Nonprofit Advocacy is EASY
The simple truth is: Advocacy is easy. That’s right, it’s easy. Anyone can do it. How easy is it? Well, it’s so easy that even first graders do it! Let’s go to a local elementary school playground and see what lessons can be learned from first graders …
Advocacy Lesson #1: Advocacy Happens Everywhere
First Graders:
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Nonprofits:
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Practice Pointer
If nonprofits are as smart as first graders, then we will remember that advocacy happens everywhere there are people, so don’t assume we have to travel to Congress to be an advocate. Indeed, nonprofits often can be most effective at state and local levels of government.
Many of us think that lobbying is a mysterious rite that takes years to master. It isn’t. You can learn how to lobby – whom to call, when, what to say – in minutes. While there are a few simple reporting rules your organization needs to follow, it isn’t complicated. Countless numbers of people have learned how.
-- Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest
Advocacy Lesson #2: Leverage Matters
First Graders:
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Nonprofits: Nonprofits enjoy automatic strength and weight through the numbers we have from our built-in allies: our staff, board members, volunteers, funders, clients, vendors, friends, families, and more. |
Practice Pointer
If nonprofits are as smart as first graders, then we will call on our natural allies for help. Plus, we will look for ways to get more people on our side so we can get more leverage – through the media, technology, and old-fashioned relationship-building – to maximize the weight on our side of policy positions.
There is a mystique surrounding advocacy – that you have to be an expert on your issue, or an expert in the way the process works. Not so. … [A]dvocacy is like anything else: beginners are not expected to know as much as professionals, and the more you do it the easier it gets.
--Nancy Amidei, in So You Want to Make a Difference: Advocacy is the Key!
Advocacy Lesson #3: Experience Adds Value
First Graders:
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Nonprofits:
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Practice Pointer
If nonprofits are as smart as first graders, then we will not only pick our teammates wisely, but we will also practice to develop our own skill sets.