If you’re starting fresh with advocacy or trying to catch up with organizations that already have highly motivated networks in place, the handbook helps you plan and implement a comprehensive program. Or, simply zero in on specific aspects of your existing plan, like shoring up HLOGA compliance, creating multi-level networks, or dealing with opponents.
Table of Contents
Part 1: Overview
Chapter 1: Background on Advocacy
1.1 Introduction 1-1
1.2 What is Advocacy? 1-1
1.3 Who Will Benefit from this Manual? 1-3
1.3.1 Types of Groups that May Undertake Advocacy 1-3
1.3.2 Job Titles / Individuals 1-3
1.4 How this Manual is Structured 1-4
1.5 Core Elements of Advocacy in Government Relations 1-5
1.5.1 Topic 1-5
1.5.2 Scale 1-5
1.5.3 Advocates 1-6
1.5.3.1 Grassroots 1-6
1.5.3.2 Grasstops 1-8
1.5.3.3 Coalitions 1-10
1.5.4 Audience 1-11
1.6 How Does Advocacy Fit into a Larger Campaign? 1-12
1.7 Conclusion 1-13
Chapter 2: Legal and Tax Issues Associated with Advocacy
2.1 Introduction 2-1
2.2 Differences Between Lobbying and Advocacy 2-1
2.2.1 Legal / Tax Differences 2-1
2.2.2 In Practice Definitions 2-2
2.3 Non-Profit and Corporate Structures and Advocacy 2-3
2.4 Legalities 2-4
2.4.1 Electioneering Communications 2-4
2.4.2 Lobbying Disclosure 2-5
2.5 Conclusion 2-6
Part 2 Structuring the Advocacy Network
Chapter 3: Setting Advocacy Goals and the Policy Agenda
3.1 Introduction 3-1
3.2 The Advocacy Mission Statement 3-2
3.3 Identifying Issues 3-3
3.3.1 Formation of Policy Ideas 3-3
3.3.2 Strategies for Soliciting Stakeholder Involvement 3-4
3.3.2.1 Policy Committees 3-4
3.3.2.2 Focus Groups/Informal Discussions 3-5
3.3.2.3 Staff Meetings 3-5
3.3.2.4 Organization-Wide Survey 3-5
3.3.2.5 Social Media Approaches 3-6
3.4 Prioritizing Issues/Developing Goals 3-6
3.4.1 Prioritizing Issues 3-6
3.4.2 Developing Goals 3-6
3.5 Outlining Policy Agenda Item s 3-8
3.6 Determining Strategies 3-9
3.7 The Policy Advocacy Document 3-9
3.8 Budgeting 3-10
3.9 Case Studies 3-11
3.10 Conclusion 3-12
Chapter 4: Network Building Blocks
4.1 Introduction 4-1
4.2 What is a “Network?” 4-2
4.2.1 Network Structure Options 4-2
4.2.2 Multi-level Networks 4-4
4.3 Criteria for Choosing a Network Structure 4-4
4.3.1 Mission 4-4
4.3.2 Perception 4-5
4.3.3 Policy Environment 4-6
4.3.4 Interest Level 4-7
4.3.5 Message 4-7
4.3.6 Budget 4-8
4.3.7 Capacity 4-9
4.3.8 Structure 4-10
4.4 Creating and Naming the Network 4-11
4.5 Case Studies 4-11
4.6 Conclusion 4-13
Chapter 5: Building and Organizing the Network
5.1 Introduction 5-1
5.2 Building a Network of Individuals 5-1
5.2.1 Identifying Advocates 5-2
5.2.2 Finding Potential Grassroots and Grasstops Individuals 5-3
5.2.2.1 Finding Grassroots Individuals 5-3
5.2.2.2 Finding Grasstops Individuals 5-2
5.3 Advocate Recruitment 5-5
5.3.1 The “Must-Opt-Out” Strategy 5-5
5.3.2 Large Scale Person-to-Person Outreach 5-6
5.3.3 Targeted Person-to-Person Outreach 5-6
5.3.4 Each-One-Reach-One Campaign 5-7
5.3.5 Easy Access to Registration Information 5-7
5.3.6 Event Recruitment 5-8
5.3.7 Assistance from Affiliated Entities 5-9
5.3.8 Small-Scale Public Relations 5-10
5.3.9 Large-Scale Public Relations 5-10
5.3.10 Web-Based Advertising 5-11
5.4 Collecting Information about Advocates: The Advocate Intake Form 5-11
5.4.1 Grassroots Network Members 5-11
5.4.2 Grasstops Network Members 5-12
5.4.3 Issues to Consider in Maintaining Network Information 5-13
5.4.4 Technological Options for Maintaining Network Information 5-14
5.5 Assigning Advocate Responsibilities: The Advocate Job Description 5-16
5.6 Building a Coalition 5-18
5.6.1 Why Utilize Coalitions? 5-18
5.6.2 Types of Coalitions 5-19
5.6.3 Joining vs Creating a Coalition 5-19
5.6.4 Criteria for Identifying and Selecting Groups to Participate in a Coalition 5-20
5.6.5 Approaching Potential Coalition Partners 5-21
