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
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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