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Empowerment Through Advocacy: Strategies for Effective Community Engagement

Learn the essentials of advocacy, public policy, and lobbying to influence positive change through community engagement. Discover how to navigate legislative processes, build coalitions, and leverage grassroots efforts efficiently. Gain insights on creating impactful advocacy strategies and messaging. Find out why advocacy matters, and how you're already advocating in your community. Equip yourself with essential tools and resources to effectively communicate with policymakers and make a difference.

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Empowerment Through Advocacy: Strategies for Effective Community Engagement

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  1. Advocacy 101 March 15, 2017 Federation for Community Schools

  2. Agenda • I. Welcome and introductions • II. Context- What is Advocacy? • III. Advocacy Strategies and Messaging • IV. Q&A

  3. Public Policy Defined • Public policy is the combination of goals, laws, rules, and funding priorities set by public officials that determine how government meets needs, solves problems, and spends public funds. • - Marcia Avner, Minnesota Association of Non-Profits

  4. Government funding represents primary source of support for many agencies Target beneficiaries rely on public resources for income and benefits Providers are often subject to government regulation Agencies have data and expertise that has value to policy makers Why Advocacy?

  5. issue identification, research and analysis education of the public on crucial issues lobbying for or against legislation coalition building grassroots organizing and communication with local leaders testifying before governmental bodies influencing governmental agencies at all levels Examples of Advocacy

  6. Public Policy is Something You’re Already Doing! • Have you testified before your city council or county commissioners? • Do you work on an area homelessness commission? • Do area elected or appointed officials turn to you for information on the needs of the community? • Do you partner with your school district or local government on a particular program or initiative? • If the answer is YES to any of these, then you’re already doing public policy! Why not be intentional and organized about it?

  7. Areas of Advocacy • Administrative / Regulatory / Executive branch - relationships with all levels of non-elected government folks; importance of rule-making • Requests for information • Rulemaking • Contract administration • Funding opportunities • Legislative • Federal • State • Local – City / County Council, Referenda, School board Lobbying Advocacy

  8. How A Bill Becomes Law

  9. Grassroots Lobbying • State your position on specific legislation to the general public and ask them to contact policymakers.

  10. Direct Lobbying • State your position on specific legislation to policymakers or urge your members to do so.

  11. Lobby Day in Springfield

  12. What is the most important thing to know? Lobbying by a 501(c)(3) organization is legal! • Tax code has always allowed some lobbying by nonprofits. • 1976 Public Charity Lobby Law (PL 94-455) and subsequent regulations specify rules for nonprofit lobbying. • In 1990, IRS established guidelines for complying with 1976 lobby law under Section 501(h) and 4911.

  13. But Beware! 501(c)(3) organizations cannot: • Endorse candidates! • Align with political parties! • Contribute to candidates or parties!

  14. What you can do • Respond to Action Alerts with calls or emails • Guest editorials/letters • Help find and prepare individuals to testify • Educate your board, volunteers and staff • Map your relationships (“Kevin Bacon style”) • Meet with your locally elected state and federal representatives • Promote and interact at every opportunity

  15. Helpful Websites www.thomas.gov - The Library of Congress www.senate.gov – U.S. Senate www.house.gov – U.S. House of Representatives www.ilga.gov –Illinois General Assembly www.illinois.gov - State of Illinois www.councilofnonprofits.org – The National Council of Nonprofits www.afj.org – Alliance for Justice www.indepependentsector.org – Independent Sector www.irs.gov/- look up IRS Nonprofit Charity Division

  16. DECISIONS, DECISIONS

  17. MESSAGING – What do you want your elected official to know? Tell a story – put a human face on your work How can the elected official help? Ask for something specific • What is a community school? • How is it different from an afterschool program? • What is my school doing – activities, programs outreach, etc.

  18. WHO is the advocacy target? • In order to determine the advocacy target, you first need to determine whether the issue is local, state or federal. • Once your advocacy target has been identified, “Get to Know your Target”

  19. GETTING TO KNOW YOU What committees and subcommittees does the elected official serve on? This can include community committees. Seniority? What is the political party of the elected official Is there a staff person that you can speak to first that could offer insights? • RESEARCH – websites, newspapers, social media • Does your elected official have a record on the issues you care about? • What issues does the elected official care most about?

