AVMA Political Action Committee (AVMAPAC) Advocating for the profession is central to the AVMA’s mission, and the AVMAPAC is an important advocacy tool that helps amplify our voice with members of Congress. The AVMAPAC is bipartisan; we contribute to those in Congress who support the issues important to veterinary medicine regardless of political party affiliation. AVMAPAC support helps to elect officials to Congress who are dedicated to improving animal health and welfare, public health, and the veterinary medical profession. In accordance with adopted guidelines, the AVMAPAC contributes to the political campaigns of members of Congress who support the AVMA legislative agenda, or are in key positions where it is advantageous to the AVMA legislative agenda for them to hear and consider the AVMA’s position in their decision-making process. To provide the necessary funds, the AVMAPAC solicits personal contributions from AVMA members, their immediate families, Student American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA) members, and select AVMA employees. Contributing to AVMAPAC is often the first step in becoming politically active, and members who contribute to the AVMAPAC are more likely to vote in elections and get involved in political campaigns. Support for the AVMAPAC has benefited the Association and the entire veterinary profession by allowing our Government Relations Division (GRD) staff and AVMA members to build and foster important personal relationships. The AVMAPAC Board oversees the business of the AVMAPAC and operates in accordance with Federal Election Committee rules and regulations, in addition to AVMAPAC Policies and Procedures. The AVMAPAC Board consists of seven members–three at-large members are appointed by the AVMA Board of Directors and three regional members (East, Central, West) are appointed by the AVMA House Advisory Committee. SAVMA appoints the student liaison. Meetings—The AVMAPAC Board conducts business via in-person meetings, electronically and teleconferences. The PAC Board met in Washington, DC in February 2019, July 2019, and October 2019. In 2020, the PAC Board held virtual meetings in April and June. 1 AVMAPAC Operations The AVMA provides the AVMAPAC operational budget, which allows AVMAPAC to utilize 100% of all AVMA and SAVMA member contributions for political campaigns. Expenses for 2019 were $129,818. Since 2017, the AVMAPAC has worked with DDC Public Affairs, a Washington, DC based organization that has over 300 PAC clients. DDC provides FEC compliance services, account reconciliation, database management, and contribution management, including processing AVMAPAC contribution checks. Fundraising AVMAPAC Fundraising 2019 For 2019, the AVMAPAC Board set an aggressive goal of raising $240,000 from 2000 contributors. Through the hard work of the AVMAPAC Board, AVMA Advocacy Strategic Business Unit and the Marketing and Communications Division, the PAC raised $247,346 from 1,832 contributors. This is a 25% increase in contributions and a 4% increase in contributors. In 2019, 100% of the Board of Directors contributed $17,789.26 and 100% of the PAC eligible House of Delegates members contributed $54,832.64 to AVMAPAC. Seventy-two members of the Student AVMA contributed a total of $2,866. AVMAPAC started the year at the Veterinary Leadership Conference/House of Delegates Regular Winter Session, raising $55,116 from 150 individuals, a 10% increase from 2018. Factoring in the monthly recurring payments, the PAC raised $65,580, a 33% increase from 2018. One hundred percent of the BOD and 60% of the HOD contributed during the event. The PAC Board held a reception for AVMA Veterinary Leaders (formerly Emerging Leaders) and high-level contributors. At the 2019 AVMA Convention, the PAC hosted a Bourbon Tasting Reception and was part of the AVMA Pavilion in the exhibit hall. The PAC also hosted a Rooftop Reception prior to the Battle of the Bands event at the Wharf in Washington, DC. This event was open to all PAC contributors. The PAC held a sweepstakes which culminated at the end of convention. All PAC contributors that contributed from July 31 to August 6 received a raffle ticket. The PAC raffled off Yeti Mugs during the day, and at the end of the day, they picked the grand prize for the day-- Bose SoundSport Free Truly Wireless Sport Headphones and two US Flags flown over the US Capitol. The PAC raised $49,287 from 248 contributors. 