1. Millennial Civic Engagement
Summit Competition Guide
Charlotte, North Carolina
August 24-26, 2012

2. 1875 K Street NW, 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20006
Office: 202.642.4320
Fax: 202.729.8100
www.Mobilize.org
Competition Guide
In 2008 we saw an unprecedented increase in Millennial voter turnout, where nearly
two million more Americans under the age of 30 voted in the election as compared to 2004.
As Millennials, we are asking ourselves: What does Millennial voter engagement
look like for our Generation in the 2012 Election and beyond?
All civically active Millennials in California, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania are invited to
submit their ideas for the 2012 Mobilize.org Millennial Civic Engagement Summit. Using the GOOD Maker
platform, Millennials can crowdsource their ideas online and vote on the most innovative civic engagement
work taking place across the country. The semi-finalists who receive the most votes through this online
competition will be invited to attend the Millennial Civic Engagement Summit in Charlotte, North Carolina on
August 24 – 26, 2012, where they will work collaboratively with their peers to further develop sustainable,
community-based solutions for the 2012 Election and beyond.
Projects are based on these four principles: potential social impact, creativity and innovation, sustainability,
and use of new and social media communications. Prior to the summit, Mobilize.org will select 2 proposals
from each state, and invite up to 2 members of their team who proposed to compete in the Summit
Competition. In addition, Mobilize.org will select individual applicants to attend the summit and have the
chance to become a Mobilizer 2012 blogger. Visit www.Mobilize.org/MCESummit to learn more.
The Summit Competition is held on the final day of the summit and each competitor has five minutes to
present their idea to summit participants. The projects receiving the top votes will win Mobilize.org Awards; a
share of $25,000 in financial investments and expert support from our staff and extensive partner network.
Winners will be selected by their peers who will use their personal interactive keypads to vote on each project
according to the following criteria:
 Potential Social Impact – how well the project addresses a particular student issue or academic
barriers students face in a local community.
 Creativity and Innovation – how well the project is customized to address a community’s need in a
new or unique way.
 Sustainability – how likely is the project to last long enough to fully address the student issue/
academic barrier identified in the proposal.
 Use of New and Social Media Communications – how well the project uses technology and social
media as a catalyst for social impact.
Mobilize.org empowers and invests in Millennials to create and implement solutions to social problems.

3. 1875 K Street NW, 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20006
Office: 202.642.4320
Fax: 202.729.8100
www.Mobilize.org
Proposal Scope
Mobilize.org invests in sustainable, community-based solutions developed and led by Millennials. Competition
proposals should be comprised of innovative programs that increase civic engagement on a local or regional
level and target the Millennial Generation (those born between 1976 - 1996).
Mobilize.org is an all-partisan, non-profit organization and therefore Summit Competition submissions should
not include the following activities:
 Propaganda or otherwise attempt to influence specific legislation either by direct or grassroots
lobbying (see below for definitions of lobbying terms):
o Direct lobbying is defined as communication with a legislator that expresses a view about
specific legislation.
o Grassroots lobbying is defined as communication with the public that expresses a view about
specific legislation and includes a call to action.
 Specific voter-registration drive that is conducted in a manner that favors a particular candidate or
slate of candidates.
 Intervention in (including publishing or distribution of statements) any campaign on behalf of (or in
opposition to) any candidate for public office.
 Make Awards to individuals or organizations.
Communication: a conversation (in person or by phone), letter, email, fax, or other creative mechanism to convey a
message.
Legislator: a member of a legislative body or his/her staff. In addition, executive branch officials who participate in the
formulation of legislation are considered legislators (such as the governor or mayor when vetoing or signing a bill).
Members of administrative bodies, however, such as school boards, sewer and water districts, housing authorities, zoning
boards, and other special purposes bodies, whether elected or appointed, are not considered legislators.
Public: anyone but a legislator or member of an organization. Communications to an organization’s members are
considered direct lobbying. For this purpose, a member is someone who has given more than a small amount of time or
money to the organization.
Expresses a view about specific legislation: a bill or resolution that has been introduced in a legislative body or proposed
legislation such as identifying a problem and presenting a specific solution to the problem. Specific legislation includes
budget appropriations and taxes, and attempts to influence the confirmation of judicial and executive branch nominees.
Proposed legislation may qualify as specific legislation even if it has not yet been introduced, been written down, or even
fully fleshed out. Specific legislation does not include rulemakings / promulgation of regulations, executive orders,
litigation, or attempts to enforce existing laws.
Call to action: a specific means of encouraging the communication’s recipient to take lobbying action. A call to action must
comprise one of the following actions: 1) tell the recipient to contact a legislator; 2) provide information on how the
recipient can contact his/her legislator, such as providing the phone number or address; 3) provide a mechanism for
enabling the recipient to contact his legislator, such as a postcard, petition, or email form; or 4) identify a legislator who will
vote on the legislation as being opposed to or undecided about the organization’s view on the legislation, a member of a
legislative committee who will vote on the legislation, or the recipient’s legislator.
Ballot measure activity is considered direct lobbying. Although ballot measures, such as referenda, bond measures, and
ballot initiatives, are determined at the voting booth, efforts for or against them are considered direct lobbying, not
impermissible electoral activity. Efforts aimed at convincing the public to support or oppose ballot measures are direct
lobbying since the voting public serves as the legislature.
Mobilize.org empowers and invests in Millennials to create and implement solutions to social problems.

