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Acknowledgments

Preface

INTRODUCTIONRealities and OpportunitiesThe Chapters of This Module

CHAPTER 1: POLICY GOALS FORYOUR ORGANIZATIONVisibility: Telling Your Own Story and Getting Yourseff KnownEducating the PublicReplicability: Being An Example for OthersPolicy Development and ChangeSustainability - Assuring Your Organization’s Future

CHAPTER 2: DEFINING WHO YOU AREDeveloping a Shared VisionShared VisionMoving From Vision to MissionFinding Your PlaceTelling Your StoryReality Testing

CHAPTER 3: ESTABLISHING YOUR CREDIBILITYCreating Your ImageSetting Policy GoalsEstablishing Contacts and Credibility With Policy makers

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CHAPTER 4: PARTNERSAdvantages of Working in a CoalitionDisadvantages of Working in CoalitionBuilding a CoalitionidentificationRecruitmentBuilding Trust and Setting GoalsCoalitions Act Together

CHAPTER 5: THE POLICY SEITING:PEOPLE AND PROCESSESLobbying By Non-profit Organizations1Why State and Local Governments Are So ImportantLocal Government StructuresLocal Government Budget and LegislationAppointed Policy makersStaffNontraditional Policy makersWho Really Has Power?State Structure and FunctionsNational Structure and Functions

CHAPTER 6: IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES 1 1 3Goal-Start-Pathway Model 114Goal 114Starting Point: Your Organization 115Starting Point - Allies 116Pathway 116Using the Media 124Fundraising 139Mobilizing Advocates 140Effective Strategy 142

CONCLUSION 149Setting Yourself Apart 750Policy Goals 150Forming Alliances 151The Policy Setting 152Strategies for Communication 153Changing Times 154

Bibliography

Resources

Glossary

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Acknowledgments

The development of this manual and training program has been a COL

laboration of many individuals, with the goal being the effective commu-nication of ideas and strategies that can impact policy makers. TheW K. Kellogg Foundation in partnership with The Healthcare Fo-rum wish to thank all those individuals in various parts of the countrywho contributed to its development,

Primary Witers:Peter Pratt, Ph.D., Vice President for Health PolicyPublic Sector Consultants

Virginia Davis Floyd, M.D., Branch DirectorGeorgia Department of Human ServicesDivision of Public Health, Family Health BranchW. Mary Langley, M.P.H. Program DirectorMorehouse School of Medicine

Karen Hobert Flynn, ConsultantCommon Cause

Jamie McAuliffe, ConsultantThe Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

Reviewers:A.J. Jones, President/CEOFamily Health Center of Battle Creek

Carl Ellison, Assistant Vice PresidentMemorial Hospital of South Bend

Susanna Trasolini, Ph.D., Project DirectorThe Healthcare Forum

Anne Cassidy, Project CoordinatorThe Healthcare Forum

The Healthcare Forum StaffAdvisors:Kathryn Johnson, CEO/President

Wynne Grossman, Director, Research & Development

Copy Editor:Car-y Groner, Editor

. . .MODULE 2 D Communicating with Policy Makers III

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Design and Production:

Alan Schlossman, President, Alan Craig Communications

Jo-Anne Rosen, President, Wordrunner

Susanna ‘lkasolini, Ph.D., The Healthcare ForumAnne Cassidy, The Healthcare Forum

Funding Provided by:

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Henrie Treadwell, Ph.D., Program Director

We are grateful to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for providing full fund-ing for the development of this manual and training. It is important toalso state that the foundation has a long commitment and history of con-tribution to the building of healthy communities, not only in the conti-nental US., but in many other parts of the world.We believe this manualcan serve as a practical tool for the many communities that are workingcollaboratively to promote better systems for the future.

iv MODULE 2 n Communicating with Policy Makers

Preface

In the spirit of collaboration, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and TheHealthcare Forum have partnered on the development of four mod-ules designed to support Kellogg grantees in their community-based ini-tiatives. The-modules are-part of the ‘Sustaining Community-Based Ini-tiatives” project which was developed to build capacity within commu-nity based organizations,

The four modules will be delivered through a series of workshops andwill cover the following topics:

Module One

\I/-n-

’ I\

Developing Community Capacity:designed to improve the community’s ca-pacity for positive change by promotingcitizen participation, action and leadership.

Module Two Communicating with Policy Makers:designed to enable community-based orga-nizations to develop the skills and strate-gies which allow community-based voicesto create and influence public policy.

Module Three

LA

Community and Economic Develop-merit: designed to enhance the achieve-ments of community-based organizationsby introducing techniques which target theuse of key economic principles.

Module Four Community Informatics: designed to en-hance the capacity of community-basedproject directors to use information in de-cision-making and communicating thevalue of their programs.

The goal of the four modules is to offer participants a variety of tools andstrategies that will support efforts to improve health and quality of lifein their communities.

Each workshop is from two to three days in length and will bring a mixof operational, strategic and practical experience, where each partici-

MODULE 2 n Communicating with Policy Makers V

PREFACE

pant will spend time interacting, exploring and reflecting with work-shop leaders and with each other. This manual is developed to supportthe learning that takes place during the workshop. We encourage you toread through its entirety and to openly share materials with other com-munity leaders, but request that you acknowledge the source.

Sustaining Community-Based InitiativesGraphic Symbolism:

The four symbols on the manual’s cover were carefully chosen to repre-sent the four topics of the Sustaining Community-Based Initiatives mod-ules. The symbols are a synthesis of pictorial representations from a widearray of languages and cultures throughout history, The symbolism wasfelt to accurately convey the rich fabric which makes up every commu-nity; the individual symbols portraying the essence of grassroots issues,and the combination of the images addressing the complex interactionswhich must take place within a community in order for growth to occurand for community-based initiatives to be self-sustaining.

vi MODULE i I Communicating with Policy Makers

Go IntroductionPurpose

T his module is designed to help community-based organizations (CBOs)develop skills and strategies to incorporate their voices into public

policy It’s important to realize that you can change the laws, regula-tions, policies, and funding decisions that govern your programs and affectthe lives of the people you serve.

To many CBOs and their constituents it’s daunting to try to understandhow federal, state, and local governments make decisions. Most citizensdo not clearly understand how laws are made or how tax dollars arespent.

Many aspects of the governmental process isolate average citizens fromthose they have elected to make public policy. This module is designed tobreak down the walls between your organization (and the people youserve> and legislators. In fact, its goal is not just to help you create amessage that policy makers will hear; it is to help you get a seat at thetable when decisions are debated and made.

