Advocacy & Policy Change Tactic Definitions Advocacy
Advocacy & Policy Change Tactic Definitions
Advocacy: Advocacy is any action that speaks in favor of, recommends, argues for a cause, supports or defends, or pleads on behalf of others. It includes public education, regulatory work, litigation, and work before administrative bodies, lobbying, voter registration, voter education, and more. ** Advocacy Capacity Building: Growing the organizational skills, resources, knowledge, and practices that lead to effective advocacy over time. ** Coalition Building: Nonprofits can, and often should, work in coalitions with other organizations. Working in a coalition allows you to have a greater impact and lends credibility to your efforts. It also allows organizations to share financial, staffing and organizing resources. It’s important to know, however, that there are different advocacy rules that apply to coalitions. The guidelines for lobbying and election-related activity vary depending on how the coalition is organized and funded, as well as the structures of the participating organizations. ** Communications & Messaging: The development and usage of a clear concise definition of an advocacy or community organizing goal. Audiences include segments of the public, decision makers, and constituents. ** Community Mobilization: To engage others in activity to obtain a solution. Community mobilizing is categorized as issue oriented, its process is driven by action, and it can be a confrontational process. ** Community Organizing: Involves people and organizations coming together to advocate for policies that are important to them and their community. Organizing can build a strong base of support for long-term goals, for ongoing work, and timely issue campaigns. Includes identifying people and organizations that share your values and policy goals or are persuaded to do so when they are educated about the issue. * Leadership Development: Leaders are key people who emerge from an organization’s membership, distinct from paid organizers and staff. Leaders usually get recognized by showing that others will follow them — for example, by demonstrating that they can turn out 10 people for a meeting or event. Once identified, they may get training in techniques, such as data analysis or public speaking, that build effectiveness and confidence. ** Litigation: A lawsuit, judicial contest, or any dispute brought to court to enforce a particular right. ** Lobbying: The component of advocacy that focuses on supporting or opposing a specific law that is being proposed. Direct Lobbying occurs when an organization communicates with a legislator or legislative staff member (or any other government employee who may participate in the formulation of the legislation, but only if the principal purpose of the communication is to
influence legislation) about a specific piece of legislation and reflects a view on that legislation. Direct Lobbying also encompasses any communication with the general public expressing a view about a ballot initiative, referendum, bond measure, or similar procedure. Grassroots Lobbying is a communication with the general public that reflects a view on specific legislation and includes a call to action that encourages people to contact their legislative representatives or staff in order influence that legislation. * Media Advocacy: Component of advocacy involving reaching specific audiences through the mediums that appeal to them. Nonprofits can serve as a resource to journalists and work to get coverage in media venues. Advocates build awareness and understanding about their issues by reaching their committed and potential supporters, the general public, opinion shapers, and elected and appointed officials. Traditional media includes print newspapers, radio and television. Newer venues include online newspapers, blogs, websites and social media. * Policymaker Education: Educating individuals in positions of power to make policy related changes. E.g.: legislators and legislative staff in legislative work, agency heads and staff in administrative work, judges in litigation, elected officials, business leaders in work with corporations, or the voters themselves in elections and ballot measures.** Public Forums: A public meeting or assembly allowing for open discussion of issues by candidates where candidates appear sequentially. ** Regulatory Feedback: Influencing officials in the executive branch of federal, state or local government is a powerful tool. Executive or Administrative Advocacy can take several forms, including: Commenting on regulations, requesting enforcement of existing laws, advocating for or against executive orders, trying to influence administrative decisions on policy and program implementation. Executive or Administrative Advocacy can be directed at administrative agencies (e.g., Environmental Protection Agency), executive officials (e.g., Governor, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, County Executive), and special purpose boards (e.g., housing authority, school board, park and planning board). Under federal tax law, nonprofits and foundations can do as much advocacy on regulations and other administrative actions as they’d like. As long as the purpose of these communications is not to influence legislation, the activity is not considered lobbying. ** Voter Outreach/Engagement: Activities include registering voters, educating candidates about issues, hosting candidate debates and forums, supporting or opposing ballot measures, and much more. Nonprofits need not shy away from electoral activities—elections provide nonprofits with opportunities to connect with community members, interact with elected officials, and promote their issues. 501(c)(3) organizations can engage in nonpartisan electoral activities only—they cannot support or oppose candidates for public office. ** Source: * Avner, M. (2013). The Lobbying and Advocacy Handbook: For nonprofit organizations. St. Paul: Fieldstone Alliance. ** Glossary. (2014). In Bolder Advocacy. Retrieved from http://bolderadvocacy.org/afj-on-advocacy/glossary
