Using the Internet to Campaign for Kids

• Introduction
• Why Point-and-Click Politics? The "Control Revolution"
• Lessons From Pioneers and Politicians
• Gaining Sophistication: Role Models in the Nonprofit World
• Point-and-Click Collaboration
• Advice From Internet Gurus, and a few Cautionary Notes
• Linking With the Future
• A Toolbox for the Point-and-Click Political Campaigner

Introduction
Children's advocates are discovering what could be called "point-and-click politics"—the use of the Internet as a tool for voter education and constituency building.

Politicians are already using the Internet to mobilize followers, recruit volunteers, raise money and shape the debate—often effectively. America's child advocates have been slow to stake their claims online. But recently a few hardy cyber-souls have—with a little bit of money and a lot of imagination—shown that the Net can make a positive difference for kids.

One of those pioneers is Michele Strasz, coordinator of the Michigan Campaign for Children. "The Internet is an invaluable tool to me," she says, "particularly during election seasons." Strasz stays in touch with her fellow advocates and garden-variety voters regularly through a growing e-mail list. "One advantage is that people tend to lose faxes and letters, but e-mail is right there in the computer. It's not time-bound."

During the 1998 election season, she launched what she calls her "e-mail alert," an electronic newsletter that educates voters about the issues and the candidates' stands.

She sends this to her primary list of 450 Michigan residents (many of them professional or volunteer child advocates), who relay the newsletter to their own e-mail lists. In the past election, the Michigan Campaign for Children reached about 12,000 voters this way, Strasz estimates. That's an impressive number, considering that she did all of this from her home office. She calls what she does "armchair advocacy." Did the technique turn out the vote? Strasz isn't sure. "We've talked about doing some kind of exit poll, to find out if our Internet outreach helped. But we can't afford it."

The Michigan campaign doesn't ask for money through the Internet. But Strasz is clearly intrigued by the idea. Nor does she register voters online—another possibility.

She does, however, provide a link on her site to Michigan's Secretary of State's office, which offers information about where to register and vote. The Michigan campaign also partners with The League of Women Voters to register voters for kids' issues. "The potential is amazing," she says. "Imagine being able to raise money, register voters, and recruit volunteers online—for a fraction of the cost and with a far smaller staff."

It's not easy being a Net pioneer on a shoestring budget, but Strasz says using the Internet lets her stay home with her children while running the effort.

Most child advocacy organizations have been hesitant to venture into cyberspace, but the Michigan campaign is by no means unique. Other groups are also early adopters of point-and-click politics:

• The Children's Action Alliance has created e-mail and fax "alert networks" to build community engagement with legislation affecting children and families in Arizona. "Participation on these lists has been overwhelming, and the resulting support has helped improve conditions for Arizona's children and families," says the Alliance's Special Projects\Communications Coordinator Jeff Shrade. These alert networks are focused on specific topics, including child welfare, early care and education, children's health, poverty and welfare reform and Hispanic family issues.

• In 1998, Connecticut's Promise surveyed candidates on kids' issues, publicized their responses and encouraged citizens to compare their own views to these positions when they went to the polls. The Campaign is now monitoring legislators' votes and distributing information through Connecticut Kidslink, an Internet port of entry to organizations working for kids. Kidslink features legislative updates and information on the latest issues for Connecticut kids.

• Through Florida Children's Campaign, Floridians can keep pace with campaign developments, and they can download sign-up forms and hand-outs. In 1998, candidates received questionnaires regarding the Florida Children's Campaign platform. Their answers were posted on the Web site and distributed through available media and grassroots networks prior to election day.

• Children Now promotes an electronic newsletter that focuses on California legislation. And the state's Children's Advocacy Institute sponsors the Information Clearinghouse on Children, which includes an online legislative report card scoring state lawmakers on their child-friendliness.

If child advocates follow Michigan's lead and the example of other nonprofits beginning to use the new media, they could become as Internet-savvy as political candidates—who are already proving just how potent a tool the Internet can be.

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