  20. ADVOCACY STRATEGIES

  21. FACE TO FACE MEETINGS

  22. What is the best recipe for success? A combination of strategies!

  23. HOW DOES ADVOCACY FIT INTO YOUR DAY? • Every time you talk about community schools, you are advocating • Take advantage of opportunities • Attend public forums, meet & greets, town hall meeting • Look for opportunities to tell the story of your community school – newspaper/online stories, invite elected officials to your school

  24. ADVOCACY MEETING

  25. GOALS OF THE MEETING • SHORT-TERM GOALS: • EDUCATE • ASK FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC • LONG-TERM GOALS: • BUILD RELATIONSHIPS • ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL, I.E., PASSING LEGISLATION, STOPPING LEGISLATION, CHANGING POLICY/PROCEDURE

  26. MEETING PREP • KNOW YOUR FACTS: • Gather data specific to your school as well as state and national data • Know the stories you want to share • Create a 1-page fact sheet • Is there opposition to community schools? If so, how can you address the opposition? • Learn about your elected official • SCHEDULING – • Call the Scheduler • What is the process for scheduling a meeting? • Can the meeting occur as part of a school visit? • How much time will we (I) have? Can I use technology? • Confirm in Writing and forward a copy of the Fact Sheet

  27. MEETING PREP (cont) • PREPARING FOR THE MEETING – • KNOW YOUR FACTS, KNOW THE OPPOSITION (IF ANY) • AUTHORIZATION v. APPROPRIATION • Authorization – authorizes expenditure of funds from federal budget • Appropriation – Congress states the amount of money that will be spent on federal programs during the next fiscal year. • HAVE A PERSONAL STORY TO TELL • PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE • ICEBREAKER

  28. MEETING AGENDA • INTRODUCTIONS • INTRODUCE YOUR ISSUE – BE SURE TO HAVE EXTRA COPIES OF YOUR FACT SHEET TO HAND OUT • “MAKE YOUR CASE” • USE AVAILABLE DATA • PERSONAL STORY – “PUT A HUMAN FACE ON THE ISSUE” • DISCUSS THE OPPOSITION, IF ANY • ASK FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC • SCHEDULE FOLLOW-UP • GET A PICTURE!!

  29. MEETING TIPS • UTILIZE FACT SHEET • IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER, SAY SO AND OFFER TO GET THE INFORMATION • ASK QUESTIONS; ALLOW STAFF OR ADVOCACY TARGET TO SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE • LISTEN! MAKE THE MEETING A CONVERSATION! • STAFF • YOU ARE YOUR GREATEST ASSET!!! BE YOURSELF AND HANDLE EVERY SITUATION WITH PATIENCE, GRACE, HONESTY, INTEGRITY, RESPECT AND TRUSTWORTHINESS.

  30. FOLLOW-UP • Arrange a time to follow-up at the end of the meeting and DO SO • Thank you letter following meeting • Be persistent but not obnoxious • Track legislation/committee hearing schedules • Engage in additional advocacy strategies, i.e., emails, letter writing, etc. • Thank you letter following the decision • If supportive, publicly thank the elected official via social media, letter to the editor, etc. • FOLLOW-UP IS CRITICAL TO THE PROCESS!

  31. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS • “EVERYTHING TURNS ON RELATIONSHIPS” • INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO DEVELOP AND NURTURE RELATIONSHIPS: • TRUST • HONESTY • INTEGRITY/CREDIBILITY • AUTHENTICITY • REMEMBER YOU’RE A-B-C’s: • BE ACCURATE • BE BRIEF • BE COURTEOUS • ESSENTIAL BUILDING BLOCKS: • BE WILLING TO PUT IN A TON OF EFFORT/BE A RESOURCE • KNOW HOW TO LISTEN • UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF TIME • NEVER GIVE UP!!!

  32. Q&A

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