Specific Examples of Past Results
Tova managed get-out-the-vote (GOTV) campaigns in 2022 and 2020, focused on mobilizing the disability community and other groups with traditionally low turnout.
- Campaigns included door-to-door canvassing in 2022, phone, text and direct mail in both elections.
- Team size ranged from 5-11 paid staff (diverse by age, race, gender and disability) plus dozens of volunteers.
- Hundreds of thousands of voters reached by P2P texting, thousands through more intensive personal contact.
Image Description: Two Black disabled people raise their fists at a Black Disabled Lives Matter protest in Detroit. One has her walker and guide dog, the other sits in his wheelchair. Behind them, other protestors holding signs wear masks and “Black Lives Matter” shirts. Photo by Dessa Cosma.
Also for Detroit Disability Power:
Tova served as primary author and project manager for The A to Z of Effective, Inclusive Campaigns: Win Elections by Getting Out the Disability Vote (2022), an online manual and 300-page print guide for electoral activists.
“This guide is a phenomenal resource. I encourage every candidate who seeks to mobilize a diverse and intersectional coalition of voters to incorporate these principles and tips into the infrastructure of their campaign. We all have notes to take and lessons to learn here.”
—Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)
Image Description: The front cover of The A to Z of Effective, Inclusive Campaigns. The guide’s title is in large white print on a dark purple background. A photo shows a Detroit march demanding all votes in the 2020 election be counted. Participants are walking and using wheelchairs. The guide’s authors are listed in purple print on white. Guide’s cover photo by Teddy Dorsette III.
Image Description: Two people are dancing on stage at Caz Family Camp. They are casually dressed, arms raised, and grinning. Photo by Scott Stanford.
When Tova joined the “Caz” leadership team in January 2021, the camp faced major challenges. It was unclear if holding camp in pandemic conditions in summer 2021 would be safe or financially feasible. A new law meant setting up a burdensome payroll system. And Caz’s landlord warned that long-delayed construction on site might start during camp, which could literally throw a wrench into the arts gathering.
Thanks to the leadership team’s careful, creative planning, a lot of hard work and above all, camper and staff families’ love of Caz, camp in 2021 went off without a hitch (and not a single covid case). In 2022, a new location and additional week was added, bringing new families and new art forms. And donations in 2022, powered by Tova’s systematized fundraising and personal donor contacts, increased by over 100% from pre-pandemic levels.
Having stepped down as director, Tova remains a dedicated camper and continues to advise on camp finances as Caz Family Camp pivots for the post-pandemic era.
Image Description: A toddler leans on the side railing of a low wooden bridge, looking intently at the grass below. Trees fill the background. Photo by Cinthya Silverstein.
For Mondoweiss.net nonprofit news site:
Image Description: Screen capture of the Mondoweiss news website. The title of the site is at the top, followed by the tagline “News & Opinion About Palestine, Israel & the United States.” Below that are photos accompanying news articles.
In 2014, the independent media outlet Mondoweiss was an online project run by a few dedicated editors working with freelance reporters. When Israel invaded Gaza that summer, the website’s traffic soared. Mondoweiss’s increased audience meant new demands. The team was ready to deliver more, and thousands of people valued the work. Tova came on board to create channels and processes so Mondoweiss could consistently collect funds from those who wanted to invest in fair, thoughtful reporting and analysis.
Over the next five years, Tova raised funds, built community among supporters, and set up structures for institutional stability and growth. Existing and new team members transitioned from contractor status to regular employment with health insurance. Ad hoc budgeting gave way to fully planned and tracked finances, and donor retention rates reached 62% (U.S. nonprofits’ average is 40-45%).
Mondoweiss dramatically increased its budget, donor numbers, and volume of news content — all of which enabled it to fulfill its mission at a higher level.