5.7 Case Studies 5-22
5.8 Common Recruitment Problems/Scenarios 5-24
5.9 Conclusion 5-27
Chapter 6: Communicating Directly with Your Network
6.1 Introduction 6-1
6.2 Who Will the Organization be Communicating With? 6-2
6.3 What Messages Should be Communicated? 6-3
6.3.1 Recruitment 6-3
6.3.2 Information 6-3
6.3.2.1 Newsletters/Ongoing Communications 6-4
6.3.2.2 Special Updates 6-4
6.3.2.3 Training 6-5
6.3.2.4 Follow-ups 6-5
6.3.3 Action Alerts 6-6
6.3.4 Thank Yous 6-7
6.3.5 Assessment 6-7
6.3.6 A Note on Communications to Coalitions 6-7
6.4 How Will these Messages be Communicated? 6-8
6.4.1 Push versus Pull Strategies 6-8
6.4.2 Considerations for Effective “Pull” Communications in the Web 2.0 World 6-8
6.4.3 Specific Organization-to-Network Communication Tools 6-11
6.4.3.1 Mailings 6-12
6.4.3.2 Phone Trees/Phone Banks 6-12
6.4.3.3 E-mail 6-13
6.4.3.4 Websites 6-14
6.4.3.5 Blogs 6-17
6.4.3.6 Podcasts 6-19
6.4.3.7 Texting/IM-ing 6-20
6.4.3.8 Social Networks 6-21
6.5 Common Problems and Concerns 6-23
6.5.1 Frequency of Communication/Reducing Advocate Fatigue 6-23
6.5.2 Negative Posts/Editorial Tone 6-24
6.5.3 Not Finding the Right Tool for the Right Audience 6-25
6.6 Case Studies 6-25
6.7 Conclusion 6-27
Chapter 7: Communicating Through the Mass Media 7-1
7.1 Introduction 7-1
7.2 Types of Messages 7-2
7.3 Types of Media 7-4
7.3.1 Paid Media 7-4
7.3.2 Tips for Paid Media 7-4
7.3.3 Earned Media/”Press” 7-7
7.3.4 Four Steps to Effective Earned Media 7-8
7.3.5 Hybrid Approaches 7-9
7.4 Managing Your Media Approaches 7-10
7.5 Dealing with Opponents 7-11
7.6 Case Studies 7-12
7.7 Conclusion 7-13
Part 3 Activating Your Network and Others
Chapter 8: Training Your Advocates
8.1 Introduction 8-1
8.2 What Advocates Need to Know to be Effective 8-1
8.2.1 Additional Training Topics for Grasstops 8-6
8.2.2 Additional Training Topics for the Network 8-7
8.3 Training Delivery Options 8-7
8.3.1 Active Training 8-7
8.3.1.1 In-Person 8-7
8.3.1.2 Online 8-9
8.3.2 Self-paced Training 8-11
8.4 Creating a Comprehensive Training Program 8-13
8.5 Case Studies 8-14
8.6 Conclusion 8-16
Chapter 9: Activating and Motivating the Network 9-1
9.1 Introduction 9-1
9.2 Activating 9-2
9.2.1 When to Activate 9-2
9.2.2 How to Activate 9-3
9.2.2.1 Grasstops Activation 9-3
9.2.2.2 Targeted Grassroots Activation 9-3
9.2.3 Full-Scale Grassroots Activation 9-5
9.2.4 Coalition Activation 9-5
9.2.5 Combination Strategies 9-6
9.3 Motivating 9-6
9.3.1 Barriers to Participation 9-6
9.3.2 Overcoming Barriers 9-7
9.4 Recognizing Advocate Effort 9-10
9.5 Case Studies 9-11
9.6 Conclusion 9-13
Chapter 10: Implementing Specific Advocate Actions 10-1
10.1 Introduction 10-1
10.2 Lobby Days 10-2
10.2.1 Setting the Stage 10-4
10.2.2 Gathering Information 10-6
10.2.3 Initiating Meeting Requests 10-8
10.2.4 Scheduling Meetings 10-9
10.2.5 Scheduling Other Lobby Day Activities 10-9
10.2.6 Reporting 10-11
10.2.7 Staffing the Event 10-12
10.2.8 Creating Cohesion 10-13
10.3 District-based Lobby Days 10-13
10.4 Virtual Lobby Days 10-15
10.5 Site Visits 10-18
10.6 Townhall Meetings 10-20
10.7 Form Letters, Petitions and Postcard Campaigns 10-22
10.8 Personalized Written Communication 10-23
10.9 Phone Campaigns 10-26
10.10 Social Media Approaches 10-28
10.11 Media Outreach 10-29
10.12 Public Hearings/Testimony 10-31
10.13 Election Activities 10-33
10.14 PAC/Fundraising Efforts 10-36
10.15 Case Studies 10-38
10.16 Conclusion 10-40
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Just like in high school when we encouraged our friends to “K.I.T.” (“keep in touch”) with us during the summer months when signing yearbooks, organizations should be engaged in keeping in touch with their advocates on a year-round basis. However, there is a strategic element to the types of messages that are sent out to particular advocates…
