors” list in iContact. However, there are occasionally duplicates in this list. For the exact number of active Ambassadors, reference this google doc:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KGZmfekh6NTf8rrWKm4H7aHY1HC-XJhiUR6En69gtIc/edit?usp=sharing
**Recruiting New Ambassadors**
In 2019, we had 3-4 successful Ambassador recruitment pushes. We sent several emails to our contacts in iContact (excluding the “ambassadors” list). These mostly came from Richard, though I sent one as Ambassador Coordinator as well. We tried posting an Ambassador recruitment message on Facebook, but received no interest there. However, the emails were successful and generated significant interest. The text of these emails can be found in iContact. Most replies expressed their interest in the program, and asked for more information. I answered each of these emails personally, and customized the answer when necessary. Here is an example of my response below:
Dear Rick,
Thank you so much for your quick response to our email about becoming a Vote Smart Ambassador!
My name is Melissa Lauer, and I have just recently become Vote Smart's Ambassador Coordinator. That means that as an Ambassador, I'll be your main point of contact at Vote Smart -- the one to answer any questions you have, send you any materials you may want (such as our posters and brochures), and help to keep you updated on our projects and the ways you can help get word out about us in your community.
Here is a little more information on what being an Ambassador entails: There are many ways that you can choose to help us as an Ambassador, but the most important thing is just being willing to spread the word about us in your community -- you might even already do this if you've told friends or family about us! Other ways of spreading the word can include putting up some Vote Smart posters in your community, handing out our brochures to friends or groups you belong to, writing a letter about us to the editor of a local newspaper, or even giving a presentation about Vote Smart to a group or organization in your area. There is no maximum or minimum number of actions we require an Ambassador to take -- everything you do for us can and should scale to your time, preference, and ability.
If you're interested in putting up or handing out some of our informational brochures or posters, you can also email me back directly or at membership@votesmart.org, or call me at 515-989-6363 and let me know how many you think you may want.
Again, I can't possibly thank you enough for your interest in passing word of Vote Smart on to others in your community. Because Vote Smart has a tiny advertising budget, what we do here absolutely relies on people like you helping us achieve our mission of connecting all Americans to free, factual, unbiased information on all candidates and elected officials. You are our lifeblood as an organization!
I'll be in touch again soon with further information and updates, but if you have any questions in the meantime please don't hesitate to reach out. I'm here to help you in any way I can!
Again -- and always -- thank you so much for everything you do for Vote Smart.
All my best,
Melissa Lauer
**Communications**
Ambassadors should receive a message from the Ambassador Coordinator on at least a monthly basis, and if possible not more frequently than every other week. Too many emails become repetitive and frustrating, and when send volume was high during the 2020 election cycle Ambassadors became much less responsive and engagement dropped off.
If possible, the monthly message should include an ask of some sort -- write a letter to the editor using this form-letter, sharing our Giving Tuesday information, giving us feedback on a video, etc. A call to action helps Ambassadors feel involved, gives them something to respond to/ask questions about (thereby furthering the conversation/relationship), and can help to give Vote Smart important feedback and support.
If you can’t come up with a non-repetitive call to action, still send the monthly email. Ambassadors appreciate updates on the office and behind the scenes glimpses of the work we do. Feel free to give them conversational updates on your own experiences at Vote Smart, while remaining nonpartisan. Make sure to use your own voice, be genuine, and seek opportunities to ask questions and connect.
Here are two example emails I have used, one with a clear ask, the other just a general, conversational update:
1:
Hi Andrea,
I wanted to reach out to you, now that the new year is well and truly here, just to get your thoughts and feedback on your experience as a Vote Smart Ambassador. We've put together a short survey (just 8 questions long) in the hope of gathering more ideas and information to try to improve our outreach efforts -- and the whole Ambassador program -- as we begin to look ahead toward the 2022 midterm elections. I'll include the link to that survey here:
Though all questions are set as "required," please do feel free to put "N/A" in any boxes that you do not have an answer for -- any thoughts and feedback you are able to share will make an enormous difference as we continue to improve the program and find new ways to reach people with factual information! Also please feel free to just respond to me here if you have any trouble accessing the survey link.
Again, thank you so much for all you do!
