for every woman Strategies for Relevancy & Effectiveness: Advocacy Boot Camp Webinar #3

for every woman Agenda 1 Overview of “Go-To” Building Relationships with Elected Officials Developing Partnership and Coalitions Leadership: Civic Engagement Next Steps

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A “GO-TO” Organization “Strengthen Our Brand” while we “Expand Our Base” while we “Lift Our Voice” 3 CredibleVisibleConnected

for every woman Building Relationships with Elected Officials/Decision-Makers Tralonne Shorter YWCA USA Senior Advocacy & Policy Associate for Racial Justice and Civil Right 4

for every woman Factors that Influence Members of Congress Executive Branch The MediaPolitical Parties ConstituentsLobbyists Interest Groups 5

for every woman How YWCA’s Influence Elected Officials National/Grassroots-Grasstops Advocacy: Promoting or opposing legislation/amendments, working with staff on priority legislation Coalitions: Advancing or opposing legislation to achieve a common goal Constituents: Elected officials are often motivated by re-election. Legislators represent and advocate for the interests of constituents and in-district/state interests. YWCA’s ARE constituents and they serve constituent's. 6

for every woman Concrete Strategies to Build Relationships with Elected Officials Communicate Regularly and Follow-Through on RequestsUpdate your elected officials and staff on your advocacy agenda Share advocacy stories with your elected leaders and link the story to your advocacy agenda Be A Reliable & Trustworthy Expert Understand what motivates your elected official and do research on your legislator 7

for every woman Concrete Strategies to Build Relationships with Elected Officials Invite Members of Congress and Staff to your facility during Congressional recess/Work Period. Invite state/local elected officials. Introduce your local association to the In-District Staff of your Federal Legislators Invite elected officials to serve on your BoardCreate Opportunities for Legislators to Be Seen At Community Events 8

for every woman Constituent Service Work Important to Members Analysis Members prioritize serving and staying in touch with constituents; constituent conversations guide policymaking, and every Member realizes that reelection hinges on their ability to serve the constituents who vote them into office Nonetheless, Members face constraints in their ability to meet constituent demands, and advocates should be sensitive to Members’ limited time and resources when making specific asks of their Member of Congress Importance to Members’ job satisfaction of staying in touch with constituents Very important Our government doesn’t work without constituent conversations and feedback. Knowing the issues important to constituents, and knowing what they think Washington needs to do, is the only way I can succeed at my job. - 5 th Term House Member “ ” Source: Congressional Management Foundation and the Society for Human Resource Management, “Life in Congress: The Member Perspective,” Somewhat important Member response to the statement: “I have the time and resources I need to accomplish my goals in Congress.” Disagree Neutral Agree However… But Members May Lack Resources to Meet Demands

for every woman Developing Partnerships and Coalitions Desiree Hoffman, YWCA USA Director of Advocacy 10

for every woman Building YWCA’s Collective Power YWCA’s influence Members of Congress through grassroots- grasstops advocacy Cultivating relationships with elected officials on federal/state/local levels enable the YWCA to advance advocacy agenda Another strategy to build YWCA’s collective power is through coalition building and identifying partnerships 11

for every woman Advocacy Coalition A coalition contains, “people from a variety of positions (elected and agency officials, interest group leaders, researchers) who share a particular belief system” and “who show a non- trivial degree of coordinated activity over time.” 12

for every woman Cultivating Partnerships and Coalition Building Coalition building and identifying partnerships help local associations advance their advocacy agenda. Participating in the “right” coalitions and partnerships help drive collective advocacy action. 13

for every woman Example of YWCA Partnership: Americans for Responsible Solutions 14

for every woman Key Questions to Consider When Identifying Coalitions/Partnerships Does this coalition share our advocacy vision, agenda and philosophy? Does it include a broad group of stakeholders such as women’s groups, civil rights, labor, business community etc.? Does the partnership or coalition present any conflicts of interest? Are we willing to accept the risks associated with joining? Are our internal stakeholders completely bought into the issue or partnership? Will the coalition further our interests? 15

for every woman Key Steps to Coalition Building Explore the Landscape Join Existing networks and coalitions Cultivate relationships with decision makers 16

