AdVocacy Tipsheet

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The legislative process has been compared to the process of making sausage: while some may find the final product palatable, you don't really want to see how it's made. However, I've recently come to a profound and somewhat startling realization: Forget Sausage. Think Thanksgiving Dinner.

Every year we host Thanksgiving dinner for 10 to 15 friends, and every year the menu has been the same. I mean EXACTLY the same. Each guest brings the same dish at the same time to the same house. In fact, in the last couple years our “invitation” has simply been one sentence: “Thanksgiving – you know what to do.”

This year, my husband, in keeping with the enthusiasm for change that is sweeping the nation, desperately wanted something different. While he agreed in theory that (in his words) “the fundamentals of our holiday are strong,” he sent an impassioned plea for new culinary delights -- for “Yes We Candied Yams” or “Swing State Sweet Potato Pie.” In keeping with the theme of change he has even committed to making Cranberry and Pineapple Salsa.

Salsa. On Thanksgiving. Needless to say, everyone is horrified. There’s been talk of a boycott, dismay over the abandoning of traditions -- even accusations of, dare I say it, un-American activity. While some of the guests are willing to sit down with Tim (but only with preconditions) to determine the course of the meal, others are ready to take the maverick course and walk out.

Why all this drama over a simple meal? Each of our guests has a very different and very steadfast idea of what the Thanksgiving feast must include. In past years the Chardonnay faction went head-to-head with the Pinot Noir bloc. The green bean casserole enthusiasts simply could not come to terms with those preferring green bean almondine. And I sincerely thought that the mashed potato and gravy vs. sweet potato casserole controversy would erupt into a fist fight.

Don’t even get me started on Pumpkin versus Pecan Pie. Until you’ve tried to get pumpkin pie out of your carpet (or out of your dog’s mouth) you can’t honestly say that you’ve hosted a Thanksgiving dinner.

So will we select between these conflicting and equally worthy menu items? Will we embrace change? Will we make the "hard choices"? My guess is no. As in year’s past we will have two kinds of potatoes, two kinds of green beans - even two kinds of turkey (regular and "tofurkey" for the vegetarians, including myself). And the varieties of wine available will become too numerous to count.

Incremental change may occur, although probably without much enthusiasm if the great “bacon-wrapped turkey” experiment of 2007 is any guide. We might have a fruity salsa to go with our regular cranberries out of the can. We will probably, as always, forget that we bought dinner rolls until it’s too late. We’re stuck in our ways.

So when you wonder why no big changes ever occur in the legislature, or how Congress comes up with these bills that have 18 million unrelated items, just take a good look at your own holiday traditions. Here are a few tips to (hopefully) help you think of all this in a different way:

Understand where the other person is coming from: Is your Aunt Millicent really insisting on her beloved "Brussel Sprout Surprise" because she's a horrible person? Will explaining to her over and over again that no one else likes Brussel Sprouts really convince her to forgo her long-time favorite? Not likely. Remember that members of Congress are representing the same diverse and, umm, interesting perspectives when it comes to policy matters.

Fight for your form of potatoes: Speak up! If you just have to have sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving, say so - and do everything you can to make that happen. Don't just sit there at the table all squinchy-faced thinking about how your meal is ruined because it doesn't include what you want. You may not be successful in lobbying for your potatoes, but you'll feel better if you ask. And who knows? You might not get your potatoes this year, but maybe you can have something to say about the style of cranberry sauce (but no salsa, please). Or perhaps a promise (be sure to get it in writing) of your form of potatoes for next year.

Develop alliances: My step-sister and I always join forces in lobbying for the sweet potato casserole, and we've developed strong alliances with other factions. As a result, support for our preference has remained rock solid, despite repeated efforts to have it removed from the menu. Think strategically and politically about how you form these alliances. Who has the ear of the "menu-planners" in Congress? How can you join forces with them to get your menu item on the table?

And finally, be prepared to give thanks, regardless. Many of us, thankfully, have enough resources (and space for leftovers) to please the majority of our Thanksgiving guests. That's a pretty big thing to be thankful for at a time when millions of people around the world go hungry. In the policy arena, remember that the U.S. Congress is dealing with somewhat more finite resources. Actual choices must be made and sometimes the things we like lose out, especially when new menu items - like an economic crisis -- start filling up most of the plate.

So, take a deep breath, think of the things you are thankful for, raise your glass of Chardonnay, or Pinot Noir, or whatever you want, and vow to continue the fight for your potatoes another day!

Forming an Advocacy Habit

I have a confession to make. When I woke up this morning I thought to myself “yeah, I should go vote in the DC Primary today, but I don’t really want to. It’s not an important election and I’m really busy.” In my defense, there are only a few contested races for positions that I, frankly, know little about. It just doesn’t feel like a good use of time. Anyone else feel that way occasionally?

