Finding aid for the Robert Kaplan political campaign, ballot measure, and fundraising papers 6123
Sue Luftschein
USC Libraries Special Collections
2016 September
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, California 90089-0189
specol@usc.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Special Collections
Title: Robert Kaplan political campaign, ballot measure, and fundraising papers
creator:
Kaplan, Robert
Identifier/Call Number: 6123
Physical Description:
7 Linear Feet
7 boxes
Date (inclusive): 1981-2015
Abstract: Robert Kaplan is an internationally known campaign, communications and fundraising consultant and advisor who has planned,
designed, positioned, directed and executed more than 250 fundraising and capital campaigns, grassroots, voter outreach and
other communications programs for a variety of interests. His experience includes more than 30 statewide initiative campaigns.
Kaplan has worked with public and private sector groups and clients on a wide range of issues including renewable energy,
environmental preservation and natural resources management, public safety, transportation, public school finance, public
employee pensions, land-use, auto and health insurance, public-private partnerships and capital campaigns for the construction
of buildings and public parks. The Robert Kaplan political campaign, ballot measure, and fundraising papers consists of
correspondence, memorandums, reports, audio visual materials, and ephemera, created and collected by Robert Kaplan during
the course of his professional fundraising activities. Included are materials for many of the campaigns on which Kaplan worked,
which include ballot initiatives (primarily in California but some in other states) and political campaigns (primarily in
California but some in other states); political action committees; and general fundraising.
Biographical note
Robert Kaplan is known internationally for his skills as a campaign, communications and fundraising consultant and advisor.
Clients have included initiative campaigns, political action committees, special interest groups, trade associations, not-for-profit
organizations and foundations, candidates and independent expenditure efforts. Kaplan is widely viewed as an expert in these
areas. Kaplan has planned, designed, positioned, directed and executed more than 250 fundraising and capital campaigns, grassroots,
voter outreach and other communications programs for a variety of interests. His experience includes more than 30 statewide
initiative campaigns.
Honored as the "2008 Fundraiser of the Year" by the American Association of Political Consultants, Kaplan has also been named
a "Rising Star," "Mover & Shaker" and "America's Hottest Fund Raiser" by Campaigns & Elections magazine. Kaplan's work has
won numerous Pollie Awards (the political consulting worlds' equivalent of the Oscars) and he was also named to the 2010 Aristotle
National Campaign Dream Team.
Robert Kaplan has worked with public and private sector groups and clients on a wide range of issues, including renewable
energy, environmental preservation and natural resources management, public safety, transportation, public school finance,
public employee pensions, land-use, auto and health insurance, public-private partnerships and capital campaigns for the construction
of buildings and public parks.
Kaplan has been published more than a dozen times and is a frequent speaker at conferences, training programs and other community
events. His activities and clients span the United States, Israel, Mexico, Canada and the former Soviet Union. In 1990 Kaplan
was among the first twelve American political consultants invited to the former Soviet Union to train government and party
officials on the role of politics and political campaigns in building a democratic government.
Following a degree in Rhetoric from the University of California at Berkeley, Kaplan was awarded a CORO Foundation Fellowship
in Public Affairs. He then completed his Fellowship and studies in Public Policy at the Claremont Graduate School.
Kaplan spent more than a decade as a Director of the American Association of Political Consultants where, as Chair of both
its 2008 and 2009 National Pollie Awards Conferences, he reworked their programs and awards. Kaplan was a member of the Board
of the CORO Foundation of Southern California, the Board of Hillel at UCLA and on the United Jewish Appeal National Leadership
Cabinet representing the Los Angeles Jewish Federation. Robert was instrumental in the creation of, and serves as a Co-Chair
of, the Los Angeles Political Roast benefiting the American Diabetes Association.
Kaplan began his political, public affairs and fundraising career in 1966 at the ripe age of 9 when he was dragged by his
older brother Allan to "volunteer" for a California State Assembly campaign. Robert was the youngest envelope stuffing, precinct
walking, lawn sign planting and telephone soliciting for votes and money volunteer on that campaign, which set the stage for
a lifetime of activities devoted to public and community service.
Scope and Contents
The Robert Kaplan political campaign, ballot measure, and fundraising papers consists of correspondence, memorandums, reports,
audio visual materials, and ephemera, created and collected by Robert Kaplan during the course of his professional fundraising
activities. Included are materials for many of the campaigns on which Kaplan worked, which include ballot initiatives (primarily
in California but some in other states) and political campaigns (primarily in California but some in other states); political
action committees; and general fundraising.
