Advocacy Tools
Advocacy is a strategy to influence policy makers when they make laws and regulations, distribute resources, and make other decisions that affect peoples’ lives. The main goal of advocacy is to create policies, reform policies, and ensure policies are implemented.
How to do this? Write, call, or meet face to face with elected representatives. Submit a letter to the editor of local newspaper or an opinion piece to be published.
6 Good Reasons to Get Involved
Getting involved in advocacy does not always end in the desired outcome, but not getting involved never yields the desired outcomes.
- Charity is Not Enough While volunteering and donations can be important, change in public policies will empower people to become productive members of their communities.
- Advocacy has a Role for Everyone You can advocate by informing others, writing or calling a legislator, organizing a grass roots campaign or doing research. Advocates for social change can be found everywhere: in public agencies, in doctors’ offices, on service projects, among professionals, on a university campus, at a school board meeting, community agencies and even voting booths. Advocates can be anyone.
- Some Problems Require a Broad Attack Some issues are too big and far too complex to be resolved with a few phone calls. For example, every year Medical Assistance is threatened by budget cuts across the nation. Because Medical Assistance affects so many different populations of consumers: kids, elderly, women, workers who are disabled, individuals with mental handicaps etc., effective public policies need to include everyone and leave no one out.
- Government Policies Affect Everyone Where government is involved, there is always self-interest involved. Therefore, everyone with a stake in the future of this country has a personal stake in the public policies that are signed into law. That means YOU! Every level of government, from local, county, state and federal is important in creating change.
- Democracy is not a Spectator Sport In a democracy where every voice and vote count, doing nothing is a political act; it is a vote for the status quo. Staying out of the political process only means that you will not have your vested interest in the laws that are passed. You have a role in this democracy: being informed is not enough. You have to decide what you want from your elected officials and effectively communicate this to them.
- Politicians are People Too Elected officials must vote on policies that may be out of their realm of experience. Unless they hear from their constituents, they may vote party line or not really understand the consequences of their vote. Let your officials know how a certain vote will affect you personally. Advocates work to solve social and institutional problems by promoting effective public policy.
Adapted from: Amidei, Nancy. So you want to make a difference: Advocacy is the Key! OMB Watch.