2 In addition to the events at the Veterinary Leadership Conference/House of Delegates Regular Winter Session and the 2019 AVMA Convention/HOD Regular Annual Session, to expand the PAC’s reach to AVMA members, AVMAPAC attended the 2019 Southwestern Veterinary Symposium in San Antonio, Texas. The PAC held sweepstakes at the booth and marketed the Coffee Club to AVMA members at the show. To educate SAVMA members about AVMAPAC, members of the PAC Board attended the 2019 SAVMA Symposium in Athens, Georgia, where they promoted the Coffee Club with a sweepstakes for coffee-related prizes and addressed the SAVMA Chapter Delegates. The PAC Board approved three additional $500 grants to match SAVMA grants in 2019 and approved the continuation of the grants in 2020. SAVMA chapters in each school can apply for a grant which is used to educate students about the importance of advocacy and contributing to AVMAPAC. In 2019, the AVMAPAC continued to run ads in JAVMA built around Education, Engagement and Solicitation. In October, the PAC placed a cover tip on the front of JAVMA encouraging AVMA members to contribute to AVMAPAC when they pay their 2020 dues. There were also small changes made to the AVMAPAC website, including the inclusion of the PAC’s promotional video on the homepage and ongoing updates of the PAC’s support to congressional candidates. The PAC Board made two major changes to contributor benefits in 2019. The Coffee Club, originally geared towards students and new graduates, was expanded to allow all AVMA and SAVMA members to participate as an introductory level to PAC giving. The PAC Board also voted to allow all PAC contributors to attend PAC Congressional Town Halls. During 2019, AVMAPAC hosted three Congressional calls with the following members of Congress: Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL), Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), and Senator John Hoeven (R-ND). AVMAPAC Fundraising 2020 The PAC Board set aggressive fundraising goals for 2020: $325,000 from 2200 contributors. Building on its success in 2019, AVMAPAC started the year off strong, raising a total of $70,428.36 from 220 individuals at the Veterinary Leadership Conference/House of Delegates Regular Winter Session, a 28% increase from 2019. The PAC Board held a reception for all AVMA members present at VLC and the HOD session. 3 Overall, between January 1, 2020-June 15, 2020 the PAC raised $101,926.33 from 516 contributors compared to $95,416.94 and 446 during the same period in 2019. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic shutdowns, the PAC paused active solicitation and marketing and focused on informational initiatives. AVMAPAC hosted two virtual Congressional Town Halls through June 2020, including Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI). AVMAPAC has continued to run ads in JAVMA and will be including a two-page advertorial in JAVMA before the 2021 dues renewal. The PAC Board approved the implementation of two new fundraising initiatives in 2020. The first is the Back the PAC Alumni Derby competition, which was originally scheduled to run from the beginning of the 2019 VLC through the 2019 AVMA Convention. Contributions during this period are counted towards the alumni participation rate for the contributor’s veterinary school. At the end of the contest, the top 3 schools will be awarded grants to their SAVMA Chapters in the amounts of $3,000, $2,000, and $1000 respectively. Due to the COVID-19 solicitation interruption, the PAC Board has voted to extend the Alumni Derby to the end of 2020. The second new initiative is the AVMAPAC Diplomat Program, which is designed for AVMA and SAVMA members who are willing to educate and solicit their peers on behalf of AVMAPAC. Participants receive a Diplomat Guide which provides the necessary tools and information they will need to conduct an effective campaign, including keys to success, best practices, and frequently asked questions. The Diplomats also receive updates on AVMA legislative initiatives, training from AVMA staff and other fundraising incentives. Diplomats will work with AVMA staff to determine their recruiting targets (AVMA region, state/city, or specialty group) and plan presentations at in-person or virtual meetings. The requirements to become a Diplomat include: • Be an active AVMA or SAVMA Member and PAC contributor. • Participate in Diplomat training and serve throughout the year. • Have a desire to recruit and retain AVMAPAC contributors. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 SAVMA Symposium at Cornell University was cancelled but AVMAPAC provided a recorded presentation for the SAVMA Chapter Delegates virtual meeting. AVMAPAC is scheduled to attend the 2020 Southwestern Veterinary Symposium, either in person or virtually, and AVMAPAC is planning on participating in the 2020 AVMA Virtual Convention in August and will hold a special AVMAPAC Town Hall during convention week. 4 AVMAPAC Club levels for 2020 are: All Contributors • Quarterly conference call with Member of Congress • Bimonthly AVMAPAC Newsletter $60 Coffee Club ($5.00/month or $60/year) • Coffee Club pin $120 ($120-$364) Club $120 ($10/month) • AVMAPAC pin