Conditions Governing Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. Advance notice required for access.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder no. or item name], Robert Kaplan political campaign, ballot measure, and fundraising papers, Collection no. 6123,
Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of the Kaplan family, May 17, 2016.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Fund raising -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources
Political action committees -- United States -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Political campaigns -- California -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Political campaigns -- United States -- Archival resources
Referendum -- California -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Audiocassettes
Brochures
Letters
Memorandums
Pamphlets
Reports
Videocassettes
Kaplan, Robert -- Archives
Box 1, Folder 1
Dan Whitehurst for U.S. Senate
1981
Scope and Contents
Jerry Brown opposition research.
Box 3, Folder 12
Dianne Feinstein for Governor
1990
Box 3, Folder 7
Diane Watson for Supervisor
1992
Box 3, Folder 8
Christine Reed for State Assembly
1992
Box 3, Folder 9
Evan Anderson Braude for Congress
1992
Box 3, Folder 10
Maureen Reagan for Congress
1992
Box 5, Folder 6
Tom Houston for Mayor
1993
Box 5, Folder 7
Joel Wachs for Mayor
1993
Box 5, Folder 8
Dennis Zine LA City Council
1993
Box 5, Folder 9
Al Dib for LA City Council
1993
Box 5, Folder 12
Ken LeBlanc for State Senate
1993
Box 5, Folder 14
Donna Chessen for State Senate
1994
Box 5, Folder 15
Mark Slavkin for Assembly
1994
Box 5, Folder 16
Carl Wallace for Governor of Tennessee
1994
Box 5, Folder 17
Maureen DiMarco for Superintendent of Public Instruction
1994
Box 5, Folder 18
Ray Grabinski for Mayor
1994
Box 5, Folder 19
Stan Statham for Lt. Governor
1994
Box 5, Folder 20
Doug Drummond for Supervisor
1995
Box 5, Folder 21
Jim Prince for Congress
1995
Box 4, Folder 8
Lt. Governor Nevada/Rose McKinney-James
1998
Box 4, Folder 10
Ed Ranger Misc. Info
1998
Box 6, Folder 6
Hector Cepeda for LA City Council/Independent Edxpenditure Direct Mail
2001
Box 6, Folder 7
Ken Hillman for LA City Council/Independent Expenditre Direct Mail
2001
Box 6, Folder 8
Dennis Zine for LA City Council/Independent Expenditure Direct Mail
2001
Box 6, Folder 10
Nick Pacheco for LA City Council Independent Expenditure Direct Mail
2003
Box 2, Folder 5
Reelect Bernard Parks L.A. City Council/Direct Mail Campaign Memos
2011
Box 2, Folder 8
Mitch O'Farrell for LA City Council/Independent Expenditure Direct Mail
2013
Box 2, Folder 9
Dennis Zine for LA Cit Controller/Independent Expenditures Direct Mail
2013
Box 2, Folder 10
Carmen Trutanich for City Attorney/Independent Expenditure Direct Mail
2013
Box 7, Folder 25
MIscellaneous Campaign Plans
undated
Box 1, Folder 2
Prop 9 Boswell/Salyer Report/Peripheral Canal Initiative
1982
Box 1, Folder 3
Citizens for Property Rights, Los Gatos
1984
Box 1, Folder 4
Prop 51 Deep Pocket Initiative
1986
Box 1, Folder 5
No on 61--Californians for Quality Government
1986
Insurance Initiatives/Yes on 100/No on 101, 104, 106
Box 1, Folder 6
[Prop 100 materials]
1986
Box 1, Folder 7
Prop 100 Fundraising Manual
1988
Box 1, Folder 8
Various Memos Prop 100
1988
Box 1, Folder 11
Prop 100 Contributions Analysis
1988
Box 1, Folder 13
Yes on 71/No on 72: California's [sic] For Quality Government
1988
Box 1, Folder 14
Yes on Prop 138 New Forestry Initiative/No on Prop 130
1990
Box 3, Folder 1
Yes on 111 & 108/Gas Tax
1990
Box 3, Folder 3
Prop 166/Consumer Health Insurance Coalition
1992
Box 3, Folder 5
Deputy Sheriff's Staffing Initiative/San Diego
1992
Box 3, Folder 11
Yes on Prop 162/Pension Protection
1992
Box 5, Folder 1
No on Prop 174/No on School Vouchers
1993
Box 5, Folder 2
3 Strikes and You're Out Initiative/Yes on 184
1993
Box 5, Folder 11
California Catholic Conference/Prop 161 (No on Euthanasia)
1993
Box 5, Folder 23
Alliance to Revitalize California
1995
Box 5, Folder 25
Yes on Prop 216/Consumers and Nurses for Patient Protection (California Nurse Practitioners)
1996
Box 4, Folder 1-3
Prop 199/Californians for Mobile Home Fairness
1995-1996
Box 4, Folder 4
Prop E/LA County Firefighters
1997
Box 4, Folder 5
LA Charter Reform/John Ferraro
1997
Box 4, Folder 7
No on 223/No on 95/5/Parents, Teachers an Educators for Local Control
1998
Box 6, Folder 2
Billboard Initiative/Save our Scenery (Missouri)
1999
Box 6, Folder 3
Grey2k/Greyhound Racing Ends 2000 Massachusetts
2000
Box 2, Folder 2
Initiative to Amend Three Strikes Law--California (Citizens Against Violent Crime)
2004
Box 2, Folder 3
Yes on 37/Colorado Renewable Energy
2004
Box 2, Folder 6
Yes on Prop 23/Auto Insturance Discount Act
2012
Box 3, Folder 4
California Chiropractic Association/Back the PAC
1992
Box 5, Folder 3
Jobs Through Workers Comp. Reform
1993
Box 5, Folder 4
CSEA PAC--Victory Club (A School Employees Assn.)