This goal may seem farfetched, but it is not. Often, the hardest part ofreaching it is convincing citizens or CBOs that they can change publicpolicy. You can do so because you have much to offer: a passionate com-mitment to improving people’s lives and a program that helps peoplehelp themselves.

Commitment to helping people help themselves is persuasive no matterwhat the politics of the policy maker, This module offers you a guide to(a) recognizing how much you have to offer in policy circles; and (b) de-veloping the skills and strategies to bring about policy change. It in-cludes case studies that illustrate and explain the successes of CBOsthat have attempted to make their voices heard in policy circles, We hopethat the lessons learned from these case studies will be useful to you.

Of course, a lesson that applies to another organization may not be rel-evant to yours. This guide should be flexible enough to meet the variedneeds and resources of CBOs. It is not a paint-by-numbers manual thatwill magically transform your organization into a power broker at thelocal, state, and federal levels. If this guide is to help you, it will invite

MODULE 2 I Communicating with Policy Makers 1

I INTRODUCTION

you to argue with what we have suggested. It will encourage you to comeup with strategies that we have not considered but that fit yourorganization’s unique needs. In this way, you will make the module yourown.

Although our focus is on elected officials at the local, state, and nationallevels, when we refer to policy makers in this module, we don’t meanonly elected officials. We prefer to define policy makers in a broad senseto mean anyone who has the ability to make or influence .policy decisionsat these levels. The goal of this module is to make you a policy maker.

ObjectivesMaking your voice heard in policy circles involves careful planning. Pas-sion and persistence are just as important, but without a framework forthem, success is unlikely. This module will offer you a planning frame-work. Specifically, the module will help you:

n recognize that your organization does have a role in publicpolicy;

I clarify the mission and uniqueness of your organization;m decide how you want to work with other groups to further that

mission;

I understand the various policy arenas and the opportunitiesthey present for you to educate policy makers, seek funding tosustain or replicate your programs, or change policies that af-fect them;

D state your organization’s policy goals, assess your ability toachieve them, and develop a comprehensive plan to do so.

OverviewIn this module we not only explain how your organization might accom-plish the objectives just outlined, but also provide you with exercisesthat members and constituents of your organization can complete toadvance your involvement with policy makers.

You can interact with policy makers only as much as you deem necessaryto achieve your goals, For example, if you do not need more funding tosustain or expand your efforts, and you do not have the time or money totry to change policies that affect your programs, you may decide to in-form local policy makers only about your work in the community. How-ever, few CBOs have the luxury of stable long-term funding, nor can

2 MODULE 2 n Communicating with Policy Makers

INTRODUCTION

they be sure that governmental decision makers wiIl develop or sustainpolicies that will benefit them.

You and your colleagues may feel that you have neither time nor moneyto create a plan to influence policy makers, Because you believe passion-ately in your work, you don’t want to take valuable resources away fromthe people you serve to talk to those in power. Here, then, we offer op-tions to optimize your organization’s contacts with policy makers, Wediscuss how to make the most of your money, time, and people. The lattertwo are often underestimated resources when working in policy circles.

Realities and Opportunities

You should consider several issues as you begin to think about your rolein the public policy process.

The influence of lobbyists

A common view of policy-making is that a few lobbyists in expensiveItalian suits persuade government officials to do what’s best for theirclients. If the public good and their clients’ interests coincide it is nicebut not necessary This picture may be partly true, but it misleads peoplethat they have no access to policy makers.

Resist the cynical attitude that policy makers don’t care about the publicgood; to succumb to it is to excuse yourself from debate over issues thatmatter, Lobbyists do spend most of their time in the halls of Congress,state legislatures, and city councils, talking with policy makers, takingthem to dinner, and so forth. They work in those places daily, just as youdo in your organization.

But there is another equally important reality: you and your colleagues,your constituents, and others doing work similar to yours can have justas much influence with policy makers as those lobbyists. Lobbyists havean advantage because they know how decisions and laws are really made,beyond the obvious level of official procedure. This module will help youunderstand that process by realizing that you have stories to tell that nolobbyist can impart as forcefully. It will help you understand that youcan put passion into statistics that will bring them to life. Above all, thismodule will offer you information about the difference between lobbyingand advocacy, and the rules by which your organization must abide.

MODULE 2 n Communicating with Policy Makers 3

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Term limits

Many states have passed laws that limit the number of terms that gov-ernors, legislators, and even local elected officials can serve, The effect ofterm limits on policy-making is hotly debated. One fact is clear, however,term limits mean that less-experienced politicians will be serving in lo-cal and state governments.

This provides opportunities for community-based organizations. Newlyelected oficials may be less likely to have well-established relationshipswith powerful interests that your organization may oppose. Moreover,your CBO (or a coalition that includes it) may choose a candidate fromamong its own ranks.

On the other hand, because of term limits your organization may lose astaunch defender; or for that matter, new elected ofIicials may be moreeasily swayed by lobbyists than their predecessors. You need to be awareof the threats and opportunities that term limits provide.

Budget cuts

At every level, government is making do with less money. Moreover, needsincrease as the funding to meet them diminishes, and cuts have focusedon the human-service programs many CBOs offer. To make the most of abad situation, you must strive as never before to be innovative and todemonstrate the value of your work. You must constantly make the casethat your work not only benefits the people it serves, but saves taxpay-ers money. In other words, you must show that your programs are goodfor everyone, either directly or indirectly.

Growing state and local responsibility

In many of its operations, and especially in human services, the federalgovernment is combining budget cuts with granting greater responsibil-ity to states and localities for deciding how federal money will be spent.Block grants for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Med-icaid, and other programs will give states enormous flexibility in fund-ing and running such programs.

Strangely enough, this is an opportunity for CBOs. Decisions that wereonce made on the federal level, beyond the reach of many small agencies,will now be made closer to home. There will be less money to go around

4 MODULE 2 B Communicating with Policy Makers

I N T R O D U C T I O N

- and there is always the possibility that CBOs will fight among them-selves for meager funding - but you may have a chance to influencehow large programs are run and how the money is divided up. You cangive examples from your own efforts that will help create better and moreefficient programs. It is usually easier to have a say when change isinevitable than when policy makers are opposed to it.

These are just a few of the trends that will affect your organization.Despite the threats they may represent, look at them as opportunities tostrengthen your work. The alternative - passivity - guarantees stag-nation or failure.

The Chapters of This Module

The objectives of this module are addressed in six chapters that examinethe following topics:

1. Policy goals for your organization. This chapter describes gen-eral policy goals for a community-based organization, including(a) educating policy makers as well as the public about your work;(b) sustaining or expanding your organization’s reach; (c) makingit a model for others; and (d) playing an active role in changingpolicy that affects it.