See, even the Advocacy Guru has those days when she’s not all about civic participation and democracy. That said, though, I will go vote, mainly because I like the little “I Voted” stickers. OK, that’s not the only reason. In fact, I do make myself participate in these “they don’t really matter” elections because I think they are essential to forming a positive advocacy habit. What’s an advocacy habit? I’m glad you asked.

If you think about it, many of the things that are good for our health, our family and our community aren’t necessarily things that many of us just love to do everyday. Think exercise. Or flossing. Or putting money into a 401K instead of a new sports car (maybe that’s just me). Yet we do these things because we know they’re beneficial (umm, except maybe the exercising…) -- and the tool we use to get ourselves to do these things is the process of forming habits.

When you form an advocacy habit you don’t have to think about whether you’ll vote or send a letter to an elected official or attend a townhall meeting. You just do it. Over time, the benefits of “just doing it” compound. You may be asked to make a statement at a local hearing. Your state and federal legislators reach out to ask your opinion. You may even be asked to run for office. In short, your decision to “just do some advocacy” today will reap amazing benefits for the future by giving you the power to influence the issues you care most passionately about.

Step One -- Commitment: Say it loud and say it proud “I will form an advocacy habit.” Really, I mean it. E-mail your spouse, post a blog entry, call your friends or reach out to your local or national association and tell them that are forming an advocacy habit. Add a comment on your Facebook page, drop me an e-mail or post a notice on our social networking site. Studies show that a public commitment is essential to forming any good (or eliminating any bad) habit.

Step Two -- Take Daily Action: Yes, that’s right. I said daily. To successful form a new habit you’ll need to keep it “top of mind” every day for several weeks. But I don’t mean you should contact your elected officials every day or vote more than the appropriate number of times during an election (just once, for anyone doing the math on that). Just find 5, 10 or 15 minutes everyday that you can use to feed that habit. The following wealth of ideas should keep you going for at least the first month: if you want more, let me know!

· Read sections of How Our Laws Are Made to familiarize yourself with the legislative process (one section should take 10 minutes)

· Look up your state legislature on the Internet and learn about the state-level process

· Fill out a legislator profile form to learn more about your elected officials (local, state or federal)

· Review the websites of the state and national organizations that represent your interests. Learn more about their policy efforts on your behalf

· Start or add to a database that tracks details about your communications with your elected officials

· Call your elected officials and find out the name of the staff people that handle your issues

· Call your elected officials and find out when their next in-district meetings are

Step #3 – Persistence: This is the one I have trouble with, especially when it comes to the aforementioned exercising. I am really good at my habit forming efforts for about a week and then, well, I slack off. I’m not the only one with this problem, am I?

So, to help my tipsheet readers with their advocacy habits, I’m offering two FREE options for getting a daily “nudge” about advocacy:

That should give you plenty of time to get on the advocacy bandwagon. Each tip is short (one or two sentences) and designed to be completed in no more than 15 minutes.

Through commitment, daily action and persistence in no time you’ll be an advocacy superstar. In fact, you might get to the point where you’re jonesing for some advocacy whenever you’re away from the democratic process.

Anyone who has ever read my tipsheet, participated in an Advocacy Roundtable webinar, read my book, seen one of my workshops or, you know, talked to me, knows that one of my main messages for advocates is “make the ask.” In my opinion it is almost always a waste of time to talk to an elected official without asking for something.

Believe it or not, though, people have actually had the audacity to disagree with me on this. I know, it shocked me as well :). I’ve listened to the critics and I’m here to say, well, they’re partially right (see, I listen to other people despite what my husband says). But I still stand by my “make the ask” advice. Let me explain what I mean.

First, though, before I get too much in to it, perhaps I should explain what I mean by “make the ask.” Simply put, advocates should ask for something specific as opposed to simply trying to “educate” or “inform” elected officials. Frankly, trying to educate elected officials without asking for something specific is like trying to educate a middle-schooler without telling them it will be on the test. It goes in one ear and out the other.

Those who disagree with this advice usually have something to say along the following lines: either they believe they’ll “get more attention if they don’t ask (since everyone else is);” they “just want to say thank you;” or they’ve “already asked and don’t want to be a pest.” These criticisms sound perfectly reasonable and in many cases are partially true. Let’s examine each in more detail.

Unfortunately, if you use all your time with an elected official to just say nice things, you won’t get their attention over the long term – and you’ll probably be ignored. I’m really sorry to have to put it that way, but it’s true. Yes, it’s nice for the legislator to have a meeting with someone who “isn’t always asking for something.” It’s even nicer for the legislator to have a meeting with someone who asks “how can I help you on your issues?” -- and I’m not in anyway suggesting that these questions should not be a part of your message.

