advocacy training

The Voice of the Human Services Community

130 East 59th Street • New York, NY 10022 Tel: 212-836-1230 • Fax: 212-836-1837

www.humanservicescouncil.org

Advocacy Training

The Importance Of A Unified Voice In The Sector

•We compete with other “special interests”

•Strength in numbers

•If you snooze you lose (paying attention is key!)

Who Can and Should Advocate?

•We see emerging needs first

•Our constituents don’t have a voice

YOU!

Relationship BuildingBudget Off-Season Summer-December

Invite elected to visit a site Invite/honor elected at your events Send elected mailings,

newsletters, reports

Budget Season January-April/June

Inform legislators how proposals will affect their constituents: Visit the elected’s office Provide testimony at budget

hearings Phone calls/letter writing/press

events

Solving The Budget Puzzle

Fiscal YearsFederal: Oct 1, 2010 – Sept 30, 2011 (FY 2010-11) State: April 1, 2010 - March 31, 2011 (FY 2010-11)

City: July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011 (FY 2010-11)

Legislature• Assembly – 150

Members Assembly Ways and Means

Committee Assembly Ways and Means

Staff

• Senate – 62 Members Senate Finance Committee Program & Counsel Staff

• Work with the majority party!

State Budget Players

Governor Paterson

Governor Division of Budget State Agencies

NYS Budget ProcessAgency Requests to DOB:September/October

Executive Budget Release: January

Legislative Hearings: February

Negotiation Period: March

Budget Adoption: April 1 (maybe)

City Budget PlayersMayor

• OMB• City Agencies

NYC Council• Council Speaker• Finance Division• Committee Chairs• Individual Council

Members• Budget Negotiating

Team

Borough Presidents

Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Christine Quinn

NYC Budget Process

Preliminary Budget:January

Council Hearings:March

Executive Budget:April

Council Hearings:May

Negotiations:May-June

Adopted Budget:By June 30th

Council Discretionary Funding

Types of Funding:• Speaker Funds and Citywide Initiatives• Borough Delegations• Individual Council Members

PrequalificationAny organization

applying to the New York City Council to receive more than $10,000 must be Prequalified

Prequalification Process• Your organization must be

prequalified by the City Agency that oversees the services for which you are requesting City Council funds– Can select multiple

agencies – only submit documents once

• Forms to be aware of:– New York State Charities

Bureau Registration– VENDEX

Prequalification Resources• List Of Prequalified Vendors:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dycd/downloads/pdf/ExpensePQLList_051710.pdf

• For Instructions And To Download Forms: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dycd/html/resources/pql_discretionary_contracts.shtml

Contracting Process

Discretionary Contract Fiscal Year 2010 Contract Discretionary Workscope Board Listing Letter of Authorization and

Board Resolution Certification of Client Abuse and

Neglect   “Doing Business” Data Form   Certificate of Liability Insurance   Additional documents also

required based on contract amount

Discretionary Contract• Each agency may have different

requirements- make sure you give them exactly what they ask for

• Triple check all of your documents before you turn in the contract

• Make sure all your filings are up-to-date• Document all communications with

agency staff• For 2010 contract document information

for DYCD: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dycd/html/resources/discretionary_contracts_fy2010.shtml

Telling Your Story

• Influencing Government• Media

Influencing Government

• Provide a holistic view of your organization, the people you serve, and your impact in the community

• Increase the impact of your ask

by using personal stories

Know Your Facts• Organization Statistics

– How many people does your organization serve?

– What communities does your organization serve?

• Know your funding streams– City, State, and Federal– What funding streams pay

what programs?

Make It Personal• Discuss jobs

Without funding, these program managers will lose their jobs

You will serve fewer clients if you reduce staff

• Frame issues around clients

Bring in clients who can speak to how programs have impacted their lives

Bring in program managers and other staff who can describe the success of programs

Connect the Facts and the Stories

• Explain how cuts or increases in funding will impact your organization through:– Clients

• Need is growing everyday• X amount of people will not be served if this

program is cut– Jobs

• NFP sector is an economic engine• X number of staff will be cut without funding

Creating a Press Package• Organizational statistics• Story bank

– Find a great personal story– Summary of the story– Identify the program and

funding stream– Contact information– Get consent to share story– Take pictures

• List of press contacts

Contacting Press• Collecting information

– Use your story bank + organizational statistics– Show the bigger impact - add information about the borough, the City

and the State• Utilize social media

– Twitter and Facebook can help you collect stories, images, and help you connect with media

• Act quickly– You have maybe a day - at the most, a day and a half - otherwise have

to wait for next news cycle• Press release

– Use your story bank, organizational statistics, and add quotes

Resources

• HSC Advocacy Action Response Group (AARG)

• Action alerts• Web site• Social media• Trainings

Advocacy Action Response Group (AARG)

• The goal of the AARG is to energize and mobilize the sector by giving its members tools to advocate for budget and policy priorities with a unified voice

• AARG members receive policy information important to the human services sector

• AARG members play an integral role in how effective HSC is in advocating for the sector

Strength in Numbers• With almost 200 members, we are able to advocate with a strong voice• AARG Members send in letters, make phone calls, and meet with legislators to spread the message about human services•Action alert e-mails stimulate action

Advocacy Opportunities• Distribute State and City budget

analysis• Send email updates regarding

policies that affect the human services sector

• Provide opportunities to meet with key City and State officials

• Provide advocacy training for members who want to advocate on their own

Member Resources at www.humanservicescouncil.org

Example Contact List: NYC Council Members

Get up-to-the minute updates on Twitter

@HSC_NY

Find us on Facebook

Human Services Council of NYC

Lobby Laws and Regulations

• 501(c)(3)’s can and should lobby

• Know the federal, State, and NYC rules

• Don’t let the rules deter you from advocating

Federal Not-For-Profit Law

• 501(c)(3) is the IRS Code that gives tax exempt status to “charitable” organizations

• It prohibits participation in activities related to campaigns or in favor or opposition to a candidate

• Limits the amount of money that can support lobbying activities (but this amount is very high – particularly if “h” election is taken)

NY State & City Lobby Law

• These rules are NOT specific to not-for-profits (unlike federal rules)

• NY State Threshold = $5,000• NY City Threshold = $2,000

• Neither law limits how much you can lobby

Do’s & Don’tsDO

• Nonpartisan Voter Registration

• Candidate forums and questionnaires

• Meetings with electeds and appointeds

• Support or oppose an issue publicly

DON’T

• Make campaign contributions

• Endorse or show favoritism to a candidate

• Buy gifts for someone working for government entities

For More Information

• HSC Website www.humanservicescouncil.org– For log-in information, please speak with your Executive Director

and email Cynthia Tao at Taoc@humanservicescouncil.org• HSC Policy Unit

– Allison Sesso, Deputy Executive Director sessoa@humanservicescouncil.org (212) 836-1127

– Chris Winward, Senior Policy Analyst winwardc@humanservicescouncil.org (212) 836-1644

– Michelle Jackson, Policy Analyst- AARG Contact jacksonm@humanservicescouncil.org (212) 836-1588

Q & A