2. Defining lvho you are. This chapter helps you (a) determine avision and mission for your organization; (b) prepare a positionstatement; (c) translate a vision and a mission into policy goals;and (d) develop marketing strategies to increase your visibilityboth with the public and with policy makers.

3. Establishing your organization’s credibility. This chapterexamines (a) how your organization can assess its image in theeyes of others; (b) how you determine its unique features; (c) howyou build your reputation; (d) how to find opportunities for publi-cizing your organization’s work and expertise; and (e) how to evalu-ate whether to join an existing coalition.

4. Partnerships. This chapter details (a) the value of forming coali-tions; (b) the trade-offs and limits of coalition participation; (c) thedifferent types and levels of coalition building; (d) how to estab-lish or join coalitions; (e) how to build trust and set goals; and (f)and how a coalition’s members act together.


INTRODUCTION

5. The policy uniuerse. This chapter gives an overview of (a) thedifferent levels on which policy is made; (b) the types of electedand appointed officials at local, state, and national levels of gov-ernment; (c) the importance of the staffs of these officials; (d) non-traditional policy makers, and how to identify them; (e) how tofind out who really makes decisions; (f, the basics of legislativeand budgeting; and (g) the distinction between advocacy and lob-bying.

6. Implementing strategies. Utilizing the Goal-Start-Pathwaymodel, this chapter offers guidelines for devising a policy plan foryour organization, such as (a) assessing its capabilities and re-sources as they relate to your policy goals; (b) examining whatresearch to conduct; (c) describing the tactics by which your mes-sage can be delivered to the correct policy makers; (d) and mobiliz-ing volunteers.

We hope that this module will convince you that there are many ways tobecome part of the policy discussions that matter most to your organiza-tion Changing policy is not easy, but it is certainly possible. It requiresa long-term commitment to establishing and maintaining relationshipswith people in your community, your county, your state capital, and per-haps in Washington, D.C. It depends on mobilizing people who have notbeen involved in politics and policy before, One person cannot do it, butmany people working together can.

Acknowledgement:

Introduction written by:Peter Pratt, Ph.D.Vice President for Health PolicyPublic Sector Consultants, Inc.600 W. St. Joseph Hwy, Suite 10Lansing, Michigan 48933(517) 484-4954


@ 1)Policy Goals forYour Organization

PART 1: VISIBILITY

PART 2: EDUCATING THE PUBLIC

PART 3: REPLICABILITY

PART 4: POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE

PART 5: SUSTAINABILITY

@

A c k n o w l e d g m e n t s

CHAPTER ONE WRITTEN BY:

Virginia Davis Floyd, M.D.Branch Director

Georgia Department of Human ResourcesDivision of Public Health

Family Health BranchTwo Peachtree Street, N.W.

Atlanta, Georgia 30303(404) 657-2850

@

Policy Goals for YourOrganization

PurposeThis chapter will help your organization outline ways to create contactswith policy makers and make the most of them through effectivecommunication.

Learning ObjectivesYou will:

n Outline unique opportunities that exist for organizational im-provement through effective communication;

n Understand how policy makers can affect the life and successof your organization; and

n Recognize your organization’s role in public policy and com-munity education.

OverviewIt is critical that your organization’s leaders clearly understand whatthey want to accomplish and how to go about it. Effective communica-tion with policy makers will help you realize these goals. With a fewsimple, directed efforts, your organization can become stronger, form andimprove a credible reputation, increase the likelihood of its long-termsurvival, and complete its stated mission.

Here are a few important aspects of reaching these goals, as explained ingreater depth in the sections that follow: becoming visible, educating thepublic, creating an example, making a difference through policy change,and maintaining sustainability.

MODULE 2 H Communicating with Policy Makers 7

CHAPTER 1 n Policy Goals for Your Organization

Visibility: Telling Your Own Story andGetting Yourself Known

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No one can tell your own story with the depth, the history, or the passionthat you do: your organization and its purpose are your dream and yourstruggle. Telling this story - accurately, passionately, and compellingly- is vital to your organization’s success.

Policymakers are usually busy people with many issues and constituen-cies to track. To stand out from the din of their daily concerns you mustmake your organization and its mission prominent in their awareness.They must hear about you and your work repeatedly; once is not enough.Policymakers read newspapers, watch the local news on television, go tochurch, and make appointments for themselves and their staff mem-bers. Your organization must be where they are, represented either per-sonally or by an effective proxy such as literature, videotapes, press re-leases, letter campaigns, advocates who speak for you, and so forth.Policymakers must know who you are and what you do.

To begin with, you must have a visible organization with an outstandingreputation, known and respected in the community. When your area ofexpertise is mentioned, your organization should come immediately topeople’s minds; their reaction should be, “Let’s call them - they knowthe issue.” You must become a power to be reckoned with where yourinterests are concerned.

There are many ways to tell your story, Often, the more personal theinteraction is, the more lasting is the impression. Nevertheless, mostcommunity organizations do not have the luxury or the budget to con-tinuously lobby policy makers. That is why it is critical that your organi-zation develop different approaches for telling your story, In Chapter 2you will learn to develop and refine your organization’s mission state-ment and core values. How you articulate that mission is the basis ofhow you tell your story, Fact sheets, organizational-capability statements,media productions, posters, fliers, individual testimony, presentationsat community meetings - all are available methods. At least one personin your organization must become a public relations expert.

You may already have many of the tools you need. Gather all fact sheets,previous grant applications, fliers, posters, position papers, videos, andother public relations items that your organization has prepared. Re-view them, keeping those that articulate your message clearly; file therest for later reference. If possible, learn desktop publishing for produc-


CHAPTER 1 l Policy Goals for Your Organization

ing professional-looking newsletters and grant applications, and considerenlisting the volunteer services of a public relations firm for develop-ment of a media campaign.

Because of their hectic schedules, legislators often avoid reading long,overly detailed material. They want something short, concrete, and tothe point. Edit your position paper until it is one page long and saysexactly what you want people to know. Have others read it and tell youwhat they think it says, Have them explain how it makes them feel read-ing it. If they are not moved to do something (support your organization,seek out more information, donate time or money, change their minds),then start again- your position paper did not meet its goal.

If you attend community meetings, remember thatyou speak not only for your organization, but for PREADTHEWORD-all the clients and/or neighborhoods that it repre-sents. Your voice is the voice of many; it must beclear, articulate, honest, and trustworthy.

Whether in person or on paper or video, be sure toexplain what makes your organization stand out.What work, beliefs, or cause are unique to you and the popu-lations you have pledged to serve? What battles have you won?This “difference” will help determine whether your public re-lations efforts succeed.