All my best,
Melissa Lauer
Ambassador Coordinator
2:
Hi there,
I just wanted to write with a short update on how things are going here at the Des Moines office. Most of the staff (myself included) continue to work remotely, but things are starting to look up as more of us are able to get vaccinated -- I'll receive my first shot this week. I'm lucky to live right up the street from the office, so I walk down from time to time to help with whatever physical tasks I can (much nicer to do now that it's April, and we're getting less snow!). Hopefully, the staff will be able to regroup inside the Vote Smart office sometime later this year -- it'll be strange to work surrounded by other people again, but so beneficial to the work we do.
On that note, I wanted to thank you for being (virtually!) present for me, and for Vote Smart, throughout this strange time. I know I've said it before, but it's absolutely true that every Ambassador we have has a truly incredible amount of reach, helping others to find and connect to our resources.
With the next national elections still nearly two years away, things have been somewhat calmer than in the busy months of 2020. Even so, we're working hard to make sure that we can put our best foot forward as the 2022 election cycle draws nearer, keeping our research up to date and continually improving the site. We'll keep you updated on any changes, opportunities, or new programs/materials as ever, but for now I just wanted to keep you in the loop on the general atmosphere here, as we look toward the immediate future.
I hope that you're doing well -- and as always, just let me know if there is anything you could use from me/Vote Smart!
All my best,
Melissa Lauer
Ambassador Coordinator
Note: It is important to keep good records of Ambassador activities and correspondence. This is tracked in DonorPerfect, where each Ambassador has a profile and contact notes can be added as relationships develop. You don’t need to record every passing comment between you and an Ambassador, but do keep track of long conversations, the actions they take for Vote Smart, suggestions they offer, etc.
**Important Documents**
In February 2021, I sent a survey to Ambassadors asking for feedback on their experiences and any ideas they might have for the program going forward. We received good responses, and it’s a good idea to review this document for possible future initiatives:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1c00SlNj5Um4dXkXDnwc3q1f3f965BwfCQh9x6_bLzXU/edit?usp=sharing
This figure breaks down Ambassador engagement in the 2020 election cycle, according to the above survey:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jsx1dWfP7RcDg9gREc3F9-QptDMu_WCCrC-LRKzA_j0/edit?usp=sharing
This doc contains a list of ideas/suggestions from the survey that I identified as potentially useful:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QzFWYFGPe6NsmZCEkLrqsu-2LOxnuC2Y8q2_RNgbI4s/edit?usp=sharing
I keep a running list of current Ambassadors in this google sheet, also linked above:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KGZmfekh6NTf8rrWKm4H7aHY1HC-XJhiUR6En69gtIc/edit?usp=sharing
Though I send some emails to Ambassadors through iContact, I use the above list to send emails manually through gmail as well. With a generic greeting (“Hi there,” “Hello,” etc.), emails can be sent in small batches like we do for press releases -- send the email to one contact, then bcc 10-20 others. This method is time efficient and gives an extra personal touch, where iContact emails may feel more impersonal. For best response rates, I also use this list to send individual personalized emails, just changing the salutation to “Hi NAME” for each message.
It’s important to keep this list up to date -- it includes all current engaged Ambassadors whose emails we have, along with their preferred salutations. Make sure to edit information as necessary and remove anyone from this list who decides to discontinue their relationship with Vote Smart and/or the Ambassador program.
**2020 Election Cycle:**
The Ambassador program was significantly disrupted because of the pandemic. From mid-March through the end of June, Richard paused all operations for the program. We then had to try to jump start activity again in July for a final push to Election Day, and still could not ask Ambassadors to take any in-person actions on behalf of Vote Smart. Richard requested weekly Ambassador email sends, as outlined below:
- 8/20: Highlight the new Vote Smart video featuring Tessa (in tandem with media push)
- 8/27: Highlight letters to the editor with examples of those published by other members and Ambassadors.
- 9/2: Final highlight of all materials available.
- 9/10: Highlight extra VSDMs, ask Ambassadors to get them out to friends/family/groups they are a part of before the election.
- 9/17: ISpy highlight (in tandem with media push)
- 9/23: Highlight our four short commercials (zombies, pickle, kids, exploding head) asking Ambassadors to pick their favorite and send it on to their contacts.
