Camp Prosperity: Advocacy 101
July 14, 2020
Welcome
Tupa HovekaProgram Associate, Field EngagementProsperity Now
Housekeeping
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Getting the Most Out of Today’s Call
▪Join from a quiet space
▪Grab a coffee or snack and settle in
▪Engage! Send us your questions and comments as you listen
▪Tweet with us on Twitter—use #CampProsperity
▪Reflect on ways to apply what you learn today to your own work
Prosperity
Now’s mission
is to ensure
everyone in our
country has a
clear path to
financial stability,
wealth and
prosperity.
Welcome to Camp Prosperity!
Vanna CureLead Camp CounselorSenior Advocacy ManagerProsperity Now
▪ 4-week virtual learning program for new and experienced advocates
▪ Weekly newsletters and webinars; opportunities to connect with other advocates
Camp Prosperity Webinar Series
Delegate Jheanelle WilkinsDistrict 20
Maryland House of Delegates
@JheanelleW
Today’s Speakers
Chad BoltLegislative Assistant
Office of U.S. Senator
Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
@chadderr
Today’s Agenda
✓ The Basics of Advocacy
✓ “Fireside Chats” – From Issue to Action: Effective
Advocacy Strategies for Nonprofits
✓ A Legislator’s Perspective
✓ A Staffer’s Perspective
✓ Group Discussion and Q&A
✓ Next Steps & Close
Poll Question
How would you describe your
advocacy experience?
1. No advocacy experience
2. Interested in engaging in advocacy, but don't know where
to start
3. Some experience, I’ve been advocating for less than a year
4. Seasoned advocate
The Basics of Advocacy
Vanna CureLead Camp CounselorSenior Advocacy ManagerProsperity Now
▪ Policy advocacy is the act of taking a position on an issue
and sharing that position with someone who can do
something about it to bring systematic, lasting policy
change.
What is advocacy?
Why advocate?▪ Raise awareness
▪ Protect (or increase) funding
▪ Educate policymakers / public /media
▪ Empower constituents
▪ Foster discussion about issues
▪ It’s our duty!
Play a vital role in developing and implementing public policies
Make connections between
policymakers and their constituents
Educate lawmakers and the public about policy issues
The Case for Nonprofits in Advocacy
There is a common misconception that nonprofit organizations
cannot engage in advocacy, but in fact, nonprofit organizations
can:
▪ Legislative- process by which elected officials (e.g., members of Congress, state legislators, school board officials, etc.) introduce and pass legislation that becomes law.
▪ Regulatory- Once a law is passed, the responsible agency, or agencies, develop the rules and regulations to enforce the underlying law. Advocating to inform or influence this process is known as regulatory or administrative advocacy.
▪ Budgetary- process of informing or influencing decisions about how public money will be allocated.
Types of Advocacy
Advocacy does not have to be scary. There are some simple ways in which you can advocate for policy change including:
✓Data and research to make your case for change
✓Careful messaging and framing to build awareness, change public perception and move people to action
✓Educating and engaging policymakers and other stakeholders
✓Building a strong and diverse coalition or network of partners to amplify your voice and impact
How Do You Advocate for Change?
Personal anecdotes tell the story of an individual; research and data tell the story of a community.
Advocacy Strategies
Effective advocacy campaigns are grounded
in data, historical context and contemporary
contributing factors.
Prosperity Now’s Scorecard, national nonprofits, research institutions and government agencies are
good places to find data.
While collecting and ground-truthing data may seem daunting, service
providers can gather valuable data directly from
clients through large-scale listening sessions,
anonymized client-level data, or one-on-one
surveying.
Data and Research:
Advocacy Strategies
Messaging and Framing:
When crafting a narrative around data and disparities in the community, focus on articulating desired policy outcomes in a manner that is:
Clear
Concise
Actionable
Galvanizing
Educating and Engaging Policymakers:
▪ Host virtual events (town halls, legislative breakfast, advocacy day, press conferences) to
build public awareness about an issue and educate policymakers
▪ When it’s safe to do so, invite policymakers to your organization/site to learn about an
issue, service or program (elected officials love doing this, gives them a nice photo op!)
▪ Meet with your elected officials in person to weigh in on an issue or policy change
▪ Draft a petition or sign-on letter to express views on an issue and ask coalition/community
members to sign on
▪ Participate in a townhall and ask your elected officials questions about his/her policy
positions- you can find information on your legislator’s website or social media
✓Hold them accountable to their stated positions- follow up!
▪ Submit comments or feedback on regulations as they are being developed
Advocacy Strategies (cont’d)
Prosperity Now Advocacy CenterGet started today at https://prosperitynow.org/take-action
Here you can:
▪ Email a legislator
▪ Call a legislator
▪ Tweet at a legislator
▪ Schedule a Meeting
▪ Sign a petition
Building a Strong and Effective Coalition:
▪ Organize and mobilize stakeholders (coalition partners) to share their story and advocate for change
▪ Educate the public about the legislative process
▪ Introduce constituents to the legislators who
represent them—remember, policymakers
always want to hear from their constituents!
