Association of Texas Professional Educators
Association of Texas Professional Educators

ATPE-PAC Awards

Recognizing ATPE members' advocacy efforts 

Donations to the PAC do not go unrecognized. Members who invest in ATPE-PAC are recognized for their contributions through the William B. Travis, Stephen F. Austin, ATPE-PAC Statesman, and ATPE-PAC Hall of Fame awards, in ATPE publications, and at ATPE events. The local units and regions that contribute the most money to ATPE-PAC per member are recognized through the Davy Crockett Fundraising Challenge. Find out more about each award by clicking on the award names below.

These honorees are members who have been fundamental to the continued growth of the ATPE Political Action Committee (ATPE-PAC). First-year honorees will each receive a customized ATPE lapel pin or fine writing pen. Donors who have already received their first-year awards will receive a customized lapel pin every year after that.

Criteria and guidelines
  1. To be an honoree, a member must donate at least $150 to ATPE-PAC from August 1 through July 31.
  2. All donations must be received by July 31.
  3. We must be able to associate your name with eligible donations. Unfortunately, anonymous donations cannot be included in your donation total.
  4. Honorees will be recognized at the ATPE Summit.

These honorees are members who have shown continued support of ATPE-PAC through the years. Honorees will be recognized at the ATPE Summit and through various other ATPE communication outlets.

Criteria and guidelines
  1. By July 31, an honoree must have donated a total of $500, $1,500, $2,500, $5,000, or $7,500 to ATPE-PAC since the 1997 Leadership Workshop (July 11, 1997).
  2. All donations must be received by July 31.
  3. We must be able to associate your name with eligible donations. Unfortunately, anonymous donations cannot be included in your donation total.
  4. Honorees will be recognized at the ATPE Summit.

These honorees are members who have given $20 per month for 12 consecutive months to the ATPE-PAC using their debit or credit card. Honorees will be recognized at the ATPE Summit and through various other ATPE communication outlets.

Guidelines
  1. Enrollment is easy; simply click on the following link to start your monthly support for ATPE-PAC today: member.atpe.org/Donate.
  2. Donations will be charged to your card on the 16th and 17th of each month.
  3. You can cancel your donations at any time; you are under no obligation to complete the 12-month donation period.

This award is bestowed to those members who have donated $10,000 or more to the ATPE-PAC since the 1997 Leadership Workshop (July 11, 1997). Honorees will be recognized at the ATPE Summit and through various other ATPE communication outlets.

Guidelines
  1. To be an honoree, a member must donate a total of $10,000 to the PAC.
  2. All donations must be received by July 31.
  3. We must be able to associate your name with eligible donations. Unfortunately, anonymous donations cannot be included in your donation total.
  4. Members will receive a special recognition and be recognized at the ATPE Summit.
Overview

This challenge was established to recognize the regions and local units that raise the most money per member for  ATPE-PAC. Winning regions and local units will receive special recognition in ATPE publications, on the website, and at the annual ATPE Summit. Any travel assistance for attending the ATPE Summit must be arranged through the local unit and is contingent upon availability of local unit resources.

Judging process

All funds donated to ATPE-PAC will be recorded at the state office and attributed to the individual, local unit, and region. This includes donations on membership applications and individual donations at ATPE events or other fundraisers. One winner will be named in each of the following categories (based on size):

  • Region, fewer than 10,000 members
  • Region, 10,000+ members
  • Local unit, 1–200 members
  • Local unit, 201–500 members
  • Local unit, 501+ members
Timeline

Regions and local units have from August 1 through July 31 to raise as much money as possible for ATPE-PAC. All donations must be received by July 31.

We must be able to associate your name with eligible donations. Unfortunately, anonymous donations cannot be included in your donation total.

Honorees will be recognized at the ATPE Summit.

When collecting donations, remember to:
  • Compile a list of individual donors and amounts. (Email  government@atpe.org  to request special PAC envelopes.)
  • Call the state office to discuss your fundraising ideas. (The Texas Ethics Commission  prohibits certain activities.)
  • Remind members that donations cannot come from state, region, or local unit dues dollars and are not tax-deductible.
  • Attach names to donations. We must be able to associate a name with eligible donations. Unfortunately, anonymous donations cannot be included in a donation total.
  • If you receive any cash donations, we ask that a personal or local unit check be sent to the office instead. The supporting documentation for all cash donations should include a list of the donor’s first and last name along with the local unit name. Finally, all donations should be sent via certified mail to the attention of Javier Ybarra.
Tips for fundraising
  • Encourage members to donate when completing their membership applications.
  • Collect donations at local unit meetings.
  • Host a fundraiser such as a silent auction.
  • Pass out special ATPE-PAC donation envelopes to your members so they can send their donations directly to the ATPE state office. The envelopes come with a donation form printed on the inside and are postage-paid for convenience. To order envelopes for your local unit, email  government@atpe.org.
  • Encourage members to donate at ATPE functions (ATPE Summit, ATPE at the Capitol, or a political involvement training workshop).
  • Inform members that all donations—which cannot be made anonymously—qualify them for region, local unit, and individual awards.