- 10/1: Highlight our sample letter to the editor about Vote Smart - last time before the election
- 10/8: Highlight the 4-minute informational Vote Smart video
- 10/15: Highlight our social media/encourage sharing of our posts and forwarding of our emails
- 10/23: VoteEasy highlight (in tandem with PCT announcements)
- 10/28: Final encouragement to promote Vote Smart before and on Election Day, using their email lists, ISpy, and VoteEasy
During this time of heightened sending, Ambassadors did take action to promote Vote Smart -- however, with weekly emails from me as well as the additional emails all subscribers receive, their responses and engagement dropped significantly. The weekly schedule also made the contents of the emails repetitive (for instance: several asks to write letters to the editor within a few weeks, and repeating the request for them to share Vote Smart videos they had already been sent many times over the past months). Even in advance of a national election, I would recommend less frequent Ambassador email sends and/or intersperse the call to action format with office updates or success stories.
**Historical Information:**
**Where does this information live?**
This information lives in the ambassador drive. “AMB Guide Materials” contains the ambassador guide, “AMB Information requests” contains frequently referenced responses to ambassadors/ ambassador resources, and any facts sheets/ background information on Vote Smart lives in “membership - letters - History & Philosophy of PVS.”
**What do I do when a person requests ambassador information?**
1) Email them or mail them the letter in the “AMB information requests” folder, titled “AIR requests.” This letter tells them what being an ambassador entails
2) If they respond and decide they want to be an ambassador, send them the letter in the “AMB information requests” folder titled “Welcome to the Ambassador Program.”
3) Make sure to send them a packet with the current Voter's Self-Defense Manual, brochures for distribution, and an Ambassador information guide.
4) Any further requests are handled on a case by case basis.
**How do we communicate with the ambassadors?**
- We send out AT LEAST 1 communication specifically to our ambassadors each month.
- Every ambassador should have the AMB flag in DonorPerfect - this list should be updated in IContact every 2-3 weeks.
- Ambassador communications are tracked on DevComm [[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-N4sH2P-cuhBDlBMw-8JMJ6vw5wLKL1581EV8o4fmSo/edit Task sheet]] “Physical & Online mailing schedule” tab.
**History of the Ambassador Program:**
There used to be an “Ambassador Coordinator” position at Vote Smart, where one person was dedicated to handling the HUGE ambassador program (this was during the 2004ish era).
- During this era, ambassadors used to receive weekly emails & newsletters with updates from us.
- There was also a large outreach program where we contacted organizations and asked them to let us give a presentation there on Vote Smart.
- Ambassadors used to play a large role in encouraging candidates to fill out the PCT - they would mobilize others in their community to put pressure on the candidates.
In 2015, DevComm went through and called/ emailed every person in DonorPerfect who had the AMB flag, ultimately purging a lot of ambassadors.
Our current ambassador roll stands at around __200 people__ - there are a lot of opportunities for us to expand this!
- One of these opportunities lies with current interns/ staff members (see departing intern letter in “letters” folder for example).
- Another is the “Archive - soliciting new organizations” folder in the ambassador drive
The Ambassador Program is a self-sustaining program wherein our concerned members are reaching out to their communities to bring them the wealth of information that Vote Smart has. Our job is to be supply them with the information and necessary handouts, and keep them engaged with what is going on at Vote Smart.
http://votesmart.org/ambassadors
**The mission of the ambassador program:**
- To grow the number of informed voters in the United States by spreading the word about Vote Smart.
- To grow our membership numbers and increase our donations.
- The Ambassador Program is our Outreach department here at Vote Smart. To this end, we need use our ambassadors to spread our reach to new organizations & the media.
**What is an ambassador?**
- An Ambassador is a concerned citizen who is a member of Vote Smart.
- The primary purpose of an Ambassador is to inform the public of our existence, so that voters can use us to obtain information on their candidates & officials.
- An Ambassador is self-motivated: they will promote Vote Smart in their community when they have time, as they wish to contribute.
- Our communications with ambassadors typically happen via email.
- There has been discussion of potentially creating an ambassador forum on Facebook; however, many of our ambassadors are older and not all like this idea.
**What can an ambassador do?**
- Place brochures in public venues (libraries, civic groups, politically affiliated groups) or hand them out at speaking engagements
- Email, speak with, or share information on social media with friends and family.
- Write a letter to the editor of any newspaper or publication
- Rate Vote Smart on Charity rating sites (ex. Great Non-Profits)
- Ambassadors can share our videos and materials with people they know and/or in short presentations with local organizations and groups. This could include: civic clubs, political organizations, college groups, high school classes, college classes, religious organizations, retirement homes, career fairs, community fairs or picnics, etc. See full list of potential organizations in Ambassador Guide.
