Moving

Forward:Putting Putting

Your Policy

Agenda in

Motion

Advocacy courts change

Through a variety of strategies,

advocacy strives to change:

�Public opinion�Public opinion

�Community and institutional norms

�Government policies

�Outcomes

•Convene constituents

•Educate / inform constituents

•Build skills

•Involve

• Assess needs

• Set priorities

• Map opportunities

PlanPlan • Anticipate opposition

• Identify targets

• Build a coalition

• Mobilize grassroots

• Conduct lobbying

Components of an advocacy campaign

•Involve constituents in every stage of campaign

EngageEngage

• Map opportunities and barriers

• Conduct research and analysis

• Create timeline

• Prepare case

• Conduct lobbying and media work

• Evaluate effort

ImplementImplement

Celebrate accomplishments and repeat

Goal: Secure $1.5 million in new funding for AIDS housing services in the 2008 city budget

Rationale: HOPWA housing assistance closed to new enrollments; the end of non-renewable bonus grant put housing assistance for hundreds of people in jeopardy; 10,000 or more PLWHA have unmet

Anatomy of a campaign: Chicago AIDS Housing Funds, 2007

jeopardy; 10,000 or more PLWHA have unmet housing needs

Results:

$250,000 in one-time funding designated for AIDS housing services

100 new state-funding subsidies designated for PLWHA

Raised local awareness of housing as an HIV issue

Anatomy of a campaign: Chicago AIDS Housing Funds, 2007

Materials:

Case statement

Talking points

Timetable:

May: Develop materials

June: Unveil campaign

July: Identify legislative leaders

Strategy:

Tell our story

Educate community Statistics

Presentation

Action alerts

Petition

Slogans/signs

City Council list

Aug: Testify at budget hearings

Sept: Gather petitions

Oct: Analyze Mayor’s budget

Nov: Activate grassroots

Dec: Compromise,

communicate, celebrate

Jan: Implement

community

Organize grassroots

Educate City Council

Leverage media

Explore options

Step One: Engage

Build advocacy

around the needs of

your core

constituents

Help

constituents

identify

their

elected

officials

Educate stakeholders to:

• Enter a home or work zip code at www.votesmart.org to access a list of public officials

• Contact their state and federal representatives on issues that officials representatives on issues that matter to them

• Keep contact info in your cell phone, by computer, and/or fax

Engagement tips: Beginner

Urge

constituents

to join an

advocacy

network

(maybe

Let someone else do the hard work:

•AIDS Advocacy Orgs by State:www.projectinform.org/advo/resources.s

html

•AIDS Action: www.aidsaction.org

•Southern AIDS Coalition: www.southernaidscoalition.org

•Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization (maybe

yours)!

•Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project:•www.champnetwork.org

•National AIDS Housing Coalition: www.nationalaidshousing.org

Engagement tips: Beginner

Educate individuals

about policy and build

their skills

Educational topics may include:

•How government decisions are made

•AIDS policy updates•AIDS policy updates

•History of AIDS advocacy

•Key components of advocacy

•Local impact of state or federal policy

•Telling your story to lawmakers

•Effective legislative visits

•Voter registration—election day reminder

Engagement tips: Intermediate

Help inform policy and advocacy

Share what you

know: current

campaigns

Help inform policy and advocacy

from the PLWHA and agency

perspectives

Help stakeholders learn about

the issues

Engagement tips: Intermediate

Tap constituents to help plan and

implement advocacy campaigns

Identify issues

Help set priorities

Organize rallies/events

Collect petitions

Get the word out

Tell their stories

Strategize

Engagement tips: Advanced

Set advocacy

goals,

timelines, and

strategy—and

do your

homework

Step Two: Planning

Potential Advocacy Issues

STATE

• Medicaid policy

• Healthcare reform implementation

• Housing, prevention, corrections,

FEDERAL

• Medicaid and Medicare

• National healthcare reform

implementation• Housing, prevention, corrections,

human services expansion/reform

• State HIV/AIDS investment

• Coordinated services

• Responsive, rational and

science-based AIDS policy and

law

• Anti-discrimination measures

• Housing, prevention, corrections,

human services expansion/reform

• Increased appropriations

• Coordinated services

• Global AIDS investment

• National AIDS Strategy

implementation

Nurturing Coalitions Is Real Work

ConveneConvene

Facilitate Facilitate

Recruit participants Build common vision

Maintain VitalityMaintain Vitality

Research Communication

Working structure Delegate duties

http://www.preventioninstitute.org/pdf/eightstep.pdf

Coalition Components

ConvenerConvener

• Entrusted to convene, facilitate and engage partners

• Leads planning, delegation of assignments, monitoring implementation, and internal and external communications