Educating the Public

Most organizations must educate the public not only about their missionbut also about the larger societal issue that gave rise to it. For example,your goal may be to decrease school dropout rates among teenage women.You must articulate that mission well, but you must also educate thepublic about education reform and about teen pregnancy and its conse-quences in order to communicate your mission’s relevance to the largercommunity. Your organization’s leaders must be experts in their field, re-spected by the community as a resource for factual, current information.

MODULE 2 m Communicating with Policy Makers 9


Replicability: Being An Example for Others

/nf/uencjno If what you are doing in your community works, it may quickly be repli-

policy is crifical cated elsewhere; imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, after all. Ifyour organization solves a problem, be pleased that other organizations

!O dfecfinQ or communities want to follow in your footsteps. Set the standard and

change. create an example for others to follow.

Effectively communicating the impact of your organization’s activities topolicy makers markedly increases the chances of them supporting fund-ing, legislation, or policies that allow and encourage the replication ofyour ideas, goals, and programs. An accurate record of how you’ve ac-complished your goals, and an evaluation that proves you’ve made a dif-ference, provide a basis for replication of your ideas or enlargement ofyour organization. To expand your efforts you may require additionalfunding and operational support; an open line of communication withpolicy makers and funding sources will be of great value.

~ Policy Development and Change

Effective change occurs when policy is developed and executed in a man-ner that benefits all involved. Often the voices of community-based orga-nizations are not heard or recognized in the development of policy thatdirectly affects those they represent,

Influencing policy is critical to effecting change. Policies affect laws,guidelines, services, funding, and other things that affect your organiza-tion and the population it serves. Getting policy makers to see and un-derstand your mission is the first step toward changing policy for thebetter. Policy is often made in unannounced meetings behind closed doorsas well as in board rooms and legislative chambers. Your organizationmust become a player at the policy table.

The members of your organization must understand the legislative pro-cess at the local, state, and national levels. Chapter 5 outlines generalpolicy arenas. You must vigilantly evaluate policies that affect yourorganization’s purpose, then form strategies for how and why they shouldbe developed, changed, maintained, or eliminated.

I 10 MODULE 2 n Communicating with Policy Makers


Sustainability - Assuring YourOrganization’s FutureMany community-based organizations struggle constantly for adequatefunding. Grant proposals require a post-grant funding plan; fundingagencies want to be sure that your organization has a future after theinitial money is spent. We are all acutely aware of the difficulties inobtaining funding for the social, educational, and health programs thatour communities desperately need. Fundraising becomes a crucial partof our existence. It takes the time that we would prefer to dedicate toactivities seemingly more directly involved with our mission and goals.Funding can be very politically based, especially when raising funds fromcity, county, or state sources. Nevertheless, you must obtain funds to con-tinue your work, and again, your ability to communicate with the policymakers who allocate those funds will determine your organization’s abil-ity to prosper, An ongoing relationship with legislators or funding agen-cies may alert you early to additional funding possibilities, as well.



B4--E x e r c i s e 1

Why Talk with Policymakers?

1. Examine your organization’s mission, Outline what you believeyou could accomplish by having a strong relationship with policymakers in your community.

2 . Make a wish list of things that you would want policy makersin your area to do for you. What would you expect from theircounterparts at the national level?

3. Describe what you will give the policy makers in return fortheir support of your organization’s mission.

4. Do the following:

l Make a list of at least four policy makers in your commu-nity, including at least one from each of the followinggroups: legislators, city council members, business people,and religious leaders.

l List their office address and contact numbers, Call andarrange for one or more people from your organization tomake a personal visit to meet them and their staff.

l Confirm the appointment with a letter that includes yourorganization’s fact sheet and mission statement.

l Prepare the information packet that you will present atthe meeting.

l After the meeting, do prompt and thorough follow-up.

I 12 MODULE 2 n Communicating with Policy Makers


+ You must have a clear idea of your organization’s goalsand communicate them in any media available includingliterature, videotape, letter writing, or other public rela-tions methods,

+ You should recognize the constraints on the time and at-tention of policy makers and be sure your message getsacross to them consistently, clearly, and frequently. Be surethey know who you are, what you do, and where to findyou.

4 It’s crucial to build and maintain an impeccable reputa-tion in your community. Policymakers at all levels - lo-cal, state, and federal - will hear feedback about yourwork from their constituents, and it will affect their deci-sions about how to interact with your organization andwhether to allocate it funds. Be sure you serve as yourown advocates, as well, actively presenting your accom-plishments to those who may have power to affect yourorganization’s future.

4 As part of building your reputation, you must educate thepublic not only about your organization’s goals but aboutthe overall societal issues they are meant to address.

4 Be sure to accept and applaud anyone who may use yourprograms as models for their own.

+ You should be vigilant in monitoring the development ofpolicy at all governmental levels and quick to respond tochanges that may be detrimental to your programs or yourorganization’s well-being.

4 Once you’ve established relationships with policy makersbe sure to maintain them over time to ensure fundingsustainability and your organization’s long-term survival.


@2@

DefiningWho You Are

PART 1: DEVELOPING A SHARED VISION

PART 2: MOVING FROM VISION TO MISSION

PART 3: FINDING YOUR PLACE

PART 4: TELLING YOUR STORY

PART 5: REALITY TESTING

@

Acknowledgments

CHAPTER TWO WRITTEN BY:

W. Mary Langley, M.P.H.Program Director

Morehouse School of Medicine720 Westview Drive., SW.

Atlanta, Georgia 30310(404) 752-l 503

0 Defining Who You ArePurposeThis chapter is designed to help you clarify your organization’s missionand define its unique position in providing programs and services inyour community.


n recognize the unique role of your organization in thecommunity;

I translate your vision into a clear mission statement that incor-porates organizational beliefs and values;

w write an organization positioning statement; and

m develop marketing strategies to improve organizational visibil-ity and potential access to policy makers.

OverviewBefore you can develop the skills and strategies to bring community-based voices to public policy, members of your organization must be clearabout its mission or purpose. A vision and clear mission based on sharedcore values and beliefs will help your organization advocate certain pub-lic policies. On the other hand, an unclear mission may lead you intounproductive collaborations. Clarity of mission is essential in the devel-opment of organizational goals, strategies, and policies.

In most organizations, the mission can be found in the articles of incor-poration and bylaws. Once formulated, however, the statement is rarelyrevisited or used as a measuring stick to assess whether organizationalgoals, policies, or programs are still consistent with its reasons for exist-ing. The exercises in this chapter will help you reassess your mission state-ment to decide whether it paints a true picture of your organization.