That said, “making the ask” flips that switch in an elected official’s brain that says “hey, I better pay attention to what this person is saying.” It achieves that goal far more effectively than a polite “I don’t really need anything right now, I just thought I’d stop by.” The good news is that if you’re feeling non-aggressive, you can ask for something easy that, and here’s the key, provides the legislator with as much benefit as it does you! Here are some examples of what I mean:

· A site visit: Ask your elected officials to visit a facility in the district, perhaps a place where they can meet with constituents and be seen in a positive light in the media. You’re helping them connect with people in the community, and you’ve made an “ask.” In this case, the ask is “will you come and visit us in the district?” One of our lobby clients used this technique to approach members of Congress who would normally be, shall we say, a little skeptical of their views. By asking for something easy, like a site visit, instead of launching immediately in to a hard policy ask, these advocates have been able to build positive relationships with their legislators that will serve them well when the hard policy issues arise.

· A statement of support: Perhaps your elected official would be willing to make a public statement of support, either in writing or by making a speech. This can be especially useful when it’s connected to a “hook” of some sort. So, for example, if it’s National “hug a puppy” week, the elected official can make a statement about how wonderful it is to hug puppies – and you can be sure the media is there to get a picture of the puppy hugging activity (my puppy is available if needed). The ask, in this case, is “will you make a statement in support of ‘hug a puppy’ week?” And be sure to follow-up with all the talking points and other materials to make this happen. (hey, can we start a “hug a puppy” week?)

· An article for your newsletter: For advocates affiliated with a state or community organization that puts together a newsletter, asking your elected officials to write an article for that newsletter can be a great way of getting their attention. Most elected officials welcome the opportunity to put their name in front of their constituents, and your request that they post something in your publication will require them to think about your cause. In addition, if they agree to write the article (or, in most cases, to review the article you have drafted for them and agree to sign their name to it) they will almost always want to speak positively about your issue. That makes it much harder for them to vote against you should the time ever come.

In essence, these “relationship building asks” help you set the stage for future, sometimes more difficult or more controversial, policy asks. They are an ideal way to capture a legislator’s attention without being too pushy.

I heard a variation of this from a legislator who was also speaking at one of the conferences at which I was presenting. In fact, the legislator went on right before me and told the attendees that they should do nothing but thank the legislature for all the support for their issue and that there was no need to ask for anything specific. I was in a bit of an awkward position as I, well, completely disagreed.

Now, don’t get me wrong. My mother raised me right. I do believe that we should all say “thank you” as frequently as possible. And if you’re communicating with your elected officials frequently (say once per month or more) go ahead and use up one of those communications as a pure and simple thank you.

However, in this case the advice was directed at a group of people who talked to their representatives once-per-year. In these situations, while a thank you is a great way to start out, it should be accompanied with an “ask,” even if it’s one of the easy asks noted above. Without that ask (and the required follow-up on the ask), those lobby day participants would probably not have found any other occasions to talk to their legislators at any other point through the year.

I already asked and I didn’t get an answer. They know what I want. I don’t want to ask again.

This one really irritates me. The whole purpose of an ask is to eventually get an answer, right? Sure it’s frustrating when our elected officials don’t respond to our “asks” as quickly as we’d like. Why does that happen? Usually it’s for one of three reasons. Either:

the elected official simply forgot about the request -- with dozens of requests a day, this happens often.

the elected official is waiting to see how much you really want what you're asking for

All of these problems can be solved by asking again. I recognize that it might take months or even years to get a straight answer out of a member of Congress, state legislator or even city council member. But you sure won’t get one at all if you don’t ask again. Giving up after the first or second try just makes it way too easy on them.

When it comes down to the bottom line, elected officials and their staff expect you to eventually present them with an issue and a specific solution to that issue. Otherwise, why are you communicating with them? I can’t think how many times as a legislative staff person I had meetings I just thought were a complete waste of time because no one asked me for anything.

So how are the critics partially right? Well, I guess if you’re communicating with your elected officials frequently then you can afford to spend some of those communications on the niceties. And since everyone SHOULD be communicating frequently with their elected officials, then we all should be spending time on the niceties. But in the real world, where we might reach out a couple times per year, making the ask is an essential component of getting what we want from our government. And isn’t that what it’s all about?

Long time readers of the tipsheet know that the guru and her husband often go to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. If you aren’t sure what that is, check out www.nojazzfest.com. If you want to know what others are doing in New Orleans check out the webcam at Tropical Isle on Bourbon Street anytime after 6:00pm or so…

As usual, in the midst of three days of fun, frivolity and fantabulous jazz I, of course, got to thinking about advocacy. I mean, wouldn’t you? And this wasn’t just in a daiquiri-induced haze while wandering around the French Quarter. No, in fact, I was struck by the similarities between Jazz Fest and every advocacy campaign with which I’ve been ever been affiliated.

Following are five techniques you should use to get you through any advocacy campaign – or music festival for that matter.

Strategize: One does not just walk into Jazz Fest and wander around. With eleven stages offering up multiple acts, only careful planning will ensure that you’ll catch what interests you most. At Jazz Fest, this tactic applies doubly to your food options. Before the festival, my husband and I looked over the musical acts and decided what we wanted to see in about ½ hour. We spent another 3 hours drooling over the food. Jambalaya. Bread Pudding. Po Boys. Muffalettas. See, no one can eat everything. But you can eat some of everything with a good plan – and stretchy pants.