• Invites input, manages decision-making, monitors schedules and annual cycles, and works to maintain group cohesion

MembersMembers

• Lend their name, expertise, and other available resources to advance group’s mission

• Assist in planning, implementation, and decision making

• Help sustain and build the coalition

• Lead specific efforts as needed

MethodsMethods

• Shared agreements about the mission and day-to-day operations

• Defines decision-making process, committees (if any), officers’ terms and duties, annual cycles, membership, and other methods

• Describes minimum expectations for communications and engagement

Building a Coalition: Key Questions

• What mission and values

guide the coalitions?

• Who comprises the

coalition (individuals,

organizations, both)?

• How/when is the work

conducted?

• Are there active

committees and officers?

• How are members organizations, both)?

• What does membership

in the coalition

entail/require?

• How and when are

decisions made?

• How are members

recruited?

• What mechanisms are in

place to communicate

with members, allies, and

non-members?

Starting-a-coalition check list

� Simple terms of reference

� Membership info, including org members

� Officers, if any

� Calendar of meetings, calls, and updatesCalendar of meetings, calls, and updates

� Annual cycle (priority setting; planning; implementation; assessment/celebration; elections and orientation)

� Committee, if any

� Communications (website; brochure, email list; facebook page, etc.)

Many Different Types of Coalitions

What is needed?

What is timely?

What is urgent?

What is doable?

What is consistent with our mission?

Gather input

to set

priorities and

plan your

campaign

our mission?

What is our unique niche?

Where can we make the greatest impact?

Planning: Intermediate

Framework for Community Organizing

SOCIAL WORK TRADITION

A Culture of Participation� Develop leadership� Improve skills, knowledge and ownership � Help people advocate for themselves

Inclusiveness� Draw members/leaders from the

community� Foster participation among groups that

have been "absent from the table”

ISSUE ORGANIZING

1. Organize a coalition in support of the issue

2. Develop a plan, a strategy and a timetable

3. Anticipate your opponent’s objections

4. Do not lie or mislead a policy-maker

5. Activate your grassroots support

have been "absent from the table”

Breadth of Mission and Vision� Work on diverse set of issue affecting the

community � Holistic approach

Critical Perspective� Seek to change policies and institutions� Promote institutional accountability and

responsiveness � Take a critical stance

Community Organizing Toolbox: www.nfg.org/cotb/index.htm#toc

6. Be ready to compromise

7. Don’t forget to notice or thank anyone who has helped you

8. Be ready to follow through

9. Use the media

10. “When you are crossed politically, don’t get mad; get even” (Bobby Kennedy)

TEN COMMENDMENTS OF LOBBYING & POLICY ADVOCACY (prepared by Julie E. Hamos & Associates., October 1992)

Assess Your Organization’s

Advocacy Capacity

� Is the Board involved in setting institutional policy positions?

� Does the organization have a process for setting policy positions? Formal or informal?

� How does the organization gather stakeholder input on policy?

� How are policy priorities set/established within the organization?

Planning: Beginner

� How are policy priorities set/established within the organization?

� Who conducts advocacy for the organization?

� Is there a culture of advocacy within the organization?

� How are advocacy issues communicated to clients, staff, board, donors, and others?

