Effective Calls to Action

There is no formula for crafting an effective call to action. What matters is results: motivating readers to make the call, write the letter, tweet the tweet, or take other actions needed to advance good public policy. Different people respond to different writing styles. Here is a case study in style.

The topic of a recent string of Action Alerts is the rider intended to politicize part of the nonprofit community that was attached to a House Appropriations bill in late June. The needed action is getting lawmakers to strip Section 116 from the bill either when the full Committee takes action or before/when the measure is debated on the House floor in the coming weeks.

• Center for Non-Profits (NJ) on Friday, July 7, issued an URGENT ALERT - Johnson Amendment Challenge. Considering that New Jersey is the home of House Appropriations Committee Chair Rodney Frelinghuysen, the bold statement in red is understandable. And a longer-than-usual Action Alert also makes sense since the Chairman’s staff will likely get dozens of inquiries from Committee members who weren’t aware that a controversial rider was included in the bill that would politicize the nonprofit community, starting with houses of worship. The member message provides background on nonprofit nonpartisanship, the Johnson Amendment, and the extraneous rider (Section 116), and lays out the data on public opposition to the proposed change in law. The Alert asks New Jerseyans to contact the Chairman by phone or email and urge him to strip the provision from his bill. It goes farther and urges readers to take the extra step of forwarding the appeal to any and all other colleagues in the Chairman’s district to encourage them to take similar action.
• North Carolina Center for Nonprofits issued a special edition of its Public Policy Update immediately upon learning that full Appropriations Committee consideration was looming. The message got quickly to the point:
  “Congressman David Price (D-NC) serves on the House Appropriations Committee. If you live in the NC-4 congressional district, we encourage you to call (202-225-1784) or email Congressman Price by Tuesday with the simple message that "I'm your constituent, and I ask that you act to strip the Johnson Amendment language in Section 116 from the Financial Services appropriations bill.”
• Utah Nonprofits Association (UNA) is taking the casual and friendly approach: “You've seen our letters and emails in support of nonprofit nonpartisanship and maybe even signed onto the national letter. The issue has now reached a critical point-- we need the support of all Utah's nonprofits to protect ourselves from partisan politics!” UNA briefly reminds readers of the substance of the issue and provides follow up resources. The Action Alert informs members that “UNA's CEO Kate Rubalcava has already called the Congressman's office to state UNA's position on this matter and to tell them to be expecting your call!” It makes the ask, “We now need your help to drive the message home!” And our favorite detail: the message ends with the encouragement, “Feel free to tell them UNA sent you.”

Asking nonprofits to take action on important policy developments is the thing – it’s vital to advancing their missions and need to know when challenges and opportunities arise. As these examples show, how you say it can vary widely based on the needs of the audience and the policymakers you are seeking to motivate. Good luck.