- Ambassadors can urge the public to call their candidates for public office, to encourage them to take the Political Courage Test
- Any other random tasks that can help to promote Vote Smart - ex. Emailing ambassadors to see if they like a new brochure, soliciting feedback
**What is Vote Smart’s role?**
- We provide the information and brochures necessary for a concerned citizen to reach out into their community and create more informed voters.
- We also provide fact sheets about the Project and what it provides along with a video, which will demonstrate the need in our society that the Project fills.
- We provide our information packet to organizations that are interested in getting out the informed vote. We will lend them our informational video and provide all necessary brochures, including VSDM’s.
- We can help set up organizations with an ambassador to give a presentation.
===**Ambassador Program Overview and Best Practices 2021**===
When first starting the Ambassador Coordinator role, it’s important to make a personal overture to Ambassadors -- I was asked to call each Ambassador whose phone number we had on record, with the goal of introducing myself and checking to see if they were still interested in continuing as an Ambassador. Our list of Ambassadors is now better maintained and more up to date, so I would not recommend individual phone calls -- instead, along with an official introduction from Richard, a personal email should be sent to each Ambassador whose email we have. This message can be relatively informal, and serves to establish a relationship between the Coordinator and Ambassadors. All replies, however brief, should be answered within a few days, to help establish communication.
**What makes an “active” Ambassador?**
I have defined an active Ambassador as someone with whom I have had at least one affirmative contact (a clear “yes, I would like to serve as a Vote Smart Ambassador”), and whose correct email address we have. There may be old records in DonorPerfect that were given the AMB flag in the past, but if I haven’t been able to reach that person, I can’t count them as an actively involved Ambassador. Phone numbers aren’t enough, as the vast majority of our communication with Ambassadors occurs over email. Therefore, a rough estimate of the current number of active Ambassadors can be found by checking the number of contacts in our “ambassadors” list in iContact. However, there are occasionally duplicates in this list. For the exact number of active Ambassadors, reference this google doc:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KGZmfekh6NTf8rrWKm4H7aHY1HC-XJhiUR6En69gtIc/edit?usp=sharing
**Recruiting New Ambassadors**
In 2019, we had 3-4 successful Ambassador recruitment pushes. We sent several emails to our contacts in iContact (excluding the “ambassadors” list). These mostly came from Richard, though I sent one as Ambassador Coordinator as well. We tried posting an Ambassador recruitment message on Facebook, but received no interest there. However, the emails were successful and generated significant interest. The text of these emails can be found in iContact. Most replies expressed their interest in the program, and asked for more information. I answered each of these emails personally, and customized the answer when necessary. Here is an example of my response below:
Dear Rick,
Thank you so much for your quick response to our email about becoming a Vote Smart Ambassador!
My name is Melissa Lauer, and I have just recently become Vote Smart's Ambassador Coordinator. That means that as an Ambassador, I'll be your main point of contact at Vote Smart -- the one to answer any questions you have, send you any materials you may want (such as our posters and brochures), and help to keep you updated on our projects and the ways you can help get word out about us in your community.
Here is a little more information on what being an Ambassador entails: There are many ways that you can choose to help us as an Ambassador, but the most important thing is just being willing to spread the word about us in your community -- you might even already do this if you've told friends or family about us! Other ways of spreading the word can include putting up some Vote Smart posters in your community, handing out our brochures to friends or groups you belong to, writing a letter about us to the editor of a local newspaper, or even giving a presentation about Vote Smart to a group or organization in your area. There is no maximum or minimum number of actions we require an Ambassador to take -- everything you do for us can and should scale to your time, preference, and ability.
If you're interested in putting up or handing out some of our informational brochures or posters, you can also email me back directly or at membership@votesmart.org, or call me at 515-989-6363 and let me know how many you think you may want.
Again, I can't possibly thank you enough for your interest in passing word of Vote Smart on to others in your community. Because Vote Smart has a tiny advertising budget, what we do here absolutely relies on people like you helping us achieve our mission of connecting all Americans to free, factual, unbiased information on all candidates and elected officials. You are our lifeblood as an organization!
I'll be in touch again soon with further information and updates, but if you have any questions in the meantime please don't hesitate to reach out. I'm here to help you in any way I can!
Again -- and always -- thank you so much for everything you do for Vote Smart.
All my best,
Melissa Lauer
**Communications**
Ambassadors should receive a message from the Ambassador Coordinator on at least a monthly basis, and if possible not more frequently than every other week. Too many emails become repetitive and frustrating, and when send volume was high during the 2020 election cycle Ambassadors became much less responsive and engagement dropped off.
