Location: zoom
Introduction to Advocacy training with the Advocacy Institute will give an overview of the basics of advocacy at the state level. We will discuss why it is important for you to make your voice heard and work with elected officials to address issues affecting your communities. Participants of this training will expand their confidence and knowledge of engaging in advocacy, legislative advocacy, and lobbying activities. Topics include:
Setting the Stage - We will reflect on the first steps of developing an advocacy campaign. We will review the differences between advocacy, legislative advocacy, and lobbying; reflect on participants' goals to ensure they are clear and actionable; and guide participants through the questions they need to ask to ensure that their campaigns have a strong foundation. Additionally, we’ll cover concrete, practical steps you can take to foster relationships with both new and longstanding elected officials; and explore how to ground in the timeline in order to find legislators where they are, bring them to you, and cultivate partnerships to advance legislative and budget campaigns.
Coalition Building - This portion of the training will focus on the importance of creating a strong and strategic foundation for your campaign. We will introduce Advocacy Institute’s Legislative Campaign Assessment and Tracking Tool (LCATT), discuss how to identify the key choice points that arise as you start your campaign, the pros and cons of different strategies; and learn how building an inclusive coalition held together by shared values can help your campaign succeed.
Up to 15 training participant organizations will be eligible for 1 hour of 1:1 coaching with Advocacy Institute staff following the training.