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Engaging Decision Makers Through Grasstops Outreach

Engaging Decision Makers Through Grasstops Outreach. Enhancing Our Ability to Create Political Will. Engaging Decision Makers . Constituents Staff Colleagues Media Paid Lobbyists Experts Personal History. Engaging Decision Makers. Constituents.

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Engaging Decision Makers Through Grasstops Outreach

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  1. Engaging Decision Makers Through Grasstops Outreach Enhancing Our Ability to Create Political Will

  2. Engaging Decision Makers • Constituents • Staff • Colleagues • Media • Paid Lobbyists • Experts • Personal History

  3. Engaging Decision Makers Constituents Action Network R Advocates Grasstops

  4. What the Heck is Grasstops? • “..mobilizing influential leaders in each community who can reach lawmakers at the federal, state and local levels, with facts tailored to their district's interests.” —PR Quarterly • “The companies specialize in a cutting-edge form of influence peddling called "grass tops," which attempts to get prominent local citizens and organizations to lobby on behalf of interest groups.” –Washington Post

  5. Grasstops • People with more influence than the average resident • They could be: business owners, issue experts, heads of departments, other government leaders, people with money, academics, local celebrities, relatives, party supporters, faith leaders, and others • They aren’t necessarily group members, but people we cultivate to take key actions on our behalf

  6. What Can Grasstops Do? • Open doors for meetings • Shape public opinion • Build the local group • Get decision makers to take action • Mobilize donors • Create persuasive pressure • Generate media coverage

  7. How Does One Engage Grasstops? • Through our existing connections and those of friends, family, colleagues • Becoming part of leadership groups (Rotary and other service groups) • Commenting on something they have done • Attending community events and public meetings • Cold calls • Other ideas:

  8. Why Would They Want to Help? • People like to use their positions for good • They care about the issues as much as many others • You provide them with an opportunity to leverage who they are • You appreciate what they do • They see that they can really make a difference

  9. Who Did You Engage & How? • Bob Dickerson, Seattle WA • Beth Wilson, Gig Harbor WA • Roxanne Allen & Sandra Duckert, Albuquerque NM • David Schubert, Houston, TX • Margaret Smith Dallas, TX • Frances Moore, Omaha NE • Eloise Sutherland, Austin TX

  10. Exercise: Who Will I Engage? • Mapping to your member of Congress • Mapping to you

  11. Key Engagement Questions • Could you help me make a connection? • Who do you think would care about this? • Who do you know that might help me get the Rep’s or Senator’s attention? • Would you be willing to recommend that people get involved with us?

  12. Exercise #2: The Dialogue • Find one person on your grasstops list you want to engage and practice the conversation you’ll have with him/her.

  13. What Did We Learn

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