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Advocacy tips- Know the legislative process and players.
- Get the facts. Use research to help you convey your position to legislators, the public, your board, funders, and members. Credible data can complement personal stories and anecdotes about your cause, thereby making your point more convincing.
- Identify fellow advocates and partners. Find common ground on issues to make a strong coalition.
- Speak, write and act in a clear, persuasive and respectable manner.
- Writing to legislators is the most popular choice of communication. An effective letter:
- States the purpose in the first paragraph
- Is courteous and to the point
- Includes key information and uses examples to support the position
- Addresses only one issue; and if possible, fits on a page
- Building relationships is essential.
- Advocacy is not a one-time effort.
- Advocacy involves building and cultivating relationships with those individuals and organizations that you want to inform and persuade.
- Don’t take your relationships for granted, and certainly never burn bridges with anyone who may disagree with you.
Related links: Advocacy Tips from the American Public Health Association Advocacy Tips and Tools from Volunteers of America How-To Resources from the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest |
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