▪ Hold advocacy days to train coalition members and other stakeholders on basic advocacy skills, and to educate them about your issue
Advocacy Strategies (cont’d)
Fighting Fatigue
▪ Remember that you are in it for the long haul—advocacy
is a process and policy wins rarely happen over night
✓ It requires perseverance, incremental change and
building the groundwork for future success
▪ Revisit your “why” frequently to ensure that your message
and framing continue to resonate with key stakeholders,
and reflect the reality of the political landscape
▪ Celebrate victories!
✓ This helps build credibility for the coalition, while also
building momentum for future efforts
Use the Comment Box to let us know!
Discussion
What’s your greatest challenge when it comes to advocacy?
1. Federal advocacy
2. State advocacy
3. Local advocacy
4. No advocacy experience
Use the Comment Box to let us know more!
Poll Question
What type of advocacy do you engage in most often?
Key Insights:A Legislator’s Perspective
Del. Jheanelle WilkinsDelegate, District 20
Maryland House of Delegates
Q1: What is the best time for advocates to influence the legislative process?
Q2: Most states have adjourned for 2020, leaving Governors to make important
decisions related to the pandemic. How can advocates have influence when the
legislature is out of session?
Q3: As a legislator, why is the perspective of direct service providers so important to you?
Q4: As a legislator, what type of data is helpful to you?
Q5: Thinking about some of the most effective constituent meetings you’ve had,
what stood out about those meetings?
Q6: How can advocates who share your stance on issues still be effective advocates?
Q7: How do you use constituent stories in your work?
Key Insights:A Staffer’s Perspective
Chad BoltLegislative Assistant
Office of U.S. Senator
Sherrod Brown
Q1: Walk us through the federal legislative process and what are the best times and
ways to influence the process?
Q2: What have you found to be the most and least helpful in terms of constituent
advocacy?
Q3: What does a typical face-to-face meeting look like? How are you handling meetings in
the age of social distancing?
Q4: What is the best way for advocates to follow up after meeting with legislative staff?
Q5: What are some ways advocates can be effective advocate at home?
Q6: How can district offices be helpful to advocates?
Q7: As a staffer, how do you work with direct service providers to push policy?
Audience Q & A
What questions do you have?
Share them in theQuestions box!
Del. Jheanelle Wilkins | Delegate, District 20
Maryland House of Delegates
: @JheanelleW
Chad Bolt | Legislative Assistant
Office of Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
: @chadderr
Vanna Cure | Senior Advocacy Manager
Prosperity Now
Stay in Touch!
Next Steps
▪ Complete the follow-up survey
▪ Attend our next webinar in the Camp Prosperity series
on July 21st!
▪ Explore the Prosperity Now website for resources,
events, and more
▪ Register for the 2020 Prosperity Summit (formerly
Assets Learning Conference), September 30- October 2
Dive Deeper with Prosperity Now Community Networks
◼ Affordable Homeownership Network
◼ Racial Wealth Equity Network
◼ Financial Coaching Network
◼ Savings Network
◼ Taxpayer Opportunity Network (VITA/Community Tax Prep)
◼ Campaign for Every Kids Future — Children’s Savings Accounts
◼ Medical Financial Partnerships (Health/Wealth)
◼ Innovations in Manufactured Housing (I’M HOME) Network
Visit any of the networks above at prosperitynow.org/getinvolved to get started.
Sign up for listservs and working groups, volunteer to facilitate
peer discussions, serve in a leadership role and more!
Take action with Prosperity Now Campaigns!
Homeownership is
key to building wealth. Together, we
will advocate for
products and policies that provide more
affordable homes to more people.
HOMEOWNERSHIP
Consumer
protections create fairer, more
transparent financial
markets. Together, we will ensure
consumers keep the safeguards they
deserve.
CONSUMER
PROTECTIONS
Safety net programs
help protect vulnerable individuals
and families from
falling deep into poverty. Together, we
will protect programs like SNAP, IDAs and more to help those in
need when they need it most.
SAFETY NET
The vast majority of
tax incentives go to those at the top, not to those who need it
most. Together, we will turn our upside-
down tax code right-side up.
TURN IT
RIGHT-SIDE UP
Visit any of the Campaigns above at https://prosperitynow.org/take-action to learn more and join.
Sign up to stay informed about the latest developments and opportunities to take
action by joining one of our four federal policy campaigns.
Prosperity Now Advocacy CenterTake action today at https://prosperitynow.org/take-action
Here you can:
▪ Email a MOC
▪ Call a MOC
▪ Tweet at a MOC
▪ Schedule a Meeting
▪ Sign a petition
Visit the Summit website at summit.prosperitynow.org
to learn more and to register!
Thank you!Please complete our survey!