alumni advocates: top assets for advancing causes and securing funds

Alumni Advocates: Top Assets for Advancing Causes and Securing

Funds

barney.ellis-perry@ubc.caUBC Alumni Association

Director of Alumni ServicesCCAE June 2009

"To have the results you've never had ………… you must do what you've never done."

Overview

• Alumni Advocacy – Why?• Advocacy an Overview• Who the Players Are• Political Capital• Creating a Plan• Resources

Conference Topic Tie Ins

• Leveraging Technology in Challenging Times• Be An Influencer• Coordinating Alumni Relations Efforts Across

the Institution• Seeing the Big Picture: Linking Friendraising

and Fundraising

Alumni Advocacy – Why?

Why

• Leverage your organization’s greatest resource its alumni

• Increase impact of your alumni program• High value return on investment for the

University from your program• Linkages to Development Office• Low cost

How

• Thanking campaigns – letters and calls• Alumni Influencers• Communications• Face to Face meetings• Days on the “Hill”• Open Source Advocacy:– Web driven– Sign up for alerts

Exercise

Smile at the person to your right and then test each others advocacy “elevator message” and

give feedback. 5 min.

Advocacy an Overview

What it is:Advocacy “ is demonstrated support for a cause or particular

point of view. Advocacy is not necessarily a political activity, but it sometimes can be.”

A A call to political action is “an appeal to the members of the

charity or to the general public, or to segments of the general public, to contact an elected representative or public official to urge them to retain, oppose or change the law, policy or decision of any level of government.”

• “well-reasoned position

Government, What Government?• Federal

– Since 1997, a growing role – particularly in research:• Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)• Granting agencies (SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR)• Canada Graduate Scholarships• Canada Research Chairs

• Provincial– The Province is often funding half of your operating

revenue– You institution is probably one of the larger line items

in the provincial budget

Local• Often several local governments are impacted by your

institution• Multiple jurisdictions impacted – planning,

transportation etc..• Town & Gown rub

First Nations• A form of government

Example: Priority Messaging

Priority messages and the articulation of UBC’s position on them is intended to assist the community in communicating with government representatives, both in formal and in social settings. Messages are structured around four themes:

Return on Investment (i.e. human capital, civil society, community engagement)Differentiation (i.e. graduate student support, research funding)Resourcing (i.e. full costs of research, tuition/fees, funding flexibility)Access (i.e. indigenous education, financial aid, loan forgiveness)

Example: Community Impact

The Players

The Players

• Government Relations• Alumni Staff• Board of Directors• Volunteers• Development Office• Communications Department

Role of Government Relations Function

• to advise and assist the organization in its dealings with government– influence public-policy• laws, regulations, policies, programs, grants,

contracts• to represent the organization to government at various

levels - and to other parts of civil society• anticipate and interpret government (and public policy)

for the organization• monitor “external environment”– seek opportunities– respond to challenges

The Government Relations Function

– monitoring– analysis– strategic advice– public-policy research &

development – contact maintenance– direct representation– grassroots mobilization– “logistics” management– survey research

– strategic communications, including media relations

– relationship management (networking and coalition building)

– developing and managing “political capital”

– advocacy training and internal capacity- development

– feedback, evaluation and assessment

Role of Executive Management• usually it’s both “to do” and “to manage”• principal link to Board (or senior management)• in national NGOs, among ED’s, GR “effectiveness” is key hiring

(and “firing”) variable• key responsibility is to ensure GR priorities are identified and

pursued in most effective and economical manner – commensurate with their importance

• ensure organization has appropriate capacities in-house or available externally

• supervise and assess staff performance

Role of Staff Practitioners

• i.e. “hands-on” GR people• should, at least collectively, provide capacity in:

– policy or process expertise in specific field– general policy and/or political analysis skills– networking (in Gov’t and among other actors)– oral and written communications– strategy development– execution and implementation– feedback, evaluation and assessment

• being part of organization’s “political capital”• expectations management

Role of the “Board”

• set the overall direction of organization• establish – or endorse – organization’s public-policy priorities,

goals and objectives• ensure management has financial and HR tools to do the job• source of insight, judgment and “access”• direct representation, as warranted• on occasion, provide strategic direction and authority on

specific cases • assess and judge Executive’s and organization’s effectiveness

and “political capital”

Lobbyists Disclosure Laws

The definition of lobbying in Canada is fairly consistent across the various jurisdictions, though broader at federal level and in Quebec • All of the Lobbyist Registration Acts consider as

“registerable lobbying activity”: • “communicating with” legislators, ministers,

bureaucrats and political staff about changing• legislation or regulations• policies or programs • obtaining government contracts or grants• and - in the case of consultant lobbyists -arranging

meetings with public officials

General Orientation of Lobbying Laws

• Defines registerable “lobbying” as:– being paid (except in Quebec) to– communicate with a public office holder for the purpose of

influencing a decision by government related to:• New or amended legislation• New or amended regulations• Policies, programs• Financial benefits• Procurement• Arranging for meetings with public officials (“consultant

lobbyists” only, except Quebec)

Political Capital

What is your organizations political Capital?

• individual and institutional/corporate reputation• internal (staff) and external resources• traditions, icons, myths and successes• accomplishments• support of membership• ability to assist others• data / expertise• contacts at political and official levels

Building Political Capital• individual and institutional/corporate reputation• traditions, icons, myths and successes• accomplishments• support of membership• data / expertise• contacts at political and official levels• internal (staff) and external resources • ability to help / support others• earning and spending it

Creating a Plan

Defining and Managing Priorities, Goals and and Objectives

• “.. we have priorities in order that we can say ‘no’ to “good ideas.” (C-P Boivin)

• the fewer the better• should be written-out (as part of “strategy”)• based on political / public policy research• in most cases, endorsed by “board”• should be regularly reviewed, at least annually • the “SMART” approach • Communicate sucess

Advocacy Strategy Template• Goal / Objective

– preliminary view from Org’s perspective, tempered by relevant political and public-policy realities

– specific “asks”• Strategic Considerations

– political, public-policy and process factors – timeframes / players– Org’s previous experience / history / contacts– obstacles / challenges / adversaries / allies– Govt’s key themes, objectives, priorities– advocacy asset inventory / political capital

Advocacy Strategy Template (cont’d)

• (Preliminary) Strategy– Overall Strategic Approach & “Theory” (i.e. elevator message)– Positioning / Framing

• key themes and messages– Implementing Tactics

• targets (officials, ministers, legislators & political staff)• meetings; briefings; media; grassroots• consultations; proxies; third parties;

– Timetable / Sequencing (key decision-points etc.)– Feedback / Evaluation / Re-Positioning (how and who?)– Management Plan (oversight; “war cabinet” / strategy committee; resources)– Budget

“Do-It-Yourself Public Policy”

• backgrounders, briefing notes• analysis relevant to Government’s concerns• communications strategies, “talking points,” draft Q & A and

speech text• thank you letter templates• RIAS and other official documents• “cab doc / submission” material• consultations processes and materials• interdepartmental co-ordination• research material (re: other jurisdictions etc.)

Exercises

• your public-policy “elevator message”• specific “asks”• the key to your success, to date• the major obstacle, to date• three things to be done, ASAP

Resources

• Sean Moore – Advocacy Consultantwww.seanmoore.ca

• Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada – www.aucc.ca

• In America:– UCLA (Bruin Caucus), – Boise State (Bronco Advocacy Network)– U of Arizona (AdvoCATS)– U of Minnesota (“Support the U” Day)

Want the Presentation?

Email me with a request in the title to:barney.ellis-perry@ubc.ca