The same applies to your advocacy efforts (the strategizing, not the stretchy pants). Think of your strategy development in four stages: First, you want to outline your specific goal – usually in terms of dollars or policy outcomes. Then you want to look at the variety of ways to reach that goal. For appropriations, for example, this might include earmarks, additional line item funds or even report language directing the agency to spend more. Third, consider the competition, distractions and road blocks standing in your way, such as other worthy programs in need of funding (yes, there are a few). Finally, in light of all this information, identify your preferred path. We navigated through Jazz Fest using this four step process – I know it will work for advocacy.

Develop Themes: Themes help you develop a strategy and stick with it -- even in the face of temptation. Saturday, for example, was “fried things” day in the food court. Sure, I was tempted by the chocolate dipped strawberries and the Veggie Mufaletta. But I had made a commitment to “fried things.” I wasn’t going to let “fried things” down. I stayed focused and the fried green tomatoes and fried eggplant did not disappoint. Then on Sunday I shifted my theme to “things with cheese,” thus reveling in many other delights at the festival.

Advocacy efforts can be as distracting as the Jazz Fest food courts. One moment Congress is happily focused on transportation issues – two seconds later they’re debating the War in

Iraq

and then the Farm Bill. It can be difficult to stay focused on your issue when 25 different and equally compelling issues are being waived in your face. Don’t be tempted! Find a theme and stick to it through thick and thin.

Improvise: On the flip side, all the strategizing and thematic development in the world won’t help you when all your best laid plans go awry. Maybe that fabulous act (or fabulous Congressman) that you were looking forward to turns out to be not that fabulous after all. Disappointed, for example, in one of the acts I went to see, I stopped by another tent and danced, bopped and shouted my way through a phenomenal show from a blues / soul / jazz artist named Ruthie Foster (really, go look her up). I had never heard of her before and would never have found her if I hadn’t improvised.

Every once in a while circumstances might dictate that you abandon all your strategies and themes and just make stuff up as you go along. Don’t like that member of Congress? Go see if you can find a new one. Aren’t pleased with how the legislation is progressing? Find new and creative ways to change it in to something you can support.

Build Coalitions: On Saturday I parked myself in front of one of the three main outdoor stages and waited for one of the acts I REALLY wanted to see later in the day – Santana. I quickly became dependent on the kindness of strangers – as they became dependent on me. See, when you’re smack dab in the middle of a throng of 10,000 people, it’s hard to get out. So we built alliances and assigned jobs. Some people had the job of foraging for beer. Some went for food. Others shared umbrellas (as shields from the sun). My job was to help coalition members map out the shortest route from our fiefdom to the outside world. Without their help, I’m not sure I could have survived 8 long hours in the 90 degree heat.

Effective advocacy campaigns rely on coalitions as well. Maybe your partners aren’t helping you get beer – but in a winning coalition everyone performs specific tasks that keep the group moving toward the mission.

And, of course, there’s persistence. Votes won’t always go your way. Legislation won’t always be introduced in a timely fashion. The food court might even run out of Spinach Artichoke casserole (hey, it happened). But every year it gets a little easier and you learn a little more. You learn to bring your mud boots with you in case it rains. You learn to buy your sweet potato pies from Mr. Williams’ pie stand on Friday because he attends church on Saturday and will not be selling pies. You learn to stuff yourself with spinach artichoke casserole as soon as you get to the festival. Armed with this information (and enough beer, sunscreen and advocate motivation) you will be able to persevere until the fat lady (or Santana) sings.

For all my proselytizing on the benefits of government and its many valuable programs, you’d think I’d be overjoyed to pay my taxes. I mean, they do help provide the financing for services I care about, like libraries, public broadcasting, animal welfare services, roads, housing and health care. I’m also a fan of clean water, schools and garbage pick-ups.

And yet, I have to admit it, I’m not skipping merrily down to the post office today all excited about the investments I get to make in our nation’s infrastructure, safety and human services. Perhaps it’s because I live in the District of Columbia where I don’t actually have anyone who can vote on the best way to utilize those dollars (ah, the irony – the Advocacy Guru has no one to advocate at!)

So, to put myself in a better mood (and to get over my tax day blues), I’m going to put a positive spin on the dreaded April 15^th. Yep, that’s right. Here are the Advocacy Guru’s top five tips for feeling better about tax day:

· Number 1 -- Remember what you get for your taxes: Although it sometimes feels like your tax dollars disappear in to a black hole, the truth is, these funds actually are invested in some pretty cool things. Local dollars go toward local services, like fire and emergency, track pick-up and sewers (think about that next time you throw something away or, well, flush your toilet). Federal dollars help finance roads, health care for older and poorer Americans, schools and a whole host of other important services. If you’re curious as to where your tax dollars go, check out the National Priorities Project and their interactive tax chart. Here you can enter the amount of taxes you actually paid (if it doesn’t make you cry) and determine where those dollars went. Then, as you’re filling out your 1040, pretend to yourself that you’re making a donation to the programs you love best. That might ease the pain a little.

