Political Action Committees (PACs) have become one of the most important and influential methods of political participation in the United States. They provide opportunities for like-minded individuals - such as those who care about Texas home care – to come together and speak with one voice through their involvement.

Here's What YOU Can Do

1. The most important action you can take to make the Texas HOMECARE PAC succeed is to make a generous personal contribution of your own. All owners, managers and employees of TAHC Members (Providers and Associates) are asked to consider contributing ½ of 1 percent of their annual salary.

2. Visit with your fellow owners and senior managers to ask that they contribute at that same level - ½ of 1 percent of their annual salary. Only after your owners and senior managers have set an example should you ask other employees to contribute.

3. Conduct a solicitation effort through mail, phone, e-mail, briefings and other means to provide all of your employees with the opportunity to contribute.

4. Allow your managers and employees to contribute through payroll deduction and encourage them to contribute in this way.

5. Keep your managers and employees informed of legislative issues that affect your business and encourage their grassroots involvement in the political process.

If enough Texas home care leaders do these five things, we will succeed in making the Texas HOMECARE PAC something in which we can all take considerable pride as a powerful voice for Texas home care and the patients we serve.

Thousands of national and state trade associations, professional organizations, corporations, elected officials and other interests have established PACs. By pooling the financial contributions of many individuals, PACs allow them to speak with a single, more powerful voice when the PACs to which they belong make larger contributions to candidates. There are two kinds of PACs utilized by trade and professional associations:

PACs are nothing more than democracy in action. They allow citizens to band together to advance their mutual interests just as our Founding Fathers wished. Their activities are strictly regulated and publicly disclosed.

Fundraising Do's and Don'ts

Do's:

• Talk personally with senior-level people within your organization to encourage them to contribute.

• Solicit as many owners, managers and employees of your agency as possible and their families.

• Make use of resource materials in soliciting funds from managers and employees.

• Conduct briefings for as many managers and employees as possible.

• Suggest the ½ of 1 percent guideline to all owners, managers and employees.

• Establish an ability to collect contributions through payroll deduction.

• Designate one individual within your organization to collect all payroll deduction authorizations, credit card authorizations and checks.

• Provide food or refreshments for participants at fundraising briefings - ice cream social, hot dogs and hamburgers are great! (You must raise at least three times as much money as you spend. This rule does not apply to meetings for other purposes at which you will solicit for the PAC.)

• Invite TAHC staff or lobbyists to speak at employee PAC briefings to help you make the sale.

• Consult with TAHC staff regarding inviting an appropriate state legislator to speak at employee PAC briefings.

• Use a combination of approaches in raising funds for the PAC - peer-to-peer solicitation, briefings, mailings, e-mail, internet, telephone, etc.

Don'ts:

• Do not give even the slightest appearance of coercing anyone into contributing to the PAC.

• Do not accept contributions from non-U.S. citizens.

• Do not accept anonymous contributions.

• Do not accept contributions from anyone other than an owner, manager or employee of your agency or their families. (Patients, patient families, suppliers and others external to your agency may not be solicited.)

• Do not sponsor a raffle to raise funds.

• Do not raise money in any event or meeting in the State Capitol or the Capitol Extension.

• Do not contribute to the PAC through a corporation.

• Do not reimburse employees for their contributions or base bonuses upon anticipated or actual contributions made by individuals.

Resources

Everything you need to successfully raise funds for the Texas Home Care Defense Fund within your organization have been developed to make your job as easy as possible including:

• Special PAC training opportunities in which you can learn everything you need to know about soliciting funds for the Texas HOMECARE PAC;

• TAHC staff and lobbyists who help you plan contribution solicitation efforts for your organization and who can participate in management and employee fundraising briefings.

TAHC can also make available brief summaries of its positions on major legislative and regulatory issues that you can use in management and employee education efforts. Please contact TAHC staff to request any of these resources or to discuss your Texas HOMECARE PAC management and employee contribution solicitation plans.

For More Information and Help: Heather Vasek or EvaLe Adams of the TAHC staff are available to assist you in your efforts to raise money for the Texas HOMECARE PAC.  Please contact us at (800) 880-8893 to request resource materials available to you or to discuss your fundraising ideas and plans. TAHC will be glad to highlight your successes in the newsletter Perspective.