Presentation with Tom Brede from Eric Mower + Assoc. at the Ad Council of Rochester's nonprofit advocacy workshop on Nov. 18, 2014. We discuss effective strategies and tactics for nonprofits to engage with elected officials.

1. All Hands on Deck: Creating
Action Around Your Cause
A Nonprofit Workshop on Advocacy
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Presented by:

2. ADVOCACY: What is it?
Advocacy vs. Lobbying:
• Advocacy is the process of stakeholders making their
voices heard on issues that affect their lives and the
lives of others at the local, state and national level.
• Lobbying involves activities that are in direct support
of or opposition to specific legislation, executive
orders, or an agency’s rules, regulations & rates.

3. ADVOCACY: What is it?
Definition of Lobbying:
• Any attempt to influence:
– (i) the passage or defeat of any legislation by either house of the state
legislature or approval or disapproval of any legislation by the
governor;
– (ii) the adoption, issuance, rescission, modification or terms of a
gubernatorial executive order;
– (iii) the adoption or rejection of any rule or regulation having the force
and effect of law by a state agency;
– (iv) the outcome of any rate making proceeding by a state agency;
• Source: NYS Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE)

4. ADVOCACY: What is it?
Lobbying, like a great
steak, requires 3 things:
• Money
• Beef
• Heat
Advocacy is much more
like a salad:
• Relies on many varying
ingredients
• Can grow in your
backyard
• Little cost

5. DO’S AND DON’TS
Please Do:
• Advocate for your cause.
• Lobby.
• Build relationships with and engage lawmakers.
• Engage the community and the public.
• Encourage people to register to vote, get involved.
• Organize communities.
• Build coalitions and alliances.

6. DO’S AND DON’TS
Please Don’t:
• Use government funds to lobby.
– Your organization can receive government funds for other purposes,
just don’t use them for this.
• Engage in any partisan activities or activities that
simply appear to be partisan.
• Lie and damage your credibility.
• Be late for meetings.
– Elected officials often have tight schedules that can change at a
moments notice.
• Offer gifts in exchange for favorable action.

7. DO’S AND DON’TS
Resources:
• NYS JCOPE Website: www.jcope.ny.gov
• The Alliance for Justice: www.afj.org
• The IRS:
– http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Lobbying
– http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Measuring-
Lobbying:-Substantial-Part-Test
– http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Measuring-
Lobbying-Activity:-Expenditure-Test

8. VISION: Know what you want
Help elected officials help you:
• Make it clear what your priorities are
– Rank your legislative agenda in order of importance
• Don’t make more work for them
– Provide supportive facts
– Elected officials and staff face information overload with numerous
issues
• Be personal, don’t make it personal
– Show how their constituents are affected
– Be prepared for disagreement

9. VISION: Know what you want
Telling elected officials what you want is not
enough, you need to ask them to do something:
• Ask elected officials to take a specific action
– Set reasonable expectations
– Support/cosponsor a bill, secure funding, issue a public statement,
write to an agency, etc.
• Ask elected officials to respond to the request
– Get a written response and follow up
– Be patient but also persistent

10. OPPORTUNITY: Know the playing field
Effective advocacy requires some research
before you get started:
• What level of government should I target?
• What legislative/regulatory process is involved?
• Who’s who among decision-makers?
• When is the best time to advocate?
• Who are your allies and opposition?

11. OPPORTUNITY: Know the playing field
Get to know your elected officials:
• Personal history
– Hometown, family, education, career
• Significant accomplishments
– Laws passed, funding secured
• Record (statements, votes, bill sponsorship)
– Votes, statements, bills sponsored and authored
• Supporters
– Institutional support, campaign contributors
• Political philosophy
– Go beyond party enrollment

12. OPPORTUNITY: Know the playing field
Elected officials are like the media:
• Establish relationships early
– The best time to start is when you don’t need anything.
• Upgrade to the Platinum Rule
– Treat people the way they want to be treated, not the way you think
they should be treated.
• You must be timely, interesting, and to the point
– Be aware of schedules and deadlines, such as budget and legislative
calendars.
• Strong relationships yield more attention and greater
accessibility
– Get them to come to you as a resource too.

