The Delta Grassroots Caucus (DGC) is a broad coalition of grassroots leaders in the eight-state Delta region. DGC is also a founding partner of the Economic Equality Caucus,
which advocates for economic equality across the USA.

Annual Membership Dues Request, November-December 2016; & General Plan for 2017

Posted on November 29, 2016 at 02:21 PM

We hope everyone is having a good holiday season. The Delta Caucus/Economic Equality Caucus is engaging in a year-end fundraising drive to request annual membership dues for all those who support our advocacy for economic equality in the Greater Delta Region and across the country.

We are a private sector, bipartisan grassroots advocacy organization and our budget is entirely made up of voluntary donations in the form of annual membership dues, registration fees for the major conferences, and some sponsorships.

We base our budget on a large number of modest contributions, and dues are only required for $25 once a calendar year, although many contribute $50 or $100.

This is our year-end fundraising drive for 2016, so please send in your donation in the next few days before the holidays crunch comes in.

The small amount of $25 once a year is all we require for membership, although larger organizations, universities, banks, foundations, corporations or those who wish to contribute larger amounts usually contribute at $50, $75 or $100.

We have such a large number of partners that this will add up to a significant amount. We are sending out more reminders than we used to and we feel sure that for those who have not yet sent in their dues it was just an oversight.

Again the only requirement is $25 once a year. This will help the budget in a major way and can’t be a burden on the vast majority of our colleagues’ finances.

Please make out the check to “Delta Caucus” and mail to:

Delta Caucus

5030 Purslane Place

Waldorf, MD 20601

Alternatively, you can go to the website at www.mdgc.us and use the PayPal process to pay if that is more convenient for you.

Many organizations and leaders pay the dues now and we are making this a requirement if you wish to be a member–meaning that if you wish to attend our conferences, be invited to them, receive group email newsletters and otherwise stay in touch with and be involved with our organization, we do require the simple, minimal action of sending in the $25 membership dues once a year.

We never want to send these requests or any other information to anyone who is not interested. Please advise if you do not wish to be a member by sending an email to us at leepowell@delta.comcastbiz.net and we will remove your name from the data base and the group email list.

A grassroots organization needs to raise funds by a large number of modest contributions, to avoid dependence on a few “big bucks” donors. We do ask for a few sponsorships but do not want to depend on a few large donors and we have a diversified financial base. We are placing increasing emphasis on collecting annual dues from all partners, at least for $25 once a year.

Our only sources of income come from voluntary donations in the form of annual membership dues, registration fees for larger conferences, and sponsorships. We are not and cannot be a 501c3 because we need to have complete freedom to engage in all forms of political expression that a 501c3 cannot.

Delta/Economic Equality Caucus Activities for 2017:

–Year-round advocacy by individual or small group emails, phone calls, or small meetings: Every week we contact federal, state and grassroots partners regarding key issues such as job creation, infrastructure, health care for underserved populations, hunger and nutrition, USDA programs, renewable energy/energy efficiency, education and other initiatives crucial to bringing about broader economic progress.

–Group email newsletters on key issues-we encourage people to make a quick phone call or email to federal and state powers that be on initiatives that they agree are beneficial to economic equality.

–Website postings at www.mdgc.us

–News releases on key issues issued when legislation or other matters are pressing.

–News conferences in the Washington, DC area or the Arkansas state Capitol.

–Washington, DC conference-national in scope–on Economic Equality on Capitol Hill, spring, 2017: the Delta Grassroots Caucus will be joined by our partners representing other major regions and populations including Appalachia, Southwest Border, parts of the Midwest, Native Americans, New York, key inner cities like New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis, Baltimore and Washington, DC; and the Mid-Atlantic region of Virginia/DC/Maryland, which is relatively prosperous overall but has significant areas of economic distress.

Conference at the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas, October, 2017-this will highlight the Greater Delta Region but will also include some national participants.

The largest region of economic distress is unfortunately the Greater Delta Region, which we expansively define as extending from Missouri and Illinois down to New Orleans and eastward to the Alabama Black Belt.

The Delta Caucus is reinforced by allies in Appalachia, Southwest, Midwest, New York, Mid-Atlantic region to amplify our influence in recent years: Over the last three or four years, we have joined forces with like-minded partners in the other key regions mentioned above-Appalachia, SW Border, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, etc.-because they have very similar views on key economic and community development issues as the Delta partners do and our voices will be greatly strengthened by allies from all over the country.

We have been advocating year in and year out for 15 years now, in good times and bad. We will continue our advocacy as vigorously as ever in 2017 to the Trump administration, Congress, federal and state officials, and grassroots partners.

Organizational status: We are not a 501c3 because we need to have complete freedom of action to engage in political dialogue on some issues that some may feel are somewhat controversial at times, to engage in lobbying for broad-minded initiatives supporting the prosperity of the majority of Americans, and to otherwise speak our minds as we see fit after feedback from our many partners across the country.

As you know, 501c3 organizations have limitations on their freedom of political expression and lobbying activities. Our entire purpose as an organization is to engage in bipartisan public policy and political advocacy and occasion lobbying for broad-based initiatives. Thus all of our funding comes from private sector donations, we do not have any tax benefits, and we do not get funding from the government (except for routine matters like registration fees to pay for attendance at a conference, or on rare occasions funding to help disseminate information in emergencies like floods or hurricanes.)

We are all familiar with organizations who had or sought tax-exempt status who were discriminated against by the IRS because of their public policy positions. We are invulnerable to that kind of pressure, because we are not a 501c3 and do not have tax-exempt status in the first place. This is a longstanding decision made after careful policy, financial and legal analysis.

Thanks so much. Lee Powell, Economic Equality/Delta Caucus (202) 360-6347