Your Window Into Virginia Politics 2018 Progress Report NONPARTISAN APPROACH DATA LEGISLATIVE VISUALIZATIONS ANALYSIS CIVICS EDUCATION ELECTION RESULTS TRUSTED HEADLINES CAMPAIGN FINANCE vpap.org A Letter From the Board Chair Growing up on the Chesapeake Bay, I learned that navigating to a fixed point is never as simple as it sounds. The wind and tide constantly push you off The Virginia Public Access Project course. MISSION As I take the helm of the VPAP Board of VPAP connects Virginians to nonpartisan Directors, my colleagues and I will keep those information about Virginia politics in easily lessons in mind in the next year as we hone understood ways. VPAP’s course and update its strategic plan. STAFF The first step will be to survey and interview David M. Poole Executive Director our many stakeholders. We want to hear from you if you think Ric Arenstein we’re on the right course. Development Director Jason Kostyk We also would like your thoughts on what other content that Data Developer would be ripe for VPAP’s fact-based, nonpartisan approach. Ali Mislowsky VaNews Coordinator On behalf of the entire VPAP Board of Directors, I would like to Michael Stanley Data Analyst thank the more than 1,200 companies, groups and individuals Sarah Stack whose generous support makes our work possible. Office Manager There’s a saying: “It’s sometimes hard to tell if the light marks the CONTACT channel or the rocks.” Here’s to a year, with your help, that VPAP Phone: (804) 353-4300 sails straight, true and in the channel. Headquarters 1209 E. Cary Street, Suite 200 Richmond, Virginia 23219 Mailing Address P.O. Box 1472, Richmond, VA 23218 The Virginia Public Access Project is a 503(c)(3) tax-exempt Albert Pollard corporation. All donations to VPAP are deductible on federal taxes to the full extent of the law. Federal Tax ID 54-1825691. VPAP Board Chair VPAP Board of Directors Albert Pollard, Jeff Britt, Jack Harris, Matt Calkins Nneka Chiazor Tom Cosgrove Margaret Edds Marvin Figueroa Chair Vice Chair/ Treasurer Appian Cox Newport News Retired Deputy Secretary, Consultant, Secretary Virginia Trial Communications Shipbuilding Journalist Health and Human Former State McGuireWoods Lawyers Resources Legislator Consulting Association Carol Ford Chuck James Bill Leighty Jeff Mitchell John O’Bannon Nicole Riley Larry Roberts Nancy Smith Ross Grogg SERCO Williams DesignSmart Mitchell Physician, NFIB Office of the Middle (ex-officio) Inc. Mullen LLC Law Firm Former State Lt. Governor Resolution PAC Kemper Legislator Consulting 2018 GOALS AND ACHIEVEMENTS 1 Increase Relevance for General Public Legislators’ 2018 “Batting Averages” Brought data to life with enhanced interactive visuals Improved ability to analyze state representatives’ voting records Showed voters if court-drawn redistricting plan would impact them 2 Reach a Broader Audience Engaged more than 29,000 people with the MyVaCandidate quiz Expanded civics education outreach to schoolteachers Gained 1,200 readers for VaNews 3 Build a Robust, Independent Institution Crowdfunding effort to buy Voter File engaged small donors Grew Leadership Council of major individual donors Recruited volunteers to compile election night returns Civics Education Workshops Take Off! This summer, VPAP expanded the reach of our civics education initiative—hosting 58 teachers in four sessions across the state. The teachers left excited to add VPAP’s maps and visualizations to their lesson plans. They also had the opportunity to share VPAP resources with their colleagues through in-service trainings. We not only taught but learned a lot about how to improve vpap.org for middle and highschool classrooms. VPAP EVENTS Lighten Up, It’s Just Politics! May 3 VPAP’s annual luncheon is a rare unifying event in Virginia politics that offers all sides a chance to come together. Officeholders from both parties try stand-up comedy and make lighthearted jabs at themselves and others. More than 500 people—from government affairs professionals to political activists—enjoyed comedic turns by Gov. Ralph Northam and U.S. Rep. Dave Brat. Beau Cribbs (left) warmed up the crowd as master of ceremonies. After Virginia Votes November 13 Virginia’s election calendar would not be complete without VPAP’s post-election retrospective—a unique dialogue between strategists from Democratic and Republican campaigns. “After Virginia Votes” is organized by VPAP and hosted by the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. This year’s event offered a behind-the-scenes look at Virginia’s midterm elections from U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine’s campaign manager Kéren Charles Dongo and veteran Republican strategist Chris Jankowski. I @VPAPUPDATES 2018: MEASURES OF SUCCESS Total VaNews Subscribers: vpap.org Election Day 12,214 Visitors to Page