Prepare Your Agency

� Create an environment that promotes advocacy

involvement

� Look to your mission and programs for priority issues

� Form a policy committee

Planning: Intermediate

� Form a policy committee

� Learn the IRS rules

� Make policy/advocacy a standing topic of regular

client, staff, board, and community meetings

Advocacy vs. Lobbying*

ADVOCACY

• Issue education (general public or legislators)

• Research and analysis

• Educational reports and fact sheets

LOBBYING

Communication that:

• Expresses a view about specific

legislation, and

• Includes a call to action (i.e., vote sheets

• Strategies that define problems and solutions

• Convening/engaging stakeholders

• Polling

• Non-partisan voter education

• Building relationships with legislators

• Building advocacy capacity

• Includes a call to action (i.e., vote

this way; call a lawmakers)

Types of Lobbying:

• Direct Lobbying: Targets lawmakers

directly

• Grassroots Lobbying: Encourages

general public to lobby

* In the IRS context

Non-Lobbying Advocacy

Regulations

Advocacy targeting the following is not considered lobbying by the IRS (state laws may use different definitions):

Enforcing Laws

Executive Orders

Litigation

Public Foundations & Non-Profits

Must Abide by Same Restrictions

Lobbying Election-Related

May lobby (within limit) No partisan activities allowed

Limits established by:

-- insubstantial-part test, or

-- 501(h) expenditure test

May educate candidates and voters

on issues, political process, and

voter registration-- 501(h) expenditure test voter registration

No limit on non-lobbying advocacy May host debates and forums

Nonpartisan get-out-the-vote drives

allowed

Mount a successful

advocacy campaign

Step Three: Implementation

Grassroots Organizing:

La Cucaracha Theory

Implementation: Beginners

Lobbying: What Works

• Petitions

• Emails

• Form letter (faxed)

• Calls

• Visits

• Personal, hand-written letter

• Media• Media

• Grass-tops (i.e. personal relationships)

• Broad-based, persistent coalition

Understand the Typical Lawmaker

• Wants to make a difference

• Most likely unfamiliar with

HIV/AIDS issues

• Has an agenda• Has an agenda

• Wants to maintain good

standing in the community

• Wants to stay in office

Implementation: Beginners

Building Relationships with

Lawmakers

Implementation: Intermediate

Legislative Relationships

• Start early: cultivate relationships with candidates and freshmen lawmakers

• Don’t ignore staff: today’s secretary is tomorrow’s legislative director! Don’t take anyone for granted.

• Build on commonalities: Find common ground, even with a lawmaker who disagree with you.

• Be an attentive listener: Try to identify legislators’ priorities and play to their interests.

• Be a resource: Nothing will serve your cause more than being helpful, finding useful information, or following through on requests.

Legislative Relationships(continued)

Stroking Egos Never Hurts!

• Take your picture with the lawmaker

• Send legislators your newsletter

• Invite them to tour your site

• Invite them to speak at your public events

• Commend them publicly and privately for a job well done

• Give them an award if they are exceptionally helpful

• Above all, engage them in your work

Implementation: Intermediate

Dealing with an Un-friendly or

Unengaged Legislator

• Keep it local: Nothing will get or keep their attention more than information specific to their district or neighborhoods

• Explore their resistance: The more you know about their concern the more tailored you can make your approachconcern the more tailored you can make your approach

• Work in coalition: Strive to build alliances with groups/entities that may have the lawmakers ear

• Be respectful: No progress will be made if you turn them off completely.

Implementation: Advanced

Dealing with an Enthusiastic Legislator

• Ask them to speak at a local event: Be creative about ways to tap their interest

• Ask them to speak to their colleague: Lawmakers make persuasive lobbyist—put them to work!

• Help them develop letters to the editor: The press is likely to publish what they have to say.

• Ask them to help broker new partners/coalition: Lawmakers have influence you do not have; utilize it.

• Ask for their advice: Lawmakers are master strategists and can help develop your plans so be sure to ask them for ideas.

Implementation: Advanced

Consider direct action

“ When you are “ When you are

crossed politically,

don’t get mad; get

even! ”

Public officials are

keenly aware that your

ultimate power is the

ballot boxBobby Kennedy

Follow us on the AIDS

advocacy blog

Bring it all together

www.stopaidscampaign.org.uk

David Ernesto Munar

Vice President

AIDS Foundation of Chicago

dmunar@aidschicago.org

312-334-0933