MODULE 2 l Communicating with Policy Makers 15

CHAPTER 2 n Defining Who You Are

CASE STUDY Developing a Shared VisionBETHEL NEW LIFE, INC. is an excellent example of an organization thattook the time to develop a mission based on a shared vision for the com-munity. In 1980, Bethel New Life began when members of BethelLutheran Church shared a vision of creating a healthy and sustainablecommunity on the west side of Chicago. The mission and purpose for thecomprehensive community-development corporation that evolved froma shared vision has guided its development for 15 years. Today, BethelNew Life has a national reputation for innovative approaches to urbancommunity revitalization. This organization is helping define an evenbroader vision of a healthy, sustainable community through key leader-ship on the West Garfield Park Empowerment Zone Collaborative, a fed-erally funded initiative with significant resources and opportunities.

Bethel’s success began with a shared vision for the community. If yourorganization is similarly built on a shared sense of purpose, it will beclear to the governing board and the entire membership why you exist.Therefore, the first step in defining who you are is to have a “vision check.”Once the board agrees on your organization’s purpose you can develop orreassess your mission and goals,

“Envisioning” means developing a shared vision for your organization,There are several techniques to use, individually or as a group, to createthis vision. It is helpful to look into the future and see the potential foryour organization without the restrictions of the present. Envision is notdaydreaming or fantasizing: it is a way to state your beliefs in what youare about and focus your energies to make it happen.

CASE STUDY Shared VisionSALEM BAPTIST CHURCH in Atlanta, Georgia is another example of a con-gregation with a shared vision. This African-American church of over3,000 members is making a difference and empowering residents in lowincome communities in northwest Atlanta. In 1990, Salem BaptistChurch’s leadership decided to “adopt” the Bowen Homes Public Hous-ing Community in northwest Atlanta. Instead of only contributing tomissionary work in other countries, Salem decided that within thechurch’s service area, around the corner in Bowen Homes with 650 hous-ing units, people were without hope. The core belief that charity beginsat home was the building block for what would become a comprehensive


CHAPTER 2 m Defining Who You Are

and highly successful outreach ministry. Salem’s vision was to bring sun-shine into the lives of people and to provide opportunities for residents,especially children, to have chances for better life outcomes.

The journey began for Salem in the fall of 1990, when it sponsored anafter-school tutorial program for the students of A.D. Williams Elemen-tary, which sits in the heart of Bowen. The Bowen Homes Tenant Asso-ciation requested help for their community, especially for the children.The students at A.D. Williams scored poorly on standardized tests, anddiscipline was a problem in the school. In partnership with the school,Salem paid competitive salaries to 22 teachers to provide tutorial ser-vices two days a week for over 200 students. Another goal of Salem dur-ing this first year was to increase parent participation and support of theschool. The pastor of Salem met with the parents and made it clear thatthe church would help their children only if they became involved; allactivities for the students required some parent participation. The 1990Holiday Incentive Program was the turning point in the campaign forparent involvement in the school. The membership of Salem and itsfriends contributed more than $42,000 in gifts toA.D. Williams studentswho achieved academically, maintained good attendance, had no disci-plinary problems, and whose parents participated in at least three schoolactivities. By the end of the 1990-91 school year, parent participation inthe PTA and related activities increased by 200 percent.

To secure additional funding for needed programs and services in BowenHomes, Salem Baptist leadership created the Sunshine BrotherhoodCommunity Foundation, a private non-profit organization that has sinceset up many social and health programs in the Bowen Homes commu-nity. In just five years, the Sunshine Brotherhood Community Founda-tion (SBCF) has received four federal grants totaling more than $2 mil-lion to fund programs in this low income community. SBCF is the leadagency for a $3 million federally funded community-based coalition grant.This community-based organization is working in four other economi-cally disadvantaged communities in Atlanta to help residents achieveself-sufficiency and drug-free environments.

The exercises included in this section will help you examine your organi-zation and create a vision of how you want it to look years from now.Once there is a shared vision your organization must develop a clearmission statement.Avision is an organization’s long-term goal. The mis-sion statement tells people who you are, what you are about, and whereyou are going. Figure 2.1 illustrates the importance of a shared vision in



deciding the future direction of your organization. Exercise 1, which fol-lows, provides a guide for creating a vision.

Figure 2.1Organization-Development Pyramid

OBJECTrvES

STRATEGIES(Action)

IMPLEMENTATION(Do It!)

18 MODULE 2 W Communicating with Policy Makers


Creating a Vision

Objective: To help your organization create a shared vision and/or reassess its current vision for future program development.

Procedure: Individually or in a group, write down what issue orservice is your organization’s primary concern. For example, if youare concerned primarily with preventing alcohol and/or drug useamong young people, substance-abuse prevention is your area ofconcentration. Next, you consider the following questions,

Discussion Questions:

1. What would our organization look like if we were keeping pacewith our ideal progress in addressing substance abuse amongyoung people?

2. What would there be more of? (e.g., What resources would imple-ment our programs?)

3. What would there be less of? (e.g., What barriers would be elimi-nated to insure that we would be able to achieve our service goals andobjectives?)

4. What would be different? (e.g., UThat would be different in our orga-nizational structure to successfully prevent alcohol and drug use amongyouths?)

5. What individual, organizational, and community behaviorwould be different? How would our personal and collectiveknowledge, attitudes, thoughts, and feelings change?

Now look at the issue that you have listed as your organization’sfocus and envision the organization in one year, then in five years,by answering these questions. Discuss your answers. When youhave arrived at a consensus, you have created a shared vision foryour organization.

Materials required: Blank paper and newsprint.

Approximate time: From 30 minutes to several hours, includingdiscussion, depending on the group’s process.

Source: Southeast Regional Center for Drug-Free Schools andCommunities,

E x e r c i s e 1

MODULE 2 I Communicating with Policy Makers


Exercise 2

Community Visualization

Objective: To help community groups develop a shared vision fora drug-free community.

Procedure: Use the following questions to get people to thinkabout what they want their communities to look like in five years,

Discussion Questions:Visualizing your community in five years -

1. What will it be like on a Saturday night in summer?

2 . What will it be like for a child growing up in his or her family?

3 . What will people say when they talk about the schools in yourcommunity?

4 . How will the young people in your community view the future?

In a group discussion, individual members of your organizationcan share their answers. This process will help you create a sharedvision of how your organization can make your community a safe,drug-free environment. The key to creating a shared vision is al-lowing everyone to have an active role in the process.

Materials required: Blank paper and newsprint.

Approximate time: 20-30 minutes with discussion.

Source: Developmental Research and Programs, Inc.


