Game Plan:

Preparing for Effective Advocacy

Prepared by Eric Gorovitz, Director The Alliance for Justice

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Agenda
What is advocacy? How do you prepare for advocacy? Advocacy exercises

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What Is Advocacy?
A broad range ofADVOCACY: activities designed to influence policy:
Organizing Educate Legislators Partisan Political Activity Regulatory Efforts Get to Know Legislators Research Organize a Rally
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Public Education

Nonpartisan Voter Ed. Lobbying Litigation Educational Conferences Lobbying Exceptions Training
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Planning for Advocacy

Get Ready! Identify meaningful yet realistic goals Get Set! Choose specific advocacy actions to accomplish goals

ADVOCATE!
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Get Ready!

Identify meaningful yet realistic goals

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Identifying Goals
The Four Questions*:
What do you want? Who can provide it? To whom will they listen? What do they need to hear?
* Adapted from Shultz, The Democracy Owners Manual (Rutgers 2003)
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What Do You Want?

What problem do you want to solve? Is a complete solution feasible in a reasonable amount of time? If not, are there smaller steps that move in the right direction?
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Who Can Provide It?

Avenues of Change:

Legislative

Legal

Nonpartisan electoral
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Administrative
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To Whom Will They Listen?

General public?

Opinion leaders?

Special constituency?
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What Do They Need to Hear?

Accurate data Compelling message Relevance to them or their constituency Substance
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Get Set!

Identify specific advocacy actions to accomplish goals

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Identifying Advocacy Actions

Assess advocacy capacity Increase advocacy capacity Plan strategically

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Assessing Capacity

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Increase Capacity
Collaborate with others
Community groups Business leaders Friends of the Library

Expand board leadership Raise money

Add staff Hire consultants

Etc.
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Plan Strategically
Timing Relationships Opposition Negotiate
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Timing
Policy change takes time Budget hearings are the end of the process Stay ahead of the calendar

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Relationships
Legislative staff have power Make your skills available Coalitions confer breadth Strong relationships last People move up Focus energy where it counts
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Opposition

Who are your natural or potential enemies? What will they say? Why are they wrong? How can you neutralize them?
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Negotiation
Build in giveaways Accept minor changes Know your bottom line Balance ambition with progress Be prepared to walk away or switch strategies
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ADVOCATE!

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Community Outreach
Launch a public education campaign promoting the library Convene a public meeting to discuss library funding Organize a rally supporting new programs

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Media Outreach
Submit a letter to the editor of the local newspaper Meet with the newspaper editorial board Write an op-ed Pitch news stories highlighting the librarys important contributions to the community Conduct press briefings at the library
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Decision Maker Outreach

Invite elected representatives on a tour of the library and its programs Conduct a lobby day to visit legislators at their offices Add legislators to your mailing list and keep them informed about the librarys successes and needs
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Now What?
Celebrate Appreciate Evaluate Plan next steps
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Alliance for Justice Resources & Assistance

www.afj.org | 510-444-6070
Resources: Materials and trainings Lobbying rules for nonprofits Election year activity information Questions? Lawyers on call: advocacy@afj.org 1-866-NPLOBBY (675-6229)
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