- The National Organization for Women Foundation (“NOW Foundation”) is a 501(c) (3) organization devoted to achieving full equality for women through education and litigation.
- They focus on a broad range of women’s rights issues, including:
- economic justice
- pay equity
- racial discrimination
- women’s health and body image
- women with disabilities
- reproductive rights and justice
- family law
- marriage and family formation rights of same-sex couples
- representation of women in the media
- global feminist issues.
Who is a Member?
Endorsing Candidates/PACs
- NOW has a PAC, THE NOWPAC.
- One of the 18 candidates NOW endorsed was Kentucky Democratic Senate candidate Alison Lundergan because she has promised to fight to eliminate the wage gap and raise the minimum wage.
Not many large corporations support NOW, as it is primarily a democratic group.
National Organization of Women
Money Collected and Spent
A Tactic Employed by NOW
- NOW has used protest tactics condemning the lack of an indictment of NYD officer Daniel Pantaleo regarding the death of Eric Garner .
In the past:
- 1992
- raised $710.8k
- spent $697.9k
- 2002
- raised $216.8k
- spent $304.7k
Today:
- 2014 raised $136.4k
- spent $101.3k
In 2014 NOW spent money on:
- Administrative travel & lodging--$3,499
- Accountants, compliance & legal services--$497
- Contributions to federal candidates-- $5,500
- Contributions to joint fundraising committees--$1,000
- Fundraising fees-- $3,343
- Fundraising events-- $650
- Unclassifiable consulting $5,750
What type of special interest group are they?
Works Cited
- NOW is equality advocates
- Equal rights is the primary goal of such interest groups
- equality in practice is slower
- there is nothing in the Constitution that guarantees women's rights
- National Organization of Women. "Alison Lundergan Grimes (D-KY, U.S. Senate)." National Organization for Women Political Action Committees. NOW, 24 Oct. 2014. Web. 05 Dec. 2014. <http://nowpac.org/alison-lundergan-grimes-d-ky-u-s-senate-2014/>.
- National Organization of Women. "Alison Lundergan Grimes (D-KY, U.S. Senate)." National Organization for Women Political Action Committees. NOW, 24 Oct. 2014. Web. 05 Dec. 2014. <http://nowpac.org/alison-lundergan-grimes-d-ky-u-s-senate-2014/>.
- "National Organization for Women |." National Organization for Women. National Organization for Women, 2014. Web. 02 Dec. 2014. <http://now.org/>.
- "NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN (NOW) v. SCHEIDLER." National Organization for Women (NOW) v. Scheidler. Oyez, Inc., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2014.
- Novak, Viveca. "National Organization for Women." Opensecrets RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2014. <https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pac2pac.php?cycle=2014&cmte=C00092247>.
Recent Victory
Victory:
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN (NOW) v. SCHEIDLER
- NOW sued the Pro-Life Action Network (PLAN), a coalition of anti-abortion groups
- NOW alleged that Scheidler and other PLAN members were part of a nationwide conspiracy, obstructinf women's access to abortion clinics through an actual or implied threat of violence.
- SCOTUS voted unanimously for NOW
- SCOTUS held that organizations without an economic motive can affect interstate or foreign commerce, so one cannot hinder its operation.
NOW's Current Issue: Love Your Body
Defeat: Equal Rights Amendment
- What it is: A constitutional amendment passed by Congress in 1972 stating that "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the U.S. or by an state o account of sex.
- failed to get 3/4 of the legislature therefore not ratified
- They believe that the media imposes the idea on young girls that being desired should be a primary function of being a woman.
- They believe this is wrong.
- Further into their stand:
- media is guilty of objectifying young girls and in turn has resulted in the expectation of women to look young
- women are expected to conform to these beauty standards as shown through the many ads about beauty products
- What they intend to do:
- exposing the current standards of beauty as unrealistic an unhealthy in many cases
- be models of self acceptance
- support media programs that promote diversity and realistic versions of women