1. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Advocacy in Public Policy Making Role and Function of Advocacy Organizations Strategies to Impact Policy Change Coalition Building for Advocacy Connecting Fellows’ Work to Advocacy

2. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Public Policy Change Elected Officials Implementers of Public Policy Lobbyists Advocacy=Constituency Voice Turning Concerns into Action Using Influence for Change

3. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Why Advocacy? We Can Not a specialized skill It doesn’t take that many of us We Should There are things we want changed Democracy=Responsibility Decision-makers REALLY need our help

4. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children How do advocates make change? Get the attention of the people who can make the change we want Talk to Decision-Makers A concern that we have about our lives A concern that we have about their work Talk to Other People About an issue About policy-maker’s views or positions About how to act to make policy change

5. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Michigan’s Children Works Directly With Policy Makers Guided by Legislative Priorities Individually and in Partnership Provides Tools for Other Advocates Information Training Opportunity

6. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Structure of MC Advocacy 501 (c) 3 Organization Governed by Board of Directors Part of National Network Funded Privately Foundations Corporations Individuals

7. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Lobbying Is… Governed by Federal and State Regulations Direct Contact With Public Officials Encouraging Others to Directly Contact Public Officials To Influence A Specific Action Vote Yes on HB 4378

8. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Ways to Lobby In House Staff register as lobbyists Hire It Out Multi-client lobbying firms

9. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Advocacy Is… Everything Else! Education on Issues vs. Legislation Building Relationships With Policy Makers Providing Resources for Policy Makers Information on Geography or Issues Site Visits to Programs Opportunities to Talk With Constituents

10. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Advocating for What? Seriousness of the Need Relevance to Mission and Goals Resource Capacity for Action Potential for Making Change Potential for Joint Action

11. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children How Do You Move An Issue Who can make the change What influences them Who Do We Know Who Do We Need

12. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children What Influences You?

13. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children What Influences Decision Makers Friends Title or position Information Numbers Constituents Money

14. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children “When you need a friend, it’s too late to make one.” Mark Twain

15. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Who Do We Need? Relationships Information Partners Researchers, Evaluators Titled Partners Experts, Professionals Constituent Partners Based on Geography and Experience

16. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Framing Our Resources We use mental shortcuts to make sense of the world Based on our life experiences, including the media We use “frames” to filter new information

17. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Cat Frame Cat Fur Affection Costliness Sneezing Shedding Kitty Litter Cleanliness Cat Food Vets Scan

18. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Why Do Frames Matter? When the facts don’t fit the frame, it is the FACTS that are rejected, not the frame.

19. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Successful Advocacy Effective Policy Maker Communication Information Partners Titled Partners Constituent Partners Advocacy Strategy

20. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Who Is Out There Advocating? So Many People for So Many Things… National Partners State-Level Partnerships Shared Youth Vision Partnership Michigan Coalition for Children and Families Coalitions and Associations for Every Issue

21. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Working it Through Prioritizing an Issue Building Relationships Providing Information and Education Calling On or Developing Partners Lobby Directly and Encourage Grassroots Networks to Lobby

22. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Advocacy In Your Work As you think about your own work… Who do you think that you could or should connect with around the issues that you see or experience? Where can what you know be useful in advocacy work?

23. Voices Leadership Training Michigan's Children Michele Corey Michigan’s Children 428 W. Lenawee Lansing, MI 48933 517/485-3500; 800/330-8674 FAX: 517/485-3650 corey.michele@michiganschildren.org www.michiganschildren.org