Courage to Try New Things
The arrival of spring brings blooming flowers, longer daylight hours, baseball games and the first quarterly candidate filings of the election cycle. It’s pretty incredible how much money was raised by candidates so early in the cycle! For many of us in the PAC and advocacy community, it’s time to kick off the annual PAC membership campaign or to put the finishing touches on our grassroots advocate fly-in.
We’re working hard trying to educate and motivate our PAC and grassroots advocates to engage in our political programs. But are we taking the time to deliberately think about strategy, or are we dusting off last year’s playbook and expecting different results?
During the 2019 PAC Conference, I heard so many stories about new and innovative things that many of our colleagues are doing within their organizations to modernize their PACs and political programs. From exciting new member benefit programs to creative ways to mobilize PAC champions, many PACs are working to build upon their successes and learn from their mistakes. I was honored to accept the 2019 Outstanding Corporate PAC Award on behalf of International Paper PAC. Over a year ago, we faced a significant challenge when our company sold a business unit that had strong PAC participation. Combined with the challenging political climate, it was abundantly clear that we needed to modernize our PAC messaging and events in order to attract new members. We moved away from PAC events with boring slide presentations and created events that encouraged open dialogue about the PAC and allowed employees to have fun by playing PAC-inspired games. We revamped our member benefit program and launched a new PAC charitable match program. Thanks to the hard work of our PAC Board and PAC Champions, we enrolled 250 new members, had 200 members increase their level of support and raised record PAC receipts.
We are proud of this achievement, yet also recognize that we can’t become complacent with our recent success. We need to keep our foot on the gas pedal and be deliberate about our evolution each election cycle.
So, what are we working on this year? We revamped our PAC website to be mobile responsive and more user-friendly. Earlier this month, we launched our first online PAC game to enhance PAC education and grow engagement. We are working to expand our PAC carnival and scale games for use in our manufacturing facilities. It is important for us to find new and creative ways to engage with our PAC members and grassroots advocates. We need to have the courage to try new things and be open to feedback from our donors and advocates.
The PIN network is all about sharing ideas and best practices. We want to hear what’s on your mind. What new and innovative things are you working on? Is there an element of your PAC or grassroots program that feels stale and in need of a refresh? Are you struggling with internal hurdles or roadblocks? Please share your feedback with us!
— Meaghan[/vc_toggle][vc_separator css=”.vc_custom_1544039928620{margin-bottom: -20px !important;}”]
It’s a Wrap: 2019 National PAC Conference!
The Council staff was so pleased to host our largest crowd ever and to celebrate the community with our inaugural awards gala and party. A special thanks to our Conference Advisory Committee for their guidance in the planning and content of the meeting.
Resources for Your PAC Education Efforts
Public Affairs Council Partners With Nathan Gonzales
The Public Affairs Council is excited to announce a partnership with Inside Elections Editor and Publisher Nathan Gonzales! The partnership adds expert political analysis to the Council’s portfolio and additional member benefits.
As a senior political analyst for the Council, Gonzales will contribute exclusive content and insights, including a monthly column in the Council’s online newsletter, Impact.
Read Nathan Gonzales’ latest column in Impact.[/vc_toggle][vc_separator css=”.vc_custom_1544039796309{margin-bottom: -20px !important;}”]
Foreign-Owned Corporations: Challenges and Opportunities for PACs
By: Cynthia Redmond, Public Affairs Associate, Samsung Electronics America
As a foreign-owned corporation, trying to brand yourself as a company for the American people has always proved to be difficult. This difficulty has multiplied with today’s protectionist policies, where the ‘buy American’ mantra has become the flagship of the Trump administration’s legislative focus. For foreign-owned corporations, becoming or continuing to be politically engaged has become increasingly challenging, and many are not sure how to navigate the current political climate. With threatening legislation such as H.R.1 (which could have expanded the ban on ‘foreign-national’ contributions or spending), foreign-owned companies are scrambling to find ways to demonstrate their commitment to America.
The answer is in the title: Investment. More specifically political investment, which can be obtained through a political action committee. For those who may be unfamiliar, a political action committee is a committee formed to raise and contribute money to the election campaigns of the committee’s preferred political candidates. There has been a lot of negative backlash in regards to corporate PACs from many Democratic members of congress, but do not let that deter you. The key detail these members forget, is that corporate PACs are employee funded — corporations are just the facilitators. Forming a PAC will allow foreign-owned companies the ability to politically engage with members of congress in a more personal way, rather than your typical D.C. relationship-building reception. Armed with the same arsenal as their U.S.-based competitors, employees of foreign-owned companies can (and should) have the same access to our government.
How can we start a PAC?
To set up a PAC, you have to register your PAC with the FEC, name a treasurer and start planning your strategy, based on your company’s culture and its specific interests. Joining the Public Affairs Council is a great way to start, as they offer a variety of educational workshops and compliance programs to help you along.
What are the internal challenges we may face?
Unlike U.S.-based corporations, there are few extra hurdles for foreign-owned companies:
- Executive Buy-in: I do acknowledge that executive buy-in is difficult, no matter what corporation or trade association you work with. However, for foreign-owned companies, there is the added layer of the ‘foreign national.’ If your executive team is mostly comprised of foreign nationals, it’s extremely challenging to engage them in a conversation about something they cannot be involved in.
- Potential Solutions: Conduct educational seminars for your leadership team. If possible, use other companies within the same industry as examples of success.
- Finance Department: If your CFO is a foreign national, getting approval for your PAC administrative budget may become a bit laborious. Per FEC regulations, foreign nationals are not permitted to have any involvement in the finances of the PAC, but the CFO is allowed to sign-off on a top-line budget number.
- Potential Solutions: Find an executive in any department of the finance team, and request for that person to be your PAC finance controller. Your company will still want to have visibility in the way you are spending corporate money, but if your CFO cannot be involved, another executive within your finance team can manage the budget in his/her stead.
What are the external challenges we may face?
As noted previously, corporate PACs have been receiving criticism from influential Democratic members. Many have pledged to not accept corporate PAC money, either forgetting, or not realizing that corporate PAC money is employee funded. Employees who contribute to their company’s PAC, are the same employees who vote in elections. What we can do is try to educate these members when we have an audience with them; corporate PAC money comes from voters — the same people who individually contribute to their campaigns.
Regardless of the negativity surrounding PACs or non-U.S.-based corporations in the news, the majority of employees working at these foreign-owned companies are U.S. citizens; the administration’s ‘buy American’ motto, neglects that fact. Although these corporations did not start in the U.S., they are still employing U.S. citizens and contributing their profits back into America. Foreign-owned companies can give their employees a stronger voice by entering the political arena, creating and then strengthening their PAC program.[/vc_toggle]
Save the Date: PIN Spring Happy Hour, May 16
Mark your calendar and join your political affairs peers for a rooftop happy hour on Thursday, May 16 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at 2121 K Street, NW, Suite 900. Become a co-host by contacting Morgan Passey at [email protected].
Upcoming Executive Education Workshops
- Webinar: Transparency in Your Political Programs | April 30 | Free for members
- Workshop: Strategies to Drive Long-Term PAC Engagement | May 16
- Workshop: Engaging and Motivating Advocates | May 22
- Workshop: Using Meetings and Events to Grow Your Political Programs | June 26
- Successful PAC Communications Solicitation Workshop | June 26