Our Mission
Empowering voters, defending democracy. When you join the League of Women Voters of Collier County (LWVCC), you become a part of something much bigger. The LWVCC with more than 325 members, is an integral part of the League of Women Voters of Florida and the League of Women Voters U.S. Through your membership you automatically become a member of these organizations, with affiliates in more than 700 state and local leagues, and more than 500,000 members and supporters across the U.S. The League reached more than ten thousand voters in 2018 and possibly more in 2020.
Our members are non-partisan. They do not support or oppose any political party or candidate. However, we are always working on issues of vital concern to our members and the public. In the LWVCC, our members' top concerns are environmental protection, protecting the rights of voters and issues pertaining to justice and equality for all.
Our Principles
(as set forth in the LWVUS Impact on Issues)
The LWV believes in representative government and in the individual liberties established in the Constitution of the United States. The LWV believes that all powers of the U.S. government should be exercised within the constitutional framework of a balance among the three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial.
The LWV believes that democratic government depends upon informed and active participation in government and requires that governmental bodies protect the citizen’s right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed actions, holding open meetings, and making public records accessible.
The LWV believes every citizen should be protected in the right to vote; every person should have access to free public education that provides equal opportunity for all; and no person or groups should suffer legal, economic, or administrative discrimination. "Our principles" continued ... [link to Documents]
Our Commitment to Diversity
LWV is an organization fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and in practice. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the organization’s current and future success in engaging all individuals, households, communities, and policy makers in creating a more perfect democracy. It is a fundamental value of the organization and belongs alongside our hallmark of nonpartisanship.
At the LWVUS biennium convention 2020 in June, hundreds of League delegates from across the nation voted to enhance our organization's commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion by moving it from a resolution to a policy. This change was very significant. Prior to this change the only policy that the national League enforced at a governance level was our nonpartisan policy. Now, our commitment to DEI is on par with our commitment to nonpartisanship.
There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of gender, gender equity, ethnicity, race, native or indigenous origin, age, generation sexual orientation, culture, religion, belief system, marital status, parental status, socioeconomic status, language, accent, ability status, mental health, educational level or background, geography, nationality, work style, work experience, job role function, thinking style, personality type, physical appearance, political perspective or affiliation and/or any other characteristic that can be identified as recognizing or illustrating diversity. See more on this at DEI Team page ... [provide link]
"We, as an organization acknowledge our own difficult history with racism while we embrace our future, where DEI will become part of our DNA."
--Deborah Turner, President of LWVUS, from her address at the 2020 National Convention: