Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund
1012 14th Street, NW Suite 707
Washington DC  20005
vox: 202-842-8679
fax: 202-289-3863
email: victoryf@aol.com
William Waybourn, Executive Director

Important Facts About The Victory Fund
                           
-- The Victory Fund is a donor network of individuals who are committed to 
electing openly gay and lesbian public officials.  Although it is a registered 
political action committee (PAC), the Victory Fund supports candidates with 
in-kind contributions, referrals to campaign professionals and access to its 
donor network.  It is a nonconnected multi-candidate Federal political action 
committee, has no affiliation with any other organization and backs candidates 
for races at the city, county, state and federal levels.

-- The Victory Fund was founded on May 1, 1991.

-- Since its inception, it has raised more than $500,000 for recommended 
candidates. 

-- Candidates who are recommended must meet certain criteria and complete an
exhaustive screening process (see Candidate Criteria sheet).

-- The Victory Fund has helped elect the nation's first openly lesbian 
African American woman to public office (Sherry Harris, Seattle City Council).  
Other "firsts" for Victory Fund candidates include the first openly gay and 
lesbian state representatives in Oregon (Gail Shibley), Texas (Glen Maxey) 
and Wisconsin (Tammy Baldwin).  The Victory Fund also played an important 
role in the re-election of Massachusetts Congressman Gerry Studds.  

-- During the 1993 election cycle, the Victory Fund has already helped eight
candidates win office:  Los Angeles City Council member Jackie Goldberg; 
Dallas City Council member Craig McDaniel; Madison, Wisconsin Municipal Judge 
Shelley Gaylord; San Diego City Councilmember Christine Kehoe; member of the 
Carrboro, North Carolina Board of Aldermen Michael Nelson; Santa Barbara City 
Councilmember Tom Roberts; Manhattan Civil Court Judge Marilyn Shafer; and
member of the Minneapolis Board of Estimate and Taxation Wallace Swan.

-- Because of its unique structure, the Victory Fund enables small donors to 
have a major impact in races.  Members join the Victory Fund for $100 or more, 
then agree to give at least $100 to two recommended candidates within a 
12-month period.  After candidates are qualified, members receive profiles of 
each race and choose which candidates to support, and when.  Checks are made 
payable to the candidate's campaign, but sent to the Victory Fund, where they 
are combined with contributions from other members and sent to the campaign 
as a massive show of community support.

-- Membership in the Victory Fund is now more than 3,000 nationwide.

-- To demonstrate the Victory Fund's effectiveness, some 72 candidates 
contacted the Fund for financial aid during the 1992 election cycle.  Of 
these candidates, only 12 were recommended to the network, of which six won.  
Of the remaining 60 candidates, only two won.

-- The Victory Fund Political Resource Directory links qualified candidates 
(and potential candidates) with gay and lesbian officials, gay and lesbian 
political clubs and gay-friendly campaign professionals who can help them run 
winning campaigns.

-- The Victory Fund Candidate Training Institute organizes regional workshops 
for candidates and campaign managers to give them an edge on the competition.