· Number 2 – Advocate in favor of the investments you support: If you’ve looked at where your tax dollars are going and don’t like what you see, let your elected officials know! For example, if you paid $5,000 in taxes, you’ll find out that $2,100 went to the military and just over $1,000 went to health services. For some people those ratios are just fine: others believe that more should be going toward non-military programs. Wherever you stand on the spectrum, let your elected officials know what you think we should be investing in as a nation. You can reach them through a site like www.congress.org

· Number 3 -- Thank your legislators: Believe it or not, many people actually yell at their elected officials on tax day. It’s shocking, but true. Imagine the attention you’ll get if you were one of those few people who called to thank your legislators for the investments they’ve approved. And yes, I mean really thank them: in other words, do not call with a snarky “gee, thanks a lot” message. Instead, let them know what spending you’re a fan of as well as the spending that you’re less than enthusiastic about. You’ll find that your advocacy for the programs you’d like to support will be much better received if you take this approach.

· Number 4 – Get involved in the elections: If there’s a lot of spending that you’re feeling less than enthusiastic about, one of the best ways to solve that problem is to get people into office who share your views. And the best way to do that is to get involved in a campaign. This November citizens (that’s you) will have the opportunity to vote on local, state and federal level candidates and issues. From city hall to Washington, DC you can “vote the bums out” and “vote new bums in.” You could even consider working on the campaign of a bum or two. For more information on election activities in your area, go to www.vote411.org

· Number 5 – Take a break: Frankly, I found that a nice glass of red wine really helped me get through the process of filling out tax forms and I’m sure the IRS will enjoy my alcohol-induced tax calculations. If things get too stressful just try to be thankful that at least you’ve got some income to pay taxes on, right? There are too many Americans struggling to make ends meet (especially in this economic climate). So sit back, relax and enjoy the beverage of your choice – and just think – that beverage might not have made it to your glass without some sort of taxpayer investment!

I want to be sure tipsheet readers know about a new report on Congress that runs counter to everything I’ve ever said about effective advocacy. Among other things, this report suggests that:

OK, there is no such report. In fact, all the evidence suggests the contrary. But, in honor of April Fools day I thought I’d imagine what the world of advocacy would be like if we turned some of the fundamental rules on their head.

Constituency Doesn’t Matter: Everyone and their mother would want to meet with Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid, other members of the leadership and the chairs of important Committees. What would the remaining members of Congress do? They'd be so lonely! Seriously, though, the principle of constituency helps us identify which elected officials are supposed to care what we think – even if it doesn’t always feel like they do.

The point: Consider the “power of constituency” as one of your important leveraging tools – and learn how to use it effectively.

The point: If you can take an extra five or ten minutes to personalize your communications you will gain far more attention than those who aren’t willing to take the extra step. And isn’t that a good thing?

The point: Treat the staff as you would any other person that can help you achieve a goal. They can become your strongest alley in getting what you want out of the Congressional office.

Members of Congress Stopped Arguing All the Time and “Got Stuff Done”: Right now, Congress passes only about 4% of the 10,000 bills that are introduced. But in our imaginary world, they might get a much higher percentage passed, including bills like the “Military Toy Replica Act” or the “Nanotechnology in the Schools Act” (are we for? Against? I’m not sure).

The point: Our system of government is not designed for speed and efficiency. It’s designed for caution and deliberation. Sure it’s frustrating when it’s YOUR program that’s being stopped, but at least be thankful that a lot of other crazy stuff isn’t being passed (I know, I know, my friends in the military toy world are going to come after me on this one.)

March Madness on Capitol Hill (and no, this isn't about the basketball tournament)

Well, I've had quite an exciting week. First of all, the team here at the Advocacy Associates empire organized hundreds of Congressional meetings for two different Washington, DC fly-ins, both of which occurred on March 11th. That wouldn't be notable in and of itself except that one of them took place at the Mayflower Hotel here in Washington, DC.

Yes, THAT Mayflower hotel - the very one where Governor Spitzer, ummm, "stayed" in February. So yours truly had the joy of being at the Mayflower the day the news broke. We were so swamped with phone calls and meeting changes during the day that I didn't even hear the news until I called my husband at 6:00pm to say, without understanding the humor at all, "well, I just finished my day at the Mayflower and now I'm going home."

Really. That's what I said. The silence on the other end of the line was deafening (although perhaps he was laughing so hard he couldn't speak).

More important though is the fact that March 11th was perhaps one of the busiest days I have ever witnessed on Capitol Hill. There were literally tens of thousands of advocates in town all seeking meetings with their elected officials. Unfortunately, many offices simply couldn't accommodate all the requests, and some advocates were turned away.