1993
Box 5, Folder 22
Nurse Practitioners PAC Fundraising
1995
Box 5, Folder 24
AMGA Plan/Timeline (Unified Medical PAC)
1996
Box 6, Folder 4
NJ Society of Optometric Physicians
2000
Box 6, Folder 5
Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce/No On Living Wage/Fair Initiative Chamber PAC
2001
Box 6, Folder 9
California Indian Health Partnership
2002
Box 2, Folder 7
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Jobs PAC
2012
Box 7, Folder 27
American Friends of Tel Aviv University
1986
Box 7, Folder 28
Friends of Tel Aviv University--INFA (Information for Americans)
1983
Box 3, Folder 2
California Democratic Party
1991
Box 5, Folder 10
California Fabricare Institute
1993
Box 6, Folder 1
Operation Secure Fund for Fail Safe Jail Systems
1998
Campaign and Fundraising documentation
Box 7, Folder 21
Sample Fundraising Plans (Redacted)
1997, undated
Box 7, Folder 22
Sample letters packet
1993-2000
Box 7, Folder 23
Sample Organization and other charts
undated
Articles and Publications by and about Robert Kaplan
Box 7, Folder 1
Cablevision Magazine, "Local Access Lagging"
1981
Box 7, Folder 2
Foundation for Community Service/Cable Television
1982
Box 7, Folder 3
California Public Broadcasting Commission (Testimony)
1982
Box 7, Folder 4
California Association of Realtors Initiative Handbook
1985
Box 7, Folder 5
Campaigns and Elections, "Rising Stars" (Article includes RK)
1991
Box 7, Folder 6
Campaigns and Elections, "Psychology of Silence: Raising More Money by Psyching Out Donors"
1991
Box 7, Folder 24
Campaigns and Elections--various seminar tapes
1991-2002
Box 7, Folder 7
Fund Raising Handbook by Robert Kaplan copyright 1992
1992
Box 7, Folder 8
Campaigns and Elections, "How to Win Phone Tag"
1993
Box 7, Folder 9
Campaigns and Elections, "Achieving Finance Committee Success"
1993
Box 7, Folder 10
Campaigns and Elections Book: Filling the War Chest, 2 chapters by RK
1993
Box 7, Folder 11
Campaigns and Elections, "Pushing the Envelope"
1994
Box 7, Folder 12
Iron Press, Inc., "Raising Money During Phase I & Phase II"
1995
Box 7, Folder 13
Campaigns and Elections, "Squeezing Out Every Last Cent"
1996
Box 7, Folder 14
Campaigns and Elections, "Professional Fundraising: A Team Approach:"
1996
Box 7, Folder 15
Campaigns and Elections, "LA Fire Alarm", "Bonds of Trust"
1997
Box 7, Folder 16
Campaigns and Elections, "Movers and Shakers" (Profile of RK)
1998
Box 7, Folder 17
Campaigns and Elections, "Getting the Most Out Of Your Professional Fundraiser"
2000
Box 7, Folder 18
Campaigns and Elections, "Raising Money: New Trends and Tips" (Interview with RK)
2003 April
Box 7, Folder 19
Winning Campaigns, "Use Practical Talk to Ask for Money"
2006
Box 2, Folder 4
Democratic National Committee/Western Regional Caucus
2007
Box 7, Folder 20
"Key Fundraising Points and Solicitation Notes"
2015