CHAPTER 2 n Defmina Who You Are

Moving From Vision to MissionThe next step in organization development as outlined in Figure 2.1 isthe formulation of a mission statement, which is your organization’s op-erational philosophy, describing its purpose and function. A clear mis-sion statement answers the following questions:

1. Who are we?

2. What do we do?

3. Whom do we serve?

4. To what end?

A few key individuals usually write the mission statement early in anorganization’s development. As a result, organizations that have existedfor many years should periodically reexamine their statements to assesswhether current activities and policies are consistent with their originalgoals.

Dr. William Lofquist, a nationally known social scientist and specialistin community leadership development, states, “A clear mission state-ment properly put to use can work wonders for organization develop-ment. An organization that rarely reexamines its mission is missing anopportunity to increase its purposiveness and productivity.”

Mission statements need to be specific to the point that they can guidedecisions; they should also be general enough to include all of yourorganization’s activities. A clear statement acknowledges the realities oflife but embraces the ideal.

In spite of its inclusiveness, a mission statement should be relativelyshort. If yours is easily understood and provides a clear sense of direc-tion of your organization, you are on the right path. If it is murky orthere is disagreement about it among members, however, it may be timeto reassess either the statement itself or your activities.

In simple terms, the organization’s mission statement translates mem-bers’ beliefs and values into a description of action. The three basic com-ponents of a mission statement are: (1) We believe; (2) We serve; and(3) We do. Figure 2.2 illustrates the relationship of the three components.To move from vision to mission, the following exercises will provide youwith an opportunity to assess your mission.



Figure 2.2

We believe . . .

Developed by Trutce Lcadcnhip DevelopmenS (c) 1990, The Lilly Endowment, Inc.

22 MODULE 2 l Communicating with Policy Makers

Mission Translation

Objective: To illustrate the development of a clear mission statementthat defines the beliefs and values of a group, and that will determinefuture actions or strategies.

Procedure: The leader of the organization or designated facilitator asksmembers of the group to write on the ‘mission worksheet” (or on a blanksheet of paper) the mission of the organization based on beliefs andvalues that can be translated into action, Use the translation model toillustrate how beliefs and values translate into action. For example:

n We value and believe.. .The Jones County School and Community Collaborative believesall children have the right to grow up drug free into adults whohave social competency, problem-solving skills, a sense of theirown identity, an ability to act independently, and a sense of pur-pose and belief in a bright future.

n Our actions will benefit . . .We serve the youth and families of the Jones County area.

n We will do . . .Therefore, we work to develop a comprehensive alcohol-and-drugprevention network throughout our schools and community, andto promote programs that reduce risk factors, enhance protec-tive factors, and promote the growth of healthy choices.

Discussion: Have members share their translation ofyourorganization’smission, then compare these with the written statement. If the group’stranslation is consistent with the official statement, your mission state-ment reflects the shared beliefs and values of the group. If, however,there is confusion or disagreement in the group about how .the state-ment should read, it is important to resolve it. You may need to updateyour mission statement or answer questions about your organization’sdirection.

Materials required: Copies ofthe organization’s current mission state-ment (if available) and the “mission worksheet.” Also include a trans-parency or drawing of the circle model (Figure 2.2) illustrating the trans-lation of beliefs and values into action.

Approximate time: One to two hours including discussion period.

Source: Adapted from The Dustee Education Manual, developed byTrustee Leadership Development, The Lilly Endowment Inc., 1990.

CHAPTER 2 m Defining Who You Are

E x e r c i s e 3

MODULE 2 B Communicating with Policy Makers 23


I!?!!!4-- Mission Worksheet

‘A ‘mission-driven’ organization is one that is quite clear about itsmission and uses that mission to empower itself and those involvedwith it to become increasingly assertive in the pursuit of the mis-sion” (Lofquist, 1989).

24 MODULE 2 I Communicating with Policy Makers


Mission Clarification and Analysis

Objective: ‘Ib help an organization’s leadership and designated mem-bers clarify their mission.

Procedure: The following steps are best carried out by people with keyroles who want to make your organization more effective.

n Step 1: Preparing a working draft of the missionEach group member should briefly complete the sentence, “Thepurpose of this organization is . . .” They then read their state-ments aloud. These are recorded verbatim on newsprint so ev-eryone can get a sense of their similarities and differences. Inthe ensuing discussion, participants should be sensitive to in-congruities even ifthe statements are reasonably consistent. Thisprovides a rough draft of ideas you can use later in creating abrief and consistent description of the mission.

n Step 2: Analyzing the organization’s resourcesEach member should now record several aspects of the organiza-tion that promote successful pursuit of its mission. These can becalled its “resource areas.” Write the ideas on newsprint and postthem, then ask participants to expand the list. Further discus-sion should identify as many of the organization’s strengths aspossible.

H Step 3: Analyzing the organization’s growth needsNow ask each person to record factors within the organizationthat could inhibit pursuit of its mission. These are the “growthareas.” Again, post these. When you’ve expanded the list toeveryone’s satisfaction, ask participants to choose one or two itemsfrom it that, if corrected, would enhance the organization’s abil-ity to pursue its mission.

Discussion:An organization’s health is directly related to its members’willingness to remove roadblocks to the mission and effectively imple-ment new program design.

Materials required: Blank paper, newsprint, markers, and tape.

Approximate time: One to two hours including discussion time.

Source: Development Publications, P.O. Box 36748, Tucson,Ariz. (52015 7 5 - 7 0 4 7 .

Exercise 4



Finding Your Place

Your organization probably organized to meet a need within your community

A /JosiiioniWConcerned residents may have come together to address specific problems orgaps in services. From the initial organizing effort, you have broadened your

statement cites focus. Now it may be unclear to you and others exactly what position your

your unique roteorganization holds in the community If you had trouble defining your mis-sion in the previous section, this lack of clarity may be one reason,

in the commu-

nity. It is aLet’s look at your organization’s niche. Once you identify the unique ser-vices or programs it offers, you can write a positioning statement, It’s

direct expression important to understand the difference between a mission statement and

of your mission a positioning statement. The first states what your organization believesand intends to do, and for whom. The mission statement of the Bacon

and PurPosea House, an organization founded at the turn of the century to help placechildren of single mothers into adoptive families, is a good illustration ofthis point. Their mission is:

5% support the choices and abilities of single mothers andadoptive parents to provide loving families for children.

From the above mission statement, you can surmise what they believe, whothey serve and what they do. This organization has a clear mission. It is easilyunderstood, and provides the right direction for their future activities.

A positioning statement cites your unique role in the community. It isthe public image of your organization. A strong positioning statementshould be:

m brief and to the point;

I written in common language without technical jargon;

n descriptive of the character of the organization; andn action oriented.