Website VaNews Subscribers by Region Views 15,600 4,515,086 Hampton Roads 16% Northern Virginia 25% 11% Piedmont 7% Valley of Virginia Twitter Follower Capital Region Growth 32% 5% Southwest 4% +11.3% Southside Small Donors Fully Interactive Visuals ($100 or less) 40% 710 579 418 MyVaCandidate Increase in Page Views Quizzes Taken per Visual 6% 29,853 +11.6% 2016 2017 2018 2017 2018 2018 Financial Results Revenue Expenses $913,475 $909,935 May Event $206,150 Technology $157,877 VaNews $90,653 Personnel Annual Fund Newspapers Marketing $206,150 $554,515 $32,075 $69,247 Candidates Rent/Office $20,370 $42,262 Fee Products Services $7,250 $16,831 Interest Earned Staff Development $2,461 $12,454 VPAP SUPPORTERS The Virginia Public Access Project is a nonprofit that relies $1,500 Mary Lynn and Nick Kotz on support from its users. VPAP would like to thank the Thomas Meehan following financial contributors who make our work possible: AARP Virginia* RJ Narang Adams Construction Company Linda and Stephen Nash Ric Arenstein* Northern Virginia Chamber of George Mason University Antonin Commerce $50,000 $4,000 Scalia Law School* Northern Virginia Technology Jack L. Harris Council Donald Patten Ronald D. Abramson* CGI* HCA Virginia Hospitals Kotarides Developers LLC Nicholas Perrins The Mousetrap Foundation LoanMax Del. Kenneth R. Plum McGuireWoods Consulting Aubrey Layne Deborah Oswalt David M. Poole Medical Society of Virginia Reed Smith LLP* $25,000 Smithfield Foods Susan and Lewis F. Payne Jr. Riverside Health System Gilbert Rosenthal Troutman Sanders Bill Royall Cox Communications* Virginia Automobile Dealers Ward R. Scull III David G. Speck Sally and Walter Rugaber Association James R. Smith Williams Mullen The Dragas Companies $20,000 Two Capitols Consulting* Nancy A. Smith VA, MD & DE Association of The Virginian-Pilot University of Virginia William A. Olson* $3,000 Electric Cooperatives* Virginia Bankers Association Cathie Vick Virginia Dental Association Virginia Beverage Association Jeffrey Breit* Virginia Credit Union League $15,000 Capital Results Virginia Wine Wholesalers Dan Gecker $1,400 Association Matthew Calkins Frank E. Laughon Jr. Judy Ford Wason Tom Hirst Northern Virginia Electric Jeffrey Wassmer Allison Weinstein and Ivan Jecklin Cooperative Anheuser-Busch Anthem John Watkins Old Dominion Electric Cooperative WestRock Praxis Foundation Appalachian Power Company Bon Secours Virginia Health System John D. Whitlock $12,500 Mr. and Mrs. James E. Ukrop* Ed Yates Virginia Realtors Columbia Gas of Virginia Dominion Energy Virginia Tech Commonwealth Strategy Group Eckert Seamans Enterprise Rent-a-Car $750 $10,000 $2,500 Genworth Financial Hancock, Daniel & Johnson, PC B2L Consulting LLC* L. Preston Bryant Jr. Claude Moore Charitable Apartment & Office Building Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia Commonwealth Connections* Foundation* Association Council of Independent Colleges in Clean Virginia Frank B. Atkinson Luck Stone Corporation Reynolds American Inc. Virginia* Barbara Fried Hon. Gerald L. and Mrs. Robin D. Margaret Edds* Marvin W. Gilliam Jr. Baliles Sentara Healthcare Andrew and Virginia Tilton Kathryn Falk M. Dendy Young Charles Ryan Associates George Mason University* Josée G. Covington* Virginia Association of Counties* Virginia Association of Health Plans Amy E. Hudson Jeannemarie and Tom Davis Charles James $7,500 Richard B. Gilliam Virginia Cable Telecom Association Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Robert P. Kegley James Hixon Kenton Ngo* Altria Group Vince Mastracco Association Woody Funeral Home George L. Ohrstrom II* Comcast Mercer Trigiani LLP Omega Protein Loren W. Hershey* Jeff Mitchell* Virginia Oil & Gas Association* Edward H. Rice* Northern Virginia Association of $1,200 Virginia Society of CPAs* Realtors* Virginia Transportation Mary and Clarke Ohrstrom Robert W. Bailie* Construction Alliance $5,000 Wendy and Tom Rosenthal Mark C. Williams Mimi Abel Smith Dave Belote* Leonard Bennett Nina Toups Donald S. Beyer Jr.* Thomas J. Cosgrove* John H. Birdsall III US Sen. Mark R. Warner $700 Mike Bisceglia Virginia AFL-CIO John G. Milliken* Leslie Cheek III Virginia Association for Commercial Catherine S. Read and Tom Greeson* AAA Tidewater Virginia Al Dwoskin Real Estate Advantus Strategies ESG Enterprises, Inc. Virginia Commonwealth University* Nicole A. Riley* Washington Gas Alliance Group Margaret and Shashikant Gupta Virginia Press Association CarilionClinic Robert R. Hatten Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. CenturyLink James W. Hazel $1,000 City of Williamsburg Joan M. Huffer and Robert H. Community Associations Institute Dugger $2,000 Elwood Consulting Inova Health System Atlantic Dominion Distributors Kelli and Andrew Block EQT E. Scott Kasprowicz Allen Allen Allen & Allen