for every woman Healthy Coalitions/Partnerships Promote Active Participation Establish new relationships (Technical experts, community colleges, faith based organizations) Develop clear advocacy plan (Includes goals, objectives, messaging, target audience) Agree on common purpose, set priorities and clarify expectations Accountability mechanism Assess coalition and partnership value Coalition work and partnerships can be complex, challenging and sometimes conflict ridden. 17

for every woman Taking Leadership: Civic Engagement Presented by Lindsey Hodel, Nonprofit VOTE National Field Director

for every woman Founded in 2005, Nonprofit VOTE partners with America's nonprofits to help the people they serve participate and vote. We are a leading source of nonpartisan training, materials and other resources for nonprofits doing voter engagement work. Find out more about our mission and partners on our site

for every woman Our voices are not being heard Nonprofits have unique access and assets Voting improves the health of individuals and communities Why VOTING matters

for every woman Builds political clout and relevance for our organizations Brings power to our advocacy agenda Improves the health of our communities and clients When we do this work, we are extremely effective. Why voter engagement matters

for every woman Mayoral elections: More than 600 cities and towns across the nation will hold mayoral elections Ballot questions: Hundreds of measures will appear on the ballot this year Increased impact in off year elections The importance of local elections to nonprofits Opportunity in 2015

for every woman BEING NONPARTISAN

for every woman THE ONE RULE A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization may NOT support or oppose a candidate for public office or a political party. A 501(c)(3) may not: Make an endorsement Donate money or resources elections-online/

for every woman WHAT NONPROFITS CAN DO Nonprofits may conduct nonpartisan voter engagement activities designed to educate the public and help them participate in elections Voter Registration Voter Education Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Candidate Engagement

for every woman GETTING STARTED

for every woman Designate a Staff Lead: Choose a staff lead, someone who will be the point person for your voter engagement work. Establish Buy-In: Get buy- in from your Executive Director, senior staff and front line staff. Step One: Establish Buy In

for every woman Face to face and one on one interactions are proven to be the most effective ways to influence people Engaging your staff Programs and Points of Contact: At your agency, at events, or in your neighborhood Services or classes to target Special programs or events: A graduation, a community festival, a citizenship ceremony, etc. Step Two: Target Activities

for every woman Identify staff and volunteers who will be involved Get riled up! Provide a rationale for the work Initial training: Make sure they have the skills they need. Ongoing training and support: Periodically review with staff what they need to know, provide materials & resources Step Three: Staff Up and Train

for every woman VOTER ENGAGEMENT TACTICS

for every woman When: Ramp up your activities as you near the registration deadline. Conduct a pilot of your registration efforts Keep in mind: –Some are already registered –Updating an address or name is just as important as registering for the first time Voter registration

for every woman Combine voter registration with another activity Updating an address is just as important. Always ask ”Have you moved recently?” Keys To Successful Registration Voter Registration

for every woman Nonprofit Votes Count is a nonpartisan, national campaign to ensure the staff and volunteers of America’s nonprofits are registered to vote – because democracy depends on the participation of all, including the nonprofit sector. NONPROFIT VOTES COUNT

for every woman September 22 nd is National Voter Registration Day! National Voter Registration Day NVRD!

for every woman VOTER EDUCATION Education on the process of voting – Inform clients and constituents of the date of the election, polling place hours, where to get help voting, early voting opportunities, etc. Education on candidates/offices and issues – Pass out nonpartisan voter guides or a sample ballot

for every woman THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND Make it personal: Personal contact works best Create urgency around your issue or the impact of the election Raise the volume as Election Day approaches. That’s when people are most tuned in

for every woman Create visibility: Make the election visible at your agency Promote Early Voting – When and how to vote early in person – Help applying for a mail ballot Promote Election Day voting – Big push in final week and last 2 days – Remind/offer help voting during services, at events, over the phone GET OUT THE VOTE

for every woman Give staff time off: To work at polls or do nonpartisan GOTV Ask if you voted: Ask everyone if they voted or need help voting Celebrate Democracy: Make Election Day special. Have a party. ON ELECTION DAY

for every woman VOTE (8683) Nonprofit VOTE 89 South Street Suite 203 Boston, MA Lindsey Hodel

for every woman Closing Thoughts Opportunities Abound in 2016! Be Ready! Get your house in order, systems in place and ! Reach out for any assistance or sharing successes! 40

for every woman Thank you and good luck! 41