Some examples of nationally recognized nonprofits that have success-fully positioned their organizations so that people recognize who theyare and what they do are:

The United Negro College Fund - Dedicated to opening doorsto advanced education for young African-Americans: “A mind is aterrible thing to waste.”

Planned Parenthood - Front-line advocates and health careproviders to reproductive choice.


CHAPTER 2 n Defmino Who You Are

Mothers Against Drunk Driving WIADD) - Crusaders forstronger action against the crime of drunk driving and the lead-ing victim-assistance organization in the nation.

Let’s look again at our example of the Bacon House to clarify the differ-ence between mission statement and positioning statement, The missionstatement is a statement of accountability. On the other hand, the posi-tioning statement is a statement of character and reputation. In otherwords, the positioning statement is a direct expression of your missionand purpose. Given the stated mission of the Bacon House, a possiblepositioning statement could be:

The Bacon House - Dedicated to matching waiting childrenwith loving families.

From the above positioning statement people would recognize that theBacon House is not just an adoption service, but one that seeks to findloving and caring families for children in need.

Before you proceed to the exercise on writing a positioning statement,maybe another example would further help you understand the differ-ence between a mission statement and positioning statement, The mis-sion of the Sunshine Brotherhood Foundation (SBCF) in Atlanta, whichwas discussed in the previous chapter, is:

To empower people in socio-economic disadvantagedcommunities to move from a mind set of despondency,despair and destruction to a se&determined attitude ofhope and se&u ffkiency.

After clarifying the organization’s mission, the board of directors andstaff determined that they wanted SBCF to be seen as a partner with thecommunities it serves,

Sunshine Brotherhood Community Foundation, Inc. -Working with, within and for the betterment of the community.

The positioning statement speaks to the unique role that SBCF plays inlow-income communities in Atlanta. It focuses on helping people findsolutions to improve their lives through partnership, collaboration andownership. This organization is trusted by the community. The SunshineBrotherhood Community Foundation, Inc. has successfully positioneditself in the community and throughout Atlanta. People recognize whothey are and what they do. Because SBCF is in partnership with thecommunities it serves, this nonprofit organization is seen as a crediblerepresentative to bring a community voice to public policy.



El:Q.. . ..::Exercise 5

Steps to a Strong Positioning Statement

Objective: To help your organization develop a positioning state-ment that briefly defines its unique role and services.

Procedure: There are seven steps to writing the statement, Theseare best followed by an individual or a team of two.

1. Review your mission statement. The positioning statement isa direct expression of your mission or purpose.

2. Survey the present and future needs of your community andlook at ways that you might address them. Meeting identifiedand future needs is the basis for finding your unique role.

3 . Look around. Are there duplications in services?Are there gapsor unmet needs? If there are organizations similar to yours,what makes yours different? Does your organization render aunique service or fill a gap in services?

4. Write your preliminary positioning statement. Remember thatthis is a brief statement of character and reputation.

5. Evaluate the effectiveness of your positioning statement. Totest it, interview at least three people such as key staff, boardmembers, program participants, opinion leaders, or others whomight have a stake in what you do. Do they agree with theunique role stated in your positioning statement? If not, thenproceed to the next step.

6. Modify and clarify your role in the community. Review all ofthe feedback that you received in Step 5. Discuss the possiblechanges in a group, but let the writer do the writing.

7 . Write your revised positioning statement. When you define yourunique role in the community and consistently deliver high-quality services or programs, you become a valuable asset tothe people you serve and to those who influence communityhealth and welfare. A reputation of commitment and high stan-dards of service is the best way to establish your organizationas a credible representative to bring the community voice topublic policy.

Source: Stern, Marketing Workbook.



Telling Your Story To be a healfhy,

The people in your organization are committed. Your services and pro-seli-sustaining

grams are needed and valued by those you serve, but you could do more. organizafion wifh

You are an underutilized community resource whose efforts are effec- a vi&/e role intive, but you need more funding. You contacted your local policy makerabout an issue that affects the people in the community and did not get

fhe community,

a response. Why? Some or all of these statements could apply to you if YOU musf makeyou have not developed a strategy to market your organization or “tell your presenceyour story.”

known.Many community-based organizations work successfully in their com-munities, but struggle with funding or for other reasons fail to realizetheir potential. Those in the community who know their services speakhighly of them, but many people do not know they exist, When localfunding is available, other more visible organizations get it.

To be a healthy, self-sustaining organization with a viable role in thecommunity, you must make your presence known. The Market PlanWorksheet on the next page can help you develop strategies to promoteyour organization within your budget.



Exercise 6

30

Market Plan Worksheet Instructions

Objective: To help your organization develop marketing strate-gies within a limited budget,

Procedure: Think of your organization and the community itserves. Make a list of ways that you can increase your visibility.Following are examples you can use:

1. Develop a newsletter. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just informa-tive. Be creative, and if possible learn desktop publishing tech-niques to give it a professional look. Many community collegesoffer courses in PageMaker, Quark, and similar software thatcan greatly improve the look of your newsletter and other pub-lications.

2. Participate in community affairs (forums, health and socialfairs, block parties, tenant association meetings, etc.) and beon the alert for other arenas in which you can distribute infor-mation about your organization,

3. Make presentations at local churches, social clubs, PTAs, andother community groups.

4. Contact the local media and give them a success story. Mostnewspapers look for a good human-interest story, especially ifit addresses a major problem in the community. Although youwant to paint the best picture you can of your organization, it’salso important to be honest about your difficulties and obstacles.Reporters are quick to sense when they are being fed a PR jobrather than a news story, and if you lose credibility with themit will take a long time to regain it.

5 . Develop public-service announcements about community issuesor problems for local radio.

6 . Monitor public policy issues that affect your organization andcommunity. Submit an editorial to your local newspaper thatsheds light on the issue. Write your local policy maker and giveyour organization’s position on the issue. Keep your namevisible.


CHAPTER 2 B Defining Who You Are

7. Develop relationships that enhance your organization’s cred-ibility and promote its visibility in the community and publicarenas. For example, join public campaigns of collaborationsthat have the same focus of interest; become actively involvedwith agencies and/or other community groups that willstrengthen your ability to achieve your mission and marketyour programs or services.

The Market Plan Worksheet included in this chapter will helpyou develop marketing strategies. Select methods from the abovelist or other activities you feel will help promote your organiza-tion, and complete the Market Plan Worksheet. For each methodidentified, write specific activities. When an activity is listed, iden-tify who will be responsible for it. Evaluate the resources neededto achieve the desired result. The numbers on the worksheet indi-cate the months of the year, For each activity, draw a line to indi-cate estimated time of completion of the activity.

