Camp Prosperity: Advocacy 101 July 14, 2020
Welcome Tupa Hoveka Program Associate, Field Engagement Prosperity Now
Housekeeping • This webinar is being recorded and will be mailed to registrants and available online within one week • All webinar attendees are muted to ensure sound quality • Ask a question or share your thoughts anytime by typing into the text box of your GoToWebinar Control Panel • If you experience any technical issues, email gotomeeting@prosperitynow.org
Getting the Most Out of Today’s Call ▪ Join from a quiet space ▪ Grab a coffee or snack and settle in ▪ Engage! Send us your questions and comments as you listen ▪ Tweet with us on Twitter — use #CampProsperity ▪ Reflect on ways to apply what you learn today to your own work
Prosperity Now’s mission is to ensure everyone in our country has a clear path to financial stability, wealth and prosperity.
Welcome to Camp Prosperity! Vanna Cure Lead Camp Counselor Senior Advocacy Manager Prosperity Now
Camp Prosperity Webinar Series ▪ 4-week virtual learning program for new and experienced advocates ▪ Weekly newsletters and webinars; opportunities to connect with other advocates
Today’s Speakers Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins Chad Bolt District 20 Legislative Assistant Maryland House of Delegates Office of U.S. Senator @JheanelleW Sherrod Brown (D-OH) @chadderr
Today’s Agenda ✓ The Basics of Advocacy ✓ “Fireside Chats” – From Issue to Action: Effective Advocacy Strategies for Nonprofits ✓ A Legislator’s Perspective ✓ A Staffer’s Perspective ✓ Group Discussion and Q&A ✓ Next Steps & Close
Poll Question How would you describe your advocacy experience? 1. No advocacy experience 2. Interested in engaging in advocacy, but don't know where to start 3. Some experience, I’ve been advocating for less than a year 4. Seasoned advocate
The Basics of Advocacy Vanna Cure Lead Camp Counselor Senior Advocacy Manager Prosperity Now
What is advocacy? ▪ Policy advocacy is the act of taking a position on an issue and sharing that position with someone who can do something about it to bring systematic, lasting policy change. Why advocate? ▪ Raise awareness ▪ Foster discussion about ▪ Protect (or increase) issues funding ▪ It’s our duty! ▪ Educate policymakers / public /media ▪ Empower constituents
The Case for Nonprofits in Advocacy There is a common misconception that nonprofit organizations cannot engage in advocacy, but in fact, nonprofit organizations can: Play a vital role in Make connections developing and between implementing policymakers and public policies their constituents Educate lawmakers and the public about policy issues
Types of Advocacy ▪ Legislative- process by which elected officials (e.g., members of Congress, state legislators, school board officials, etc.) introduce and pass legislation that becomes law. ▪ Regulatory- Once a law is passed, the responsible agency, or agencies, develop the rules and regulations to enforce the underlying law. Advocating to inform or influence this process is known as regulatory or administrative advocacy. ▪ Budgetary- process of informing or influencing decisions about how public money will be allocated.
How Do You Advocate for Change? Advocacy does not have to be scary. There are some simple ways in which you can advocate for policy change including: ✓ Data and research to make your case for change ✓ Careful messaging and framing to build awareness, change public perception and move people to action ✓ Educating and engaging policymakers and other stakeholders ✓ Building a strong and diverse coalition or network of partners to amplify your voice and impact
Advocacy Strategies Data and Research: Effective advocacy campaigns are grounded in data, historical context and contemporary contributing factors. Prosperity Now’s Scorecard, national nonprofits, research institutions and government agencies are good places to find data. While collecting and ground-truthing data may seem daunting, service providers can gather valuable data directly from clients through large-scale listening sessions, anonymized client-level data, or one-on-one surveying. Personal anecdotes tell the story of an individual; research and data tell the story of a community.