If possible, the monthly message should include an ask of some sort -- write a letter to the editor using this form-letter, sharing our Giving Tuesday information, giving us feedback on a video, etc. A call to action helps Ambassadors feel involved, gives them something to respond to/ask questions about (thereby furthering the conversation/relationship), and can help to give Vote Smart important feedback and support.
If you can’t come up with a non-repetitive call to action, still send the monthly email. Ambassadors appreciate updates on the office and behind the scenes glimpses of the work we do. Feel free to give them conversational updates on your own experiences at Vote Smart, while remaining nonpartisan. Make sure to use your own voice, be genuine, and seek opportunities to ask questions and connect.
Here are two example emails I have used, one with a clear ask, the other just a general, conversational update:
1:
Hi Andrea,
I wanted to reach out to you, now that the new year is well and truly here, just to get your thoughts and feedback on your experience as a Vote Smart Ambassador. We've put together a short survey (just 8 questions long) in the hope of gathering more ideas and information to try to improve our outreach efforts -- and the whole Ambassador program -- as we begin to look ahead toward the 2022 midterm elections. I'll include the link to that survey here:
Though all questions are set as "required," please do feel free to put "N/A" in any boxes that you do not have an answer for -- any thoughts and feedback you are able to share will make an enormous difference as we continue to improve the program and find new ways to reach people with factual information! Also please feel free to just respond to me here if you have any trouble accessing the survey link.
Again, thank you so much for all you do!
All my best,
Melissa Lauer
Ambassador Coordinator
2:
Hi there,
I just wanted to write with a short update on how things are going here at the Des Moines office. Most of the staff (myself included) continue to work remotely, but things are starting to look up as more of us are able to get vaccinated -- I'll receive my first shot this week. I'm lucky to live right up the street from the office, so I walk down from time to time to help with whatever physical tasks I can (much nicer to do now that it's April, and we're getting less snow!). Hopefully, the staff will be able to regroup inside the Vote Smart office sometime later this year -- it'll be strange to work surrounded by other people again, but so beneficial to the work we do.
On that note, I wanted to thank you for being (virtually!) present for me, and for Vote Smart, throughout this strange time. I know I've said it before, but it's absolutely true that every Ambassador we have has a truly incredible amount of reach, helping others to find and connect to our resources.
With the next national elections still nearly two years away, things have been somewhat calmer than in the busy months of 2020. Even so, we're working hard to make sure that we can put our best foot forward as the 2022 election cycle draws nearer, keeping our research up to date and continually improving the site. We'll keep you updated on any changes, opportunities, or new programs/materials as ever, but for now I just wanted to keep you in the loop on the general atmosphere here, as we look toward the immediate future.
I hope that you're doing well -- and as always, just let me know if there is anything you could use from me/Vote Smart!
All my best,
Melissa Lauer
Ambassador Coordinator
Note: It is important to keep good records of Ambassador activities and correspondence. This is tracked in DonorPerfect, where each Ambassador has a profile and contact notes can be added as relationships develop. You don’t need to record every passing comment between you and an Ambassador, but do keep track of long conversations, the actions they take for Vote Smart, suggestions they offer, etc.
**Important Documents**
In February 2021, I sent a survey to Ambassadors asking for feedback on their experiences and any ideas they might have for the program going forward. We received good responses, and it’s a good idea to review this document for possible future initiatives:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1c00SlNj5Um4dXkXDnwc3q1f3f965BwfCQh9x6_bLzXU/edit?usp=sharing
This figure breaks down Ambassador engagement in the 2020 election cycle, according to the above survey:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jsx1dWfP7RcDg9gREc3F9-QptDMu_WCCrC-LRKzA_j0/edit?usp=sharing
This doc contains a list of ideas/suggestions from the survey that I identified as potentially useful:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QzFWYFGPe6NsmZCEkLrqsu-2LOxnuC2Y8q2_RNgbI4s/edit?usp=sharing
I keep a running list of current Ambassadors in this google sheet, also linked above:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KGZmfekh6NTf8rrWKm4H7aHY1HC-XJhiUR6En69gtIc/edit?usp=sharing
Though I send some emails to Ambassadors through iContact, I use the above list to send emails manually through gmail as well. With a generic greeting (“Hi there,” “Hello,” etc.), emails can be sent in small batches like we do for press releases -- send the email to one contact, then bcc 10-20 others. This method is time efficient and gives an extra personal touch, where iContact emails may feel more impersonal. For best response rates, I also use this list to send individual personalized emails, just changing the salutation to “Hi NAME” for each message.
