Grassroots Award Application

Established in 2011, the Grassroots Chapter Recognition program recognizes chapters at one of three levels – Bronze, Silver, or Gold – for outstanding grassroots performance. It also provides a self-evaluation tool to help chapters continue to improve their grassroots activities.

The Bronze, Silver and Gold levels of achievement are based on a point system for actions and policies the chapter has in place. Performance is measured through a chapter self-evaluation like ABC’s STEP Safety Management System.

There are 100 possible points in the application process. You must achieve at least 70 of 100 points to be considered for an award.

Recognition and Rewards

Gold Level (90-100 points)

Recognition during the 2025 ABC Legislative Conference as a Gold Grassroots Chapter
Plaque designating chapter as Gold Award Winner

Silver Level (80-90 points)

Recognition during the 2025 ABC Legislative Conference as a Silver Grassroots Chapter
Plaque designating chapter as Silver Award Winner

Bronze Level (70-80 points)

Recognition during the 2025 ABC Legislative Conference as a Bronze Grassroots Chapter
Plaque designating chapter as Bronze Award Winner

The Self-Evaluation

Below are eight questions - six to be completed by the chapter, one to be completed by ABC National. Please read each question carefully and provide additional information when requested.

Name

1) Grassroots Volunteer Leadership Involvement – Select ONE of the following volunteer leadership involvement categories that applied to your chapter in 2024. (10 points available) :
Grassroots Committee (standing chapter committee primarily dedicated to grassroots activity and distinct from other standing committees). – 10 points
Grassroots Subcommittee/Taskforce as part of Government Affairs Committee – 7 points
Standing Government Affairs Committee whose duties include significant grassroots activities. – 5 points
Ad hoc group put together for a specific grassroots activity – 3 points.
No grassroots focus in political/legislative/government affairs committee – 0 points.

If you have a committee or subcommittee, how often do they meet?

Who is the chapter staff contact for the committee/group? Name and email address

2) Chapter Website: Select ONE option that best describes your chapter website in 2024. (10 points available)

Dedicated portion of the website to grassroots resources created by the chapter (e.g. grassroots alerts, ABC Action App information, link to National ABC Action Center, finding local or state political resources, etc.). – 10 points
Dedicated portion of the website to general government affairs activity with resources created by the chapter. – 7 points
Link to ABC National’s grassroots and/or government affairs portion of the website – 3 points.
No grassroots or government affairs resources on website – 0 points

Link to Grassroots Portion of Website:

3) Chapter Publications/Communications: Select ONE option that best describes your Chapter publications in 2024. (10 points available).

Publish at least six-chapter articles on government affairs involvement annually – 10 points.
Publish at least three-chapter articles on government affairs involvement annually – 7 points.
Publish at least five of ABC National’s government affairs articles annually – 5 points.
Publish less than five ABC National articles on government affairs annually – 0 points.

*Attach articles to this application to receive credit for this question:

4) Grassroots Engagement: Select ONE option that applies to your chapter’s lawmaker visit efforts in 2024, per ABC Strategic Plan criteria. (10 points available).:
Hosted seven or more lawmaker visits– 10 points
Hosted two to six lawmaker visits – 7 points
Hosted one lawmaker visit – 5 points.
Did not host any lawmaker visits – 0 points.

Include any applicable links documenting lawmaker visit (e.g., social media posts):

5) State Legislator Scorecards: Select ONE option that your chapter utilized to track key merit shop legislation and monitor lawmaker votes on the state and/or local level in 2024 (10 points available).

Participated in the ABC Action App state scorecard tool OR published a comprehensive legislative scorecard post-legislative session for chapter membership. – 10 points
Maintain internal scorecard to track legislation and monitor lawmaker votes, but did not integrate them into the ABC Action App or publish for chapter membership. – 7 points
Have a system in place to track relevant legislation, but do not grade lawmakers on an internal scorecard for use in political engagement strategy. – 5 points
Have no system in place for maintaining a legislator scorecard, tracking legislation, or monitoring lawmaker votes on the state and/or local level. – 0 points

Documentation of State Legislator Scorecard

6) Chapter Involvement in State-Level Government Affairs Activities: SELECT ALL Items that applied to your chapter in 2024. (30 points available)

State Lobbyist (internal or retained on contract) – 5 points
State Legislative Day at the Capital – 5 points
Reception for candidates or current lawmakers – 4 points
State/local candidate interviews and endorsements – 4 points
Distributed grassroots/action alerts on legislative issues – 4 points
Member testimony/participation in state/local policy hearings – 4 points
Held in-district lawmaker meetings – 4 points

TO BE COMPLETED BY ABC NATIONAL STAFF:

SUBTOTAL (points from Questions 1-6): ____

1) Action App users compared to chapter membership in 2024 – ABC National will score.

a. The chapter’s user count is 40% or more of chapter total membership membership (e.g. 285 app users vs. 305 total members = 285/305 = 93%) – 10 points.
b. The user count is 21%-40% of chapter membership (e.g. 121 users vs. 343 members, 121/343 = 35%) – 7 points.
c. User count is 11-20% of chapter membership – 5 points.
d. Less than 10% of your member companies have at least one employee who has downloaded the ABC Action app – 0 points.

2) Federal ABC PAC Contributions in 2024 – ABC National will score.

a. Chapters per member dollar average contribution exceeded $50.00 – 10 points
b. Chapters per member dollar average contribution was between $35 - $50.00 – 7 points
c. Chapters per member dollar average contribution was between $20 – $35.00 – 5 points
d. Chapters per member dollar average contribution was below $20.00 – 0 points

TOTAL (Self-evaluation and ABC National scoring): _____
AWARD: _______________________

Submit

Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2025, Associated Builders and Contractors is a national construction industry trade association established in 1950 with 67 chapters and more than 23,000 members. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, ABC helps members develop people, win work and deliver that work safely, ethically and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which ABC and its members work.

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