Advice for New Leaders

Welcome and thank you for joining us as a leader in Democrats Abroad!

Please feel free to reach out to any member of the Global ExCom and to your RVC and Deputy RVC with questions you might have, and below, you'll find a list of first steps and resources we thought might come in handy.

Let us know your meeting results
As a new leader, one of your first responsibilities is to send your country committee's Annual General Meeting minutes and election results to the International Secretary (secretary@democratsabroad.org) and Regional RVC. You have two weeks to email those in, but we are always happy to hear from you sooner . Be sure to send in contact details about everyone on your executive committee.

Let the world know your meeting results

You've just got elected - let the world (or at least your country committee) know!

Send out an email to your members with the election results and meeting minutes.
Send out a press release to the local press with your results. Here is a sample letter you can customize.
Update your leaders' list on your committee's webpage. Page 15 of the membership training manual explains how.

Resources

Below you'll find a short list of resources we recommend to help you jump in feet first to DA.

wiki.democratsabroad.org = you are here! The DA wiki is a treasure trove of information, and our online library of documents. Ask your RVC for a login and start exploring.
Great places to begin:

Hot topics - we recommend always being familiar with the hot topics at the top of the home page. They change regularly so check them out.
DPCA Core Documents - on the home page, this list includes leader contact details, the charter, handbook, compliance requirements, etc.
Communication tools - logos, print materials, banners, press advice, and social media guidelines.
Activate your membership ideas
Get out the vote (GOTV) tools
Web site training and helpful hints
WebEx call scheduling and help pages
Presentations from past Global meetings
media guidelines
/wiki/spaces/BPvoteForum/pages/438373267
and much more, do explore!!

Leadership listserve emails = Much of the business of the DPCA is discussed and conducted on the Leadership listserve, and it is a vital communication network in between our regional and global meetings. Please join and encourage your country's leaders to join by sending an email request to our Deputy Secretary, Will Bakker (willbakker@gmail.com), who heads up the moderation of the listserve.

Regional emails = check with your RVC to make sure you are on your regional email group. (RVC emails are rvc-americas@democratsabroad.org, rvc-ap@democratsabroad.org, and rvc-emea@democratsabroad.org)

VoteFromAbroad.org = our online voter registration tool. Here you can find information about overseas voting with details about each state elections, election offices and more.

Press = For press and media questions, please get in touch with us at press@democratsabroad.org. Do also explore Tips for Speaking to the Media and our regularly updated Talking Points

DemocratsAbroad.org= our news and events website, plus the entryway to our membership database. Visit the DA Website Training and Certification pages and contact the DA-IT Help Desk helpdesk@democratsabroad.org to get set up with the correct permissions for working with your country page and membership database.

Do reach out to the DA International Secretary (secretary@democratsabroad.org) with any questions you might have. Please also participate in your region’s monthly calls and join our regular Town Hall meetings. Held on the 2nd Monday of each month, they are an excellent way to make your voice heard and meet with other country leaders from around the world.