Advocacy: Advocacy is any action that speaks in favor of, recommends, argues for a cause, supports or defends, or pleads on behalf of others. It includes public education, regulatory work, litigation, and work before administrative bodies, lobbying, voter registration, voter education, and more. ** Advocacy Capacity Building: Growing the organizational skills, resources, knowledge, and practices that lead to effective advocacy over time. ** Coalition Building: Nonprofits can, and often should, work in coalitions with other organizations. Working in a coalition allows you to have a greater impact and lends credibility to your efforts. It also allows organizations to share financial, staffing and organizing resources. It’s important to know, however, that there are different advocacy rules that apply to coalitions. The guidelines for lobbying and election-related activity vary depending on how the coalition is organized and funded, as well as the structures of the participating organizations. ** Communications & Messaging: The development and usage of a clear concise definition of an advocacy or community organizing goal. Audiences include segments of the public, decision makers, and constituents. ** Community Mobilization: To engage others in activity to obtain a solution. Community mobilizing is categorized as issue oriented, its process is driven by action, and it can be a confrontational process. ** Community Organizing: Involves people and organizations coming together to advocate for policies that are important to them and their community. Organizing can build a strong base of support for long-term goals, for ongoing work, and timely issue campaigns. Includes identifying people and organizations that share your values and policy goals or are persuaded to do so when they are educated about the issue. * Leadership Development: Leaders are key people who emerge from an organization’s membership, distinct from paid organizers and staff. Leaders usually get recognized by showing that others will follow them — for example, by demonstrating that they can turn out 10 people for a meeting or event. Once identified, they may get training in techniques, such as data analysis or public speaking, that build effectiveness and confidence. ** Litigation: A lawsuit, judicial contest, or any dispute brought to court to enforce a particular right. ** Lobbying: The component of advocacy that focuses on supporting or opposing a specific law that is being proposed. Direct Lobbying occurs when an organization communicates with a legislator or legislative staff member (or any other government employee who may participate in the formulation of the legislation, but only if the principal purpose of the communication is to
influence legislation) about a specific piece of legislation and reflects a view on that legislation. Direct Lobbying also encompasses any communication with the general public expressing a view about a ballot initiative, referendum, bond measure, or similar procedure. Grassroots Lobbying is a communication with the general public that reflects a view on specific legislation and includes a call to action that encourages people to contact their legislative representatives or staff in order influence that legislation. * Media Advocacy: Component of advocacy involving reaching specific audiences through the mediums that appeal to them. Nonprofits can serve as a resource to journalists and work to get coverage in media venues. Advocates build awareness and understanding about their issues by reaching their committed and potential supporters, the general public, opinion shapers, and elected and appointed officials. Traditional media includes print newspapers, radio and television. Newer venues include online newspapers, blogs, websites and social media. * Policymaker Education: Educating individuals in positions of power to make policy related changes. E.g.: legislators and legislative staff in legislative work, agency heads and staff in administrative work, judges in litigation, elected officials, business leaders in work with corporations, or the voters themselves in elections and ballot measures.** Public Forums: A public meeting or assembly allowing for open discussion of issues by candidates where candidates appear sequentially. ** Regulatory Feedback: Influencing officials in the executive branch of federal, state or local government is a powerful tool. Executive or Administrative Advocacy can take several forms, including: Commenting on regulations, requesting enforcement of existing laws, advocating for or against executive orders, trying to influence administrative decisions on policy and program implementation. Executive or Administrative Advocacy can be directed at administrative agencies (e.g., Environmental Protection Agency), executive officials (e.g., Governor, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, County Executive), and special purpose boards (e.g., housing authority, school board, park and planning board). Under federal tax law, nonprofits and foundations can do as much advocacy on regulations and other administrative actions as they’d like. As long as the purpose of these communications is not to influence legislation, the activity is not considered lobbying. ** Voter Outreach/Engagement: Activities include registering voters, educating candidates about issues, hosting candidate debates and forums, supporting or opposing ballot measures, and much more. Nonprofits need not shy away from electoral activities—elections provide nonprofits with opportunities to connect with community members, interact with elected officials, and promote their issues. 501(c)(3) organizations can engage in nonpartisan electoral activities only—they cannot support or oppose candidates for public office. ** Source: * Avner, M. (2013). The Lobbying and Advocacy Handbook: For nonprofit organizations. St. Paul: Fieldstone Alliance. ** Glossary. (2014). In Bolder Advocacy. Retrieved from http://bolderadvocacy.org/afj-on-advocacy/glossary
