W ELCOME TO Advocacy for Action James Johnson/Wendall Chin Facilitators

1. WELCOME TO Advocacy for Action James Johnson/Wendall Chin Facilitators

2. Today’s Agenda Advocacy for Action. Advocating is not a noun, it is a verb. This webinar will focus on bringing back the “action” in your advocacy efforts. How do we adjust our advocacy efforts to attract more volunteers? What are ways to sustain efforts even when issues and policy movements are seemingly calm. Examine other local, state, and national models of effective advocacy. Learn ways to make your advocacy efforts more action oriented. • Introductions/Warm Up • Action Oriented Advocacy – basics and theory • Case study • Strategies for advocacy campaigns • Question and answers • Final thoughts • Adjourn

3. RAISE THE ROOF!!! • Who has been to a lobby day before? • Who has been involved in a campaign – from beginning to end? • Who has an advocacy campaign success story? • Who is currently involved in a campaign? • How many of you feel in touch with the primary constituency of your work? • Who are fans of the Crimson Tide, Auburn, or Ole Miss?

4. INTRO’S • Name • Where from • What do you that’s cool (at work)? • Tell your organizing success story or tell us what “action” means to you.

7. Community Organizing Advocacy Service Delivery Social Justice Community Building Economic Development

8. Effective action oriented themes • Accountability to the constituency • Market to an action oriented audience • Finding the right people to push your agenda • Politicians • Residents • Other organizations • Allies (potential partners) • Don’t forget to think outside of the box • Understand the tactics you use • Comfort zone of the constituency • Something they would do • Activities that will also challenge folks to take more ownership in the campaign (physically doing, mental work, recruitment, etc.)

9. Case Study: Occupy Wall Street; a fishbowl discussion • Thoughts?! • Thinking out of the box… • Who are they targeting for their next collaboration? schools, etc. (who are you bringing in)? • What tactics do you use? • Very strategic • Al Sharpton & Jesse Jackson & churches talked about this before this happened • A leaderless campaign, they are using artists, etc. such as Jessica Alba. • The opposition fears it - power

10. OAK TO 9TH COMMUNITY BENEFITS COALITION What We Accomplished July 2006 • More housing for extremely low and very low income families, both as a percentage and numerically, than in any other major project in Oakland since Elihu Harris was mayor. • A pipeline into good paying construction careers for 300 hundred Oakland residents, with an emphasis on local neighborhood residents, and a $1.65 million dollar training program. • Written legally binding commitments with legal and financial incentive to ensure the affordable housing and quality jobs commitments are fulfilled. • An unprecedented Coalition of three resident organizations in nearby neighborhoods, labor and faith leaders worked together for three years to win this agreement.

11. CITY OF SAN LEANDRO ADOPTS LIVING WAGE Over a year ago, San Leandro resident and labor union member Ausberto Beltran met up at the Public Library with a dozen other residents to launch a petition gathering effort in support of a city-wide living wage policy.   Going door-to-door, Ausberto talked to residents about the importance of ensuring public tax dollars are not spent to support poverty-wage jobs. The majority of people he came across said a living wage made common sense. “Taxpayer dollars should go for good services and sustainable wages,” said Ausberto Beltran, San Leandro resident and union member. “My family supports the living wage and we are proud of our city.” The San Leandro Living Wage Coalition—convened by the Alameda County Central Labor Council with support from San Leandro union members, the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE), Congregations Organizing for Renewal, and the San Leandro Community Action Network—worked tirelessly to bring San Leandro up to the labor standards in the region.   On July 30th, San Leandro became the seventh jurisdiction in the East Bay region to pass a living wage policy—following Richmond, Berkeley, Oakland, the Port of Oakland, Emeryville, and Hayward.   The living wage ordinance sets an hourly wage threshold of $12.40 for work performed on large city contracts, subsidized projects, and lessees of city land, with an annual increase indexed to inflation. 

12. Massachusetts Association of CDCs During 2010, MACDC’s Members: • Engaged 2,166 community leaders who volunteered in CDC activity • Built or preserved 1,180 homes • Created or preserved 2,001 job opportunities • Assisted 2,128 entrepreneurs to start, grow, or stabilize their businesses • Supported 38,359 families with housing, jobs, foreclosure prevention counseling, homebuyer education, and other services • Attracted over $241 Million in both public and private investment to support their community improvement efforts

13. Action Steps Communicating With Elected Officials According to a poll conducted by Juno Online Services, Inc. and e-advocates: • Among U.S. citizens with Internet access, online advocacy is quickly becoming the preferred method of communicating with elected officials. • The survey, which generated over 155,000 responses, indicated that Americans prefer email-based communications with elected officials over snail mail or telephone communications by a margin of over 2 to 1. • Eighty-one percent of the poll respondents said that it is "important" or "very important" for Members of Congress to maintain a public e-mail address for constituent communication.

14. Other strategies • Multi-letter invites • Use web blogs to help address media & political bias • Take local/region actions in account to statewide strategies (selling the bigger picture to local stakeholders) • Find means to educate block by block (i.e. house meetings, study circles, etc.).

15. Don’t for the press FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Contacts:      Vivian Chang (510) 301-3455 August 17, 2006                                                                                Andy Nelson (510) 407-1887 Oakland Community and Environmental Leaders come together to support Community Benefits at Oak-9th, oppose the referendum Oakland, CA Oakland community leaders and residents are coming together with environmental groups to oppose the referendum effort to overturn the Oak-9th development, one of the largest development projects in Oakland since World War II.  Oak to 9th includes over 30 acres of public parks and 3,100 homes, including 465 affordable homes and jobs for local residents.  The referendum, if it qualifies, would require the City Council to rescind its near unanimous approval of the development voted on last month, or to put the decision to the voters….

16. Ask ourselves • Are we taking action, or are we collaborating with targets? • How well do we know our constituency? • How well does the constituency understand the “urgency?” • What are the motives of your targets? • What actions can we carry out, to/that will • Get towards maximum involvement • Builds leadership • Alter Power • Build relationships • Gain victories/change

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18. For further information or questions James Johnson, Director SUN Consulting and Associates 33 Sunset Rd Limerick, PA 19468 jjohnson@sunconsult.net 610 420-0284 Wendall Chin Pacific West Division, SUN Consulting and Associates2463 Truman AveOakland, CA510 381 0697 Wendall_chin@sunconsult.net