13. OPPORTUNITY: Know the playing field
Meeting and building relationships with staff is
well worth your time:
• Staff are the gatekeepers to lawmakers and should be your
primary target for building relationships.
• They help lawmakers balance their responsibilities and
provide counsel and advice that helps with important
decisions.
• Staff also do much of the important behind-the-scenes work
on legislation and policy issues.
• In many instances, people at the staff level are the policy
experts, not the lawmakers.

14. OPPORTUNITY: Know the playing field
Meetings are just one way to engage with
elected officials and staff:
• Invite them to visit/tour your office/operation.
• Host a legislative breakfast or roundtable discussion.
• Invite them to speak at or attend a conference or workshop
• Ask them to contribute an article for your newsletter.
• Look for volunteer opportunities they can participate in.
• Ask for proclamations, resolutions, citations, certificates, etc.

15. COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY
Prepare for the meeting:
• Think of it as a presentation:
– An opportunity to make a presentation about what you want to say.
• Develop 3 key messages:
– What are the three most important points you want to make?
– Support them with facts, anecdotes, and examples.
– Talk backwards.
• Rehearse delivering the messages:
– Practice delivering your messages out loud, to an audience if possible.
– Use your own words.
– Practice telling background stories, examples, etc.
– Practice answering difficult questions so they don’t trip you up.

16. COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY
Prepare for the meeting:
• Have realistic expectations:
– Don’t expect to get what you ask for on the spot.
– Advocacy is a process that requires patience, flexibility and
persistence.
• Bring people with you:
– If you have people whose stories speak to the importance of the effort
and can effectively humanize it, bring them with you.
– Putting faces to issues is a powerful way to tell your story and make
the case for what you’re trying to achieve.
– In the give-take world of advocacy, lawmakers want access to people
(voters).

17. COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY
During the meeting:
• Get to the point (“the ask”) quickly:
– Whatever you want from the lawmaker, be sure to clearly articulate it
at the beginning of the meeting.
• Provide a one pager on the issue:
– Don’t count on the lawmaker or staffer to remember everything you
say.
– Provide a document that summarizes the issue, the role of your
organization, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you are asking of
the lawmaker.
– Be concise.

18. COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY
During the meeting:
• Bring it back to your issue:
– Let the lawmaker ask questions, but don’t let those questions derail
your presentation.
– When rehearsing, have someone ask tough questions designed to get
you off topic or frustrate you.
– Focus on acknowledging the question and then returning to your
messages.
• Expect the unexpected:
– Your 15 minute meeting could change to a 3 minute meeting.
– Your meeting with a lawmaker could change to a meeting with staff.
– Your meeting in an office could happen while walking down a hall.

19. ASSETS
Local government
• www.monroecounty.gov
• www.cityofrochester.com
• www.lwv-rma.org
New York State government
• www.ny.gov
• www.assembly.state.ny.us
• www.nysenate.gov
• http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/

20. ASSETS
Federal government
• www.congress.gov
• www.house.gov
• www.senate.gov
• www.whitehouse.gov

21. COLLABORATE
Building coalitions can improve your chances for
success by:
• Building your membership and creating new
partnership opportunities
• Enhancing your branding and credibility
• Raising awareness and improving visibility
• Maximizing resources and dividing labor
• Increasing political clout
• Neutralizing the opposition

22. COLLABORATE
Coalitions can be like “herding cats” and have
challenges:
• Coalitions require time and money
– Be sure that it is adequately funded
– Members need to be in it for the long haul
• Specific interests can lead to conflict among groups
– Members need to respect each other
– Build consensus among members, even if it’s time consuming
• Coalition management is cumbersome
– Utilize an effective and deliberate leadership structure

23. YOUR VOICE MATTERS

24. YOUR MOMENT OF ZEN

25. Contact Us
Mike Kennerknecht
PR Supervisor
Tipping Point Communications
585-340-1119
mike@tippingpointcomm.com
www.tippingpointcomm.com
@Kennerknecht
Tom Brede
Sr. Content Manager, Counselor
Eric Mower + Associates
585-389-1870
tbrede@mower.com
www.mowerpr.com
@TomBrede