4. 1875 K Street NW, 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20006
Office: 202.642.4320
Fax: 202.729.8100
www.Mobilize.org
Tips for Planning a Project
Getting Ready:
 Research the background and demographic of the problem you would like to address.
 Solicit opinions/advice from colleagues and community leaders
 Research organizations doing similar projects on the national, state or local levels.
 Create a list of experts in the field.
 Identify tools or support you can find in similar organizations as well as potential partnerships/
mentorship opportunities.
 Decide what makes your idea unique.
Optimizing the projects potential:
Potential Social Impact
 What is the project’s goal? Who will it impact or help?
 Why is the project important? (Identify the reasons, purpose and benefits for the project)
 How will the project affect the community?
Creativity and Innovation
 How does the project uniquely address a local community issue that state or national
organizations do not already address?
 What elements will inspire others in the community to support and join the project?
 How does the project build on the creative and innovative strengths of the team or individual?
Sustainability
 Who is involved with the project?
 What does success look like for the project?
 What does sustainability mean for the project?
 How can the project be sustained until the goals are achieved?
 How realistic/obtainable is the project?
 When will the goals be reached? (Create a tentative timeline of what the project looks like)
 What will the budget look like?
 How will other funds be obtained if needed
Use of New and Social Media Communications
 How will you market your project?
 What technological or social tools will you use to reach your audience and increase the projects
potential for success?
 How will you build your brand to last after the 2012 elections?
Articulating the Plan:
 Avoid titles that are overly cutesy/clever. The title should reflect your project’s goals.
 Determine a clear and articulate mission
 Avoid padding your proposal with jargon and buzzwords
 Be real: provide context to your project
 Set clear and tangible expectations for what summit participants will take away.
Mobilize.org empowers and invests in Millennials to create and implement solutions to social problems.

5. 1875 K Street NW, 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20006
Office: 202.642.4320
Fax: 202.729.8100
www.Mobilize.org
Application Process
To apply for the Millennial Civic Engagement Summit, here’s what you need to do:
 Submit your application with an idea for a local Millennial-led project to increase Millennial civic
engagement, community participation, voter awareness and turnout. You can collaborate with your
peers and a partner organization in your local community to develop a proposal, but one person must
act as a designated representative and formally apply.
 In your application, include a photo or video that represents your project idea. Photos should be
in JPG, PNG, or GIF format, at least 570 × 345 pixels and no larger than 10MB. To include a video, use
a YouTube URL.
 Approved applications will be featured on the GOOD Maker page and public voting will be open from
June 11 to June 29. Rally your community to show their support by voting for your idea. Each supporter
can vote once during the voting period.
 The submission with the most votes will win an all-expense paid trip to attend the summit and a $500
starter fund to kick-off their idea.
 At the summit, participants will refine their ideas and be able to compete for financial support and
expert support from our staff and extensive partner network.
 Proposals should be submitted using the GOOD Maker platform online at
www.Mobilize.org/MCESummit.
Dates + Deadlines Format
Proposal Monday, June 11 at 9am ET / 12pm PT Online via GOOD Maker
Online Voting Monday, June 11– Friday, June 29 Online via GOOD Maker
at 9am ET / 12pm PT
Finalist Notifications Participants accepted to the Summit and Award Email
Competition will be notified by Friday, June 29
Final Presentation Saturday, August 25 at 10:00pm ET USB or Disc at Information
Table in Hotel Lobby
You are encouraged to collaborate with your peers to develop a complete presentation before the summit (ex.
PowerPoint, video or speech). A sample PowerPoint presentation will be shared with the Semi-Finalists prior to
the summit.
Semi-Finalists should bring their completed proposal and presentation to the summit. A workshop will take
place on Saturday, August 25 in the evening where you can practice your presentation and receive feedback.
You will have the opportunity to make final edits to your presentation before submitting it to the Mobilize.org
Team. Presentations will be checked for technological compatibility and uploaded for the Competition
beginning the next morning
To see examples of past Mobilize.org Award Winners visit http://bit.ly/MobilizeInvestments and read about our
current and past investments.
Mobilize.org empowers and invests in Millennials to create and implement solutions to social problems.