It’s important to keep this list up to date -- it includes all current engaged Ambassadors whose emails we have, along with their preferred salutations. Make sure to edit information as necessary and remove anyone from this list who decides to discontinue their relationship with Vote Smart and/or the Ambassador program.
**2020 Election Cycle:**
The Ambassador program was significantly disrupted because of the pandemic. From mid-March through the end of June, Richard paused all operations for the program. We then had to try to jump start activity again in July for a final push to Election Day, and still could not ask Ambassadors to take any in-person actions on behalf of Vote Smart. Richard requested weekly Ambassador email sends, as outlined below:
- 8/20: Highlight the new Vote Smart video featuring Tessa (in tandem with media push)
- 8/27: Highlight letters to the editor with examples of those published by other members and Ambassadors.
- 9/2: Final highlight of all materials available.
- 9/10: Highlight extra VSDMs, ask Ambassadors to get them out to friends/family/groups they are a part of before the election.
- 9/17: ISpy highlight (in tandem with media push)
- 9/23: Highlight our four short commercials (zombies, pickle, kids, exploding head) asking Ambassadors to pick their favorite and send it on to their contacts.
- 10/1: Highlight our sample letter to the editor about Vote Smart - last time before the election
- 10/8: Highlight the 4-minute informational Vote Smart video
- 10/15: Highlight our social media/encourage sharing of our posts and forwarding of our emails
- 10/23: VoteEasy highlight (in tandem with PCT announcements)
- 10/28: Final encouragement to promote Vote Smart before and on Election Day, using their email lists, ISpy, and VoteEasy
During this time of heightened sending, Ambassadors did take action to promote Vote Smart -- however, with weekly emails from me as well as the additional emails all subscribers receive, their responses and engagement dropped significantly. The weekly schedule also made the contents of the emails repetitive (for instance: several asks to write letters to the editor within a few weeks, and repeating the request for them to share Vote Smart videos they had already been sent many times over the past months). Even in advance of a national election, I would recommend less frequent Ambassador email sends and/or intersperse the call to action format with office updates or success stories.
**Historical Information:**
**Where does this information live?**
This information lives in the ambassador drive. “AMB Guide Materials” contains the ambassador guide, “AMB Information requests” contains frequently referenced responses to ambassadors/ ambassador resources, and any facts sheets/ background information on Vote Smart lives in “membership - letters - History & Philosophy of PVS.”
**What do I do when a person requests ambassador information?**
1) Email them or mail them the letter in the “AMB information requests” folder, titled “AIR requests.” This letter tells them what being an ambassador entails
2) If they respond and decide they want to be an ambassador, send them the letter in the “AMB information requests” folder titled “Welcome to the Ambassador Program.”
3) Make sure to send them a packet with the current Voter's Self-Defense Manual, brochures for distribution, and an Ambassador information guide.
4) Any further requests are handled on a case by case basis.
**How do we communicate with the ambassadors?**
- We send out AT LEAST 1 communication specifically to our ambassadors each month.
- Every ambassador should have the AMB flag in DonorPerfect - this list should be updated in IContact every 2-3 weeks.
- Ambassador communications are tracked on DevComm [[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-N4sH2P-cuhBDlBMw-8JMJ6vw5wLKL1581EV8o4fmSo/edit Task sheet]] “Physical & Online mailing schedule” tab.
**History of the Ambassador Program:**
There used to be an “Ambassador Coordinator” position at Vote Smart, where one person was dedicated to handling the HUGE ambassador program (this was during the 2004ish era).
- During this era, ambassadors used to receive weekly emails & newsletters with updates from us.
- There was also a large outreach program where we contacted organizations and asked them to let us give a presentation there on Vote Smart.
- Ambassadors used to play a large role in encouraging candidates to fill out the PCT - they would mobilize others in their community to put pressure on the candidates.
In 2015, DevComm went through and called/ emailed every person in DonorPerfect who had the AMB flag, ultimately purging a lot of ambassadors.
Our current ambassador roll stands at around __200 people__ - there are a lot of opportunities for us to expand this!
- One of these opportunities lies with current interns/ staff members (see departing intern letter in “letters” folder for example).
- Another is the “Archive - soliciting new organizations” folder in the ambassador drive