Advocacy Strategies Messaging and Framing: When crafting a narrative around data and disparities in the community, focus on articulating desired policy outcomes in a manner that is: Clear Galvanizing Concise Actionable
Advocacy Strategies (cont’d) Educating and Engaging Policymakers: ▪ Host virtual events (town halls, legislative breakfast, advocacy day, press conferences) to build public awareness about an issue and educate policymakers ▪ When it’s safe to do so, invite policymakers to your organization/site to learn about an issue, service or program (elected officials love doing this, gives them a nice photo op!) ▪ Meet with your elected officials in person to weigh in on an issue or policy change ▪ Draft a petition or sign-on letter to express views on an issue and ask coalition/community members to sign on ▪ Participate in a townhall and ask your elected officials questions about his/her policy positions- you can find information on your legislator’s website or social media ✓ Hold them accountable to their stated positions- follow up! ▪ Submit comments or feedback on regulations as they are being developed
Prosperity Now Advocacy Center Get started today at https://prosperitynow.org/take-action Here you can: ▪ Email a legislator ▪ Call a legislator ▪ Tweet at a legislator ▪ Schedule a Meeting ▪ Sign a petition
Advocacy Strategies (cont’d) Building a Strong and Effective Coalition: ▪ Organize and mobilize stakeholders (coalition partners) to share their story and advocate for change ▪ Educate the public about the legislative process ▪ Introduce constituents to the legislators who represent them — remember, policymakers always want to hear from their constituents! ▪ Hold advocacy days to train coalition members and other stakeholders on basic advocacy skills, and to educate them about your issue
Fighting Fatigue ▪ Remember that you are in it for the long haul — advocacy is a process and policy wins rarely happen over night ✓ It requires perseverance, incremental change and building the groundwork for future success ▪ Revisit your “why” frequently to ensure that your message and framing continue to resonate with key stakeholders, and reflect the reality of the political landscape ▪ Celebrate victories! ✓ This helps build credibility for the coalition, while also building momentum for future efforts
Discussion What’s your greatest challenge when it comes to advocacy? Use the Comment Box to let us know!
Poll Question What type of advocacy do you engage in most often? 1. Federal advocacy 2. State advocacy 3. Local advocacy 4. No advocacy experience Use the Comment Box to let us know more!
Key Insights: A Legislator’s Perspective Del. Jheanelle Wilkins Delegate, District 20 Maryland House of Delegates
Q1: What is the best time for advocates to influence the legislative process?
Q2: Most states have adjourned for 2020, leaving Governors to make important decisions related to the pandemic. How can advocates have influence when the legislature is out of session?
Q3: As a legislator, why is the perspective of direct service providers so important to you?
Q4: As a legislator, what type of data is helpful to you?
Q5: Thinking about some of the most effective constituent meetings you’ve had, what stood out about those meetings?
Q6: How can advocates who share your stance on issues still be effective advocates?
Q7: How do you use constituent stories in your work?
Key Insights: A Staffer’s Perspective Chad Bolt Legislative Assistant Office of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
Q1: Walk us through the federal legislative process and what are the best times and ways to influence the process?
Q2: What have you found to be the most and least helpful in terms of constituent advocacy?
Q3: What does a typical face-to-face meeting look like? How are you handling meetings in the age of social distancing?
Q4: What is the best way for advocates to follow up after meeting with legislative staff?
Q5: What are some ways advocates can be effective advocate at home?
Q6: How can district offices be helpful to advocates?
Q7: As a staffer, how do you work with direct service providers to push policy?
Audience Q & A What questions do you have? Share them in the Questions box!
Stay in Touch! Del. Jheanelle Wilkins | Delegate, District 20 Maryland House of Delegates : @JheanelleW Chad Bolt | Legislative Assistant Office of Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) : @chadderr Vanna Cure | Senior Advocacy Manager Prosperity Now vcure@prosperitynow.org
Next Steps ▪ Complete the follow-up survey ▪ Attend our next webinar in the Camp Prosperity series on July 21 st ! ▪ Explore the Prosperity Now website for resources, events, and more ▪ Register for the 2020 Prosperity Summit (formerly Assets Learning Conference), September 30- October 2
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