At the 2014 Student United Way Leadership Retreat, United Way Worldwide's Lindsay Torrico spoke about how to advocate for issues you care about.

1. @lindsaytorrico
Influencing Public Policy: Advocating for a Cause
Lindsay Torrico
Director of Policy and Advocacy
United Way Worldwide

2. Overview
•Why: Value of advocacy
•What: United Way Policy Priorities
•How: Best Practices and Successful Advocacy Campaigns
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3. @lindsaytorrico
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The Advocacy Continuum
Raise public awareness about an issue
Public Awareness and Education
•Grassroots organizing and communication with local leaders
Grassroots advocacy and organizing
Lobbying for or against legislation
Lobbying

5. @lindsaytorrico
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Examples of Advocacy
•issue identification, research and analysis;
•education of the public on crucial issues;
•lobbying for or against legislation;
•voter registration and education;
•litigation;
•participation in referenda or initiative campaigns;
•grassroots organizing and communication with local leaders;
•testifying before governmental bodies;
•lobbying governmental agencies at all levels;

6. United Way Policy Priorities – 113th Congress
EDUCATION
•School Readiness
•Middle and High School Success
•Postsecondary success INCOME
•Income supports
•Workforce development HEALTH
•Access to Health Care and Prevention COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING
•National Service (i.e. AmeriCorps)
@lindsaytorrico
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7. Advocating for a Cause
•Change behavior, policies, systems
•An art and a science
•Science – Policy, Politics, Press
•Art – How you make it happen everyday?
@lindsaytorrico
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8. Influence in Action: Advocacy Case Study #1 The ENOUGH Project
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9. Influence in Action: Advocacy Case Study #2 #Women2Drive Campaign in Saudi Arabia
•“Women2Drive” campaign used social media to raise awareness about the ban on women drivers
•Led to a successful campaign on Change.org
•Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton makes a statement
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10. Influence in Action: Advocacy Case Study #3 Early Childhood in the SOTU
Hey @BarackObama Please call for all kids to have a #strongstart w/ #ece in #SOTU tonight! http://bit.ly/1oHoivG FYI @nhsa
•Publicly targets influencer
•Trackable link to measure click throughs
•Pushed to hashtag audiences
•Issue specific (#ece)
•State specific
•Ideological group
Alerts watchdogs
•Blogger
•Issue group
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11. Key Elements of an Advocacy Campaign
1.Issue Identification and Analysis
2.Develop Champions (Power Mapping, Stakeholder Analysis)
3.Coalition-Building
4.Grassroots Organizing and Public Outreach
5.Engage with Government
6.Create a Media Relations Strategy (Social, Earned, Paid)
7.Tie into National, Statewide and Regional Efforts
8.Create Collateral Materials (TPs, Fact Sheets, Brochures) Source: www.advocacycommunications.org
@lindsaytorrico
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12. Best Practices in Advocacy Campaigns
•Objectives resonate with the public
•Is winnable (pass the “snicker” test)
•Clear and simple “ask” or action for supporters to take
•Supporters have the opportunity to get involved in a range of activities
•The campaign is supported by wider alliances of organizations
•The media are attracted to the messages and activities
•Pass the TEA test (Touch, Entuse, Act) Source: International NGO Training and Research Centre
@lindsaytorrico
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13. @lindsaytorrico
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14. Getting Started: Creating an Advocacy Campaign
Map Out Your Strategy:
•Goal – victory you want to win
•Organizational considerations – Assets? Capacity?
•Supporters – Who’s with you or could be?
•Decision-makers – Who are your targets?
•Tactics – How to reach your target? Source: Midwest Academy
@lindsaytorrico
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15. @lindsaytorrico
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Source: Midwest Academy

16. Tactics – Engagement Opportunities
High Engagement
•Meet with elected officials
•Testify before a legislative committee Medium Engagement
•Write a letter to the editor Low Engagement
•Social media
•Sign a petition
•Share a fact sheet
Engagement Pyramid
@lindsaytorrico
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17. Example: Creating an Advocacy Campaign
Scenario: You are a leader of the PTA county council in the district of Congressman Ethan Charles, working to get federal nutrition standards. Your PTA unit met with Rep. Ethan Charles at his district office to ask him to vote yes for nutrition standards. He says that he needs more time to study the issue; he is reluctant to have the federal government tell children and their parents and their local schools what to do. The actual vote is still a month away. TASK: Identify your tactics
•Official contact – meetings, letters, phone calls, questions at town halls
•Educational – public awareness raising, information sharing
•Public pressure – call-ins, petitions, email or letter writing campaigns
•Media events – press conferences, media releases, op-eds, social media events
@lindsaytorrico
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18. What YOU Can Do
•Sign up for the Advocacy Connection newsletter.
•lindsay.torrico@unitedway.org
•Take action on alerts & share with your networks
•Build relationships with your elected officials
•Be an ADVOCATE for your community!
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19. Thank You