From the advocate perspective, I can certainly sympathize. It's frustrating to come all the way to Washington, DC only to be told that one of your Representatives simply can't meet with you. At the same time, as a former staff person, I empathize with the Congressional offices. Imagine, if you will, hundreds of your clients, patrons, patients, supporters, employees -- whoever it is that comes to you on a daily basis - calling you and saying "Hi, I'll be in town from 10 to 2 on Thursday. I'd like to meet with you and I won't take no for an answer." Many of the staff we talked to this week were in that situation, and no matter how much they wanted to do so, there was no way to fit hundreds of individuals into one four-hour period.

Frankly, the combination of increasing numbers of advocates attending fly-ins with decreasing or stagnant Congressional staff levels spells disaster. I think we're heading toward a show down in the not too distant future. How can you avoid being part of the problem? Following are some ideas, using the "March" theme (just to keep things interesting):

Please remember our "march" ideas as you "march forth and advocate" - although as one advocate told me recently, that applies only to March 4th. Ha-Ha.

Since it’s still January (although just barely) I feel perfectly within my rights to offer up some “New Year’s Resolutions” for 2008. Just think of these as new resolutions to replace the ones you made earlier in the month that may not be going so well. I, for example, vowed to get more exercise, which I’ve really thought about quite a lot :). Or, you can look at these as ideas for the Chinese New Year, which is on February 7th. However you want to justify it, the important notion is that it’s a New Year, and it’s time for some new advocacy approaches.

Resolution #1: I resolve to focus on quality grassroots contacts, not just quantity

Numerous reports (like the Congressional Management Foundation report “How Capitol Hill is Coping with the Surge in Citizen Advocacy”) as well as plain old common sense suggest that personalized, thoughtful communications are more effective in gaining the attention of elected officials than postcards, petitions and form e-mails. “Yeah, I know” you’re thinking “But, gosh darn it, it’s frustratingly difficult to get advocates to send a personal communication – I can’t even get them to send a form letter!” Well, I have some good news for you and a couple (hopefully) good ideas.

First, the good news. It takes only a few personalized communications to gain the attention of elected officials – just one, two or three is sometimes all you need! If you compare the effort it takes to get hundreds of advocates to send a form e-mail versus the effort it takes to get ten people to send a personal e-mail, you might find the time you spend on each to be pretty comparable.

· Don’t abandon your “form” communications entirely: While they aren’t incredibly effective in influencing policy makers, they can still be useful. If you’re a GR professional, “form letter” action alerts can help you identify core advocates as well as train and motivate your network. Advocates will often be more willing to compose personal messages if they’ve undertaken a few “easy” communications via your action alert system. And if you’re a citizen advocate, go ahead and respond to that action alert – but use the information in the alert to craft your own personalized message.

· Start a pilot program: Identify the 10 or 20 most active advocates in your network, as well as the advocates in the most important districts (people who live in a Chairman’s district, for example.) Then start a pilot program with these folks, providing some “hands-on” assistance in getting them more up-to-speed with developing and delivering personalized messages.

· Offer ideas for how advocates can integrate this work in to daily life: Ever been to a meeting? A social event? A sports game? All of these represent opportunities to ask like-minded people to scrawl two to three sentences on a note card about how a policy issue impacts their life (note: if you want the folks in Washington, DC to get those messages, you may need to send them to district offices, as postal mail takes quite a bit of time to move through the system). For example, if you’re concerned about library services in your community, take 10 minutes at your next book club meeting to ask members to compose a short message to legislators about the need for investment in these services.

Resolution #2: I resolve to utilize my grassroots effectively during the 2008 campaigns

You may not have noticed it, but there seems to be some sort of electoral contest going on in America. Sources tell me that it will come to some sort of final conclusion in November 2008. The nine months between now and then offer outstanding opportunities for advocates to ensure that those who are elected to office (whether it’s the city council, the state legislature or the US Congress) actually understand and sympathize with their issues. Following are some ideas for keeping this resolution:

· Understand the Rules: The Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest provides some great information on election-related activity by non-profits. You can find the site at www.clpi.org and the election information specifically at http://www.clpi.org/faq.aspx#2

· Get Ideas and Information: You haven’t really lived until you’ve visited the League of Women Voter’s site at www.lwv.org. And their election information site at www.vote411.org is an invaluable service for anyone seeking to actively participate in this whole democracy thing we have going on.

· Try a Few Simple Approaches: Not sure where to start? Try a voter registration drive in your area. There’s more information on this topic at www.beavoter.org. Or, consider conducting a simple candidate survey. You can use a site like www.Zoomerang.com or www.surveymonkey.com to set something up for free (with limitations). See a sample at http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=79QAA3M9GL0B. Another option is to sign up with a local campaign – you’ll see the whole political process from a completely different perspective. Unfortunately, it’s a perspective that sometimes involves waving signs on the street at 6:00am -- a main reason why I don’t do much with campaigns.

Resolution #3: I resolve to train my grassroots in the process of effective advocacy (or I resolve to learn more myself about the process of effective advocacy – you pick).