Discussion Questions:

1. Think of your organization and the community it serves. Arethere other ways that you can increase your visibility?

2. Are there other resources not listed?

3. Are there barriers that may prevent you from implementingyour plan?

Materials required: Market plan worksheets and newsprint forgroup discussion.

Approximate time: May take several planning meetings.

Source: Market Plan Worksheet. Atlanta: Morehouse School ofMedicine, 1990.



32 MODULE 2 H Communicating with Policy Makers


Reality TestingAt this point you should be able to make the following statements aboutyour organization:

1. The vision of our organization is shared and supported by its en-tire membership.

2. Our mission statement is clear and concise, and states what webelieve, who we serve, and what we do.

3. Our programs, services, collaborations, and advocacy efforts arewidely known both within and outside the community.

If you cannot make these statements or are not sure that your organiza-tion has reached this level, take the time to address areas of concern.How can you ask others to believe in what you do and support your orga-nization if you are not sure about who you are? The case studies of BethelNew Life and Sunshine Brotherhood Foundation show two community-based organizations that took the time to clearly define their missionsand let others know of their success. This investment of time paid off forboth of them, resulting in healthy, self-sustaining community-basedorganizations.

+ The key to creating a shared vision is allowing everyoneto have an active role in the process.

+ An organization that rarely reexamines its mission ismissing an opportunity to increase its productivity. Be surethat your mission is clear and that it reflects the realitiesof your current operations. If the two are inconsistent youmay want to redefine your mission or reexamine yourprograms.

+ A positioning statement cites your unique role in thecommunity.

+ A healthy, self-sustaining organization makes itself knownas a viable entity in the community through a well de-fined marketing plan.


PART 1: CREATING YOUR IMAGE

PART 2: SETTING POLICY GOALS

PART 3: ESTABLISHING CONTACTS AND

CREDIBILITY WITH POLICY MAKERS

Acknowledgments

CHAPTER THREE WRITTEN By:

W. Mary Langley, M.P.H.Program Director

Morehouse School of Medicine720 Westview Drive., SW.

Atlanta, Georgia 30310(404) 752-1503

0EstablishingYourCredibility

PurposeThis chapter is designed to help your community-based organizationestablish its credibility and reliability in providing programs and services.


n evaluate your organization’s image and set image goals;l write policy goals and related strategies; and

I discuss the different means of establishing communicationswith policy makers.

OverviewYou and your members should now share a clear grasp of what yourorganization is all about, and your mission statement should reflect thosevalues, stating what you believe, whom you serve, and what you do. Yourmembers should know the uniqueness of your programs and services.It’s time to ask yourself how others - both inside and outside the com-muni ty - see your organization, Does your image reflect the credibilityand reliability of your organization? It’s time to look in the mirror.

If your organization has existed for several years, consider the followingquestions:

n What is your track record?

m Do people see you as an asset or liability to the community?

I What is the quality of services or programs you sponsor?

n Do community residents, agencies, and policy makers valueyour opinions and services?

I Does your organization fill an identified service gap in thecommunity?

Your answers will help you determine whether your organization hasestablished a unique and valuable position in the community If you arenot satisfied with your answers you may need to change how people see


CHAPTER 3 n Establishing Your Credibility

I! is far easier to Your organization, The information and exercises in this chapter will

.bur’d a flood

help enhance your organization’s image and credibility. They will alsoassist you in determining whether your policy goals are consistent with

repufafion Ihan your organization’s vision and mission.

to repair fhe If you are a new organization without an established track record anddamage of you are not clear about your niche in the community, this module can

violafed frusl.help you, as well. It is within your power to create an image that willestablish the uniqueness of your organization in the community. You canset policy goals and build relationships that will ensure the health andsustainability your organization.

Creating Your Image

It is far easier to build a good reputation than to repair the damage ofviolated trust. How people perceive your organization is just as impor-tant as its programs and services. The perception of wrongdoing, even ifincorrect, can be deadlier than actual misconduct. A healthy organiza-tion values its reputation and guards against policies and actions thatmay tarnish it.

Consider both Bethel New Life and Sunshine Brotherhood CommunityFoundation. These organizations validate the importance of creating theright image in the community. Both developed a reputation built on com-munity empowerment. Community residents trust them, and outsidepower brokers see them as resources to help develop services and pro-grams within their communities.

The benefits of creating an image based on a reliable track record is alsodemonstrated by the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Geor-gia, formerly the Continuum Alliance for Human Development.

Developing an image

HEALTHY MOTHERS, HEALTFTY BABIES COALMION OF GEORGIA, INC., is a state-wide, non-profit coalition of health care professionals, concerned organi-zations, and individuals who work for better health care for pregnantwomen, infants, and children. The original organization, ContinuumAlliance for Human Development, was established in 1973 by the Marchof Dimes, the Georgia Council on Maternal and Infant Health, and oth-ers. This non-profit organization developed a successful advocacy track



record: its efforts improved maternal and child health care policies andservices for poor and uninsured pregnant women and children through-out Georgia.

Continuum established its reputation by gathering information fromGeorgians about their experiences with the health care system. The stateDepartment of Human Resources then used the data to compile profilesof health care availability, county by county. Continuum developed astrong advocacy voice by publishing information and issuing legislativealerts about maternal and child health problems, as well as gaps in ser-vices, to educate policy makers. Continuum also monitored research ef-forts by organizations in other states and on the national level for infor-mation applicable to Georgia.

In the late 198Os, Continuum’s leaders realized that their services hadexpanded beyond advocacy. Their original name did not foster widespreadrecognition in the target population and community groups. The newname, Continuum Alliance for Healthy Mothers and Children, helpedcreate an image of the organization that generated trust in the targetpopulation. It also established it as a primary maternal and child healthinformation resource for policy makers.

In the early 199Os, however, another name change approved by the gov-erning board gained national recognition and state funding. A nationalmovement to address high rates of infant mortality and low birth weightsspurred states to form coalitions focused on healthy mothers and healthybabies. As an established maternal and child health coalition,Continuum’s board of directors voted to become the Healthy Mothers,Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia.

Setting image goals

According to Stern (1990) there are several reasons your organizationmay need to set specific image goals:

n you are a new non-profit;

I your organization is changing, growing, or adding new pro-grams or services;

I your image is outdated;I you believe people don’t understand how you can meet their

needs;


CHAPTER 3 m Establishing Your Credibility

You can set

image goals to

increase your

organization’s

visibility or

change how it

is perceived by

others.

I you want to maximize opportunities by increasing yourvisibility;

I you want to reinforce your reputation; orI you want to differentiate yourself from others.

If you are a new organization you should have a general concept of howyou want people to see you and your services. This mental picture willbecome more focused as you establish your niche in the community, Ifyou have existed for awhile, however, you already have a