Well, I am the Advocacy Guru, so you had to know this was coming. If you want to be truly effective in communicating with elected officials, you have to know how to do it – and that doesn’t mean just knowing what the policy issues are or knowing the basics of how a bill becomes a law. Advocates must understand the factors that influence elected officials as well as how to develop winning messages.

· Free Resources on the Advocacy Guru site: Please, please, please – don’t advocate without stopping by www.advocacyguru.com/resources.htm. There you will find links to FAQs about advocacy, free articles for download and our back editions of the Advocacy Tipsheet. They really are free and I promise I won’t even know you’re there.

· Free Webinar: Anyone on the planet can sign up for one *1* free Advocacy Roundtable webinar. If you want the basics, make it our “Advocacy 101” session, which we offer every couple months. And, if you sign up for the Advocacy Roundtable at the “Disciple” or “Mastermind” level, you’ll gain access to our online Advocacy classroom at www.advocacyclassroom.com

· Other Resources: Yes, I admit that other people actually have useful information. Try Capitol Advantage’s www.congress.org site. Advocacy related social networking and online campaign site like www.citizenspeak.org and www.care2.com also have useful information. Or, try typing the term “advocacy training”, “citizen advocacy” or “lobbying training” into Google. You’ll find that many non-profit organizations post training information on the web – maybe even related to your issues!

And finally, for a bonus resolution – resolve to have some fun with your work. You are likely involved in advocacy efforts because you care passionately about something – health care, animals, the environment, taxes – I don’t know what it is, but you do. Through effective advocacy you have the opportunity to make the world a better place. How can that not be fun?

I spend a fair amount of time traveling around the country conducting my “Go Forth and Advocate” sessions for a variety of groups. Yes, I realize that makes me sound like a traveling preacher (complete with the religious fervor attending such an occupation) and perhaps I am a bit – after all, effective advocacy and passion for your cause go hand in hand.

From Seattle to Providence and from librarians to cancer survivors, what I find in these programs is a universal interest in the process of effective advocacy, as well as universal confusion on a few key points. Following are the top five questions I’m almost guaranteed to get in any session (and, of course, my responses).

1. Do elected officials pay attention to form letters and/or petitions? Survey says: not as much as they pay attention to personalized communications. Sure, sending a form letter or signing a petition is the easiest way to express your opinion. But look at it this way: isn’t it true that your level of passion about an issue is directly related to the amount of time and effort you spend on it? Elected officials understand this, which is why they pay much more attention to the very few personalized communications they receive. One thoughtful, personal, relevant letter says far more than a thousand postcards.

Wait, wait. I know what you’re thinking “I should be able to communicate with my elected officials in anyway I want” or, “I’m a busy person – I don’t have time to write personal letters.” That may very well be true. My point is that what you’ll get more out of the process of communicating with your elected officials if you put more effort into that process. If you’re not willing or able to do that, don’t be disappointed if your signature on a petition doesn’t generate immediate change.

Think about it in your own life. What gets your attention? Form e-mails and/or letters? Spam e-mails from the deposed dictators club (you know, the ones where some exile from a far-off land is willing to give you the sum of ONE HUNDRED MILLION AMERICAN DOLLARS in exchange for your bank account information)? Or, personalized, thoughtful communications that relate directly to your life and/or work in some way?

2. How come I have to meet with a staff person? As a former staffer, this is one of my favorites, especially when the person asking has that touch of an oh-so-attractive whine in their voice (as in, “how come I have to meet with JUST a staff person? I’m too important for that.”) While it is true that constituents are some of the most important people an elected official will meet with in a day, it’s also true that simple physics often prevent the official him or herself from meeting with everyone (if, for example, you have 750,000 people in your district, even if only 1% of them every come to visit, that’s over 7,000 people!).

The good news is that meeting with a staff person is often more productive than meeting with the elected official, who will almost always have to limit the meeting to a “grip and grin” (i.e., quick handshake, cheesy smile and a “hey, keep up the good work.”). Staff people often have more time to delve into the issues. In addition, they make many of the day to day decisions and recommendations in the office. Don’t get on their bad side by intimating that you don’t think them important enough to talk to.

3. How can I better “educate” my elected officials on our issue? Do you remember High School? All those people wanting to “educate” you. That was fun, wasn’t it? OK, well some people enjoyed it (I guess), but others of us found the process of “being educated” by someone else somewhat less than stimulating. Sure, your elected officials need to learn about your industry in order to understand how proposed policies might positively (or negatively) impact your work. But they, like most people, learn best by doing.

What does that mean? It means you should ask them (or their staff) to come see your organization in action: in other words, meet your employees, see how your product is developed, or participate in day-to-day operations. This is the best way to “educate” them, or at least far better, in most cases, than asking them to sit down for an hour long lecture and power point on your issues.

4. What should I leave behind? Survey says: not much. Remember that the people collecting this information (generally young-ish staff), have very little space in which to keep papers. Perhaps more important, though, paper is a somewhat alien form of communication to a generation dedicated to communicating via electronic means. This means that anything you really want them to read should be available on a website, because that’s the first place they’ll turn when a question comes up. Effective advocates will boil the essence of their issue down to one or two pages, put it in a file folder complete with their contact information and leave that information with the office.

5. I’ve tried everything but my [council member, congressman, state legislator, fill-in-the-blank] never pays any attention to us (or worse, is hostile). What should I do? Well, first of all, make sure you’re REALLY tried everything. Have you asked for something “easy” (such as a site visit)? Have you tried to get to know the staff (if applicable)? Have you learned something about this cantankerous legislator and asked how you can help on what he or she cares about? Have you developed a list of the types of groups / interests / people that might influence the elected official in question and built an alliance with them?

Sure, there are certainly times when you’ve tried ALL these techniques and still aren’t getting anywhere. Yes, Virginia, there are mean, unscrupulous politicians out there (shocking to hear, I know). In those cases, I believe you have two responsibilities. First, work to replace that person with someone who DOES understand your issues. And second, keep communicating with that lawmaker over and over and over again, even if they disagree with you. Why? At least you’re taking up their time – time they cold be using to wreak havoc on the things you care about.

What do I mean? Well, every year we host Thanksgiving dinner for 10 to 15 friends. When we started planning the menu this year, we came to the stark realization that each of our guests has a very different and very steadfast idea of what the Thanksgiving feast must include. The Chardonnay faction went head-to-head with the Pinot Noir bloc. The green bean casserole enthusiasts simply could not come to terms with those preferring green bean almondine. And I sincerely thought that the mashed potato and gravy vs. sweet potato casserole controversy would erupt into a fist fight.

So did we select between these conflicting and equally worthy menu items? Did we make the "hard choices"? No. Instead, we had two kinds of potatoes, two kinds of green beans - even two kinds of turkey (regular and "tofurkey" for the vegetarians, including myself). And the varieties of wine available became too numerous to count. So when you wonder how Congress comes up with these bills that have 18 million unrelated items, just take a good look at your own holiday traditions. Here are a few tips to (hopefully) help you think of all this in a different way:

So, take a deep breath, think of the things you are thankful for, raise your glass of Chardonnay, or Pinot Noir, or whatever you want, and vow to continue the fight for your potatoes another day!

Believe it or not, there’s an election around the corner. No, I’m not talking about the Presidential campaign. I’m talking about November 6^th, 2007 when communities all across the country will be deciding on local ballot measures, county commissioners, city councilors and the like.

OK, so maybe the thought of these local elections doesn’t fill you with the same level of anticipation (or dread) as a rip-roaring presidential campaign can. But whether you’re considering getting involved in the local 2007 elections, or gearing up for 2008, there are a dozen effective and fun ways to involve grassroots network members in the political process. In doing so, you’ll build both recognition of your cause as well as a pool of motivated and knowledgeable activists.

But before we get to those dozen ways, be sure you understand the rules around non-profit electioneering. Overall, the hard and fast rule at the national level is that your organization is not allowed to support or endorse a particular candidate for office. Rules for state and local elections will vary, so be sure to become familiar with the restrictions in your area. One of my favorite resources for this type of information is the Charities Lobbying in the Public Interest site.

Properly armed with the legalize, let’s plunge in!

Registering People to Vote: At work, home, school and everywhere in between, your grassroots activists can help get people registered to vote. Print up business cards, flyers or buttons that they can either download off your site or pick up at a local Kinkos or other distribution point (you can upload your documents online and have them printed out at most locations). The message? Go to www.beavoter.org to register in your state – that’s it!

Candidate surveys: Use a service like Zoomerang or Survey Monkey to put together a survey of candidates asking for their views on your issues. Then, work with your grassroots advocates to get responses. Candidates are always more likely to respond to requests from people in the districts they are seeking to represent. You may not use this information to endorse a particular candidate – but you can sure use it to raise the profile of your issues in the election.

Media response teams: Whether it’s talk radio, local newscasts, letters to the editor or online outlets, there’s generally a great deal of talk in the news about election matters. Spend some time identifying advocates who can respond quickly to media stories in their community. You can help them by providing short talking points and referring them to Congress.org’s media guide

House Parties: The Humane Society Legislative Fund encourages advocates to take action around issues and elections through their “Party Animals” house party program. Activists arrange small parties in their community and are connected to the larger effort through a call with national HSUS reps and supporters. Consider a similar approach for your issues to generate enthusiasm over specific candidates and issues.

Bloggers Unite: Set up a “blog for [insert name of your cause here] day” near the elections and ask any of your advocates who run a blog, read blogs or even know what blogs are to comment online about the importance of [insert your cause here] on that day. Again, you’ll want to avoid the appearance of supporting specific candidates, but your members can certainly talk about the issues as much as they like.

The Election will be YouTubed: You Tube has become the ultimate democratic medium. Tap the creativity of your advocates by seeking their videos highlighting the importance of your issues. The videos might be interviews with business leaders, concerned residents or whoever is most affected (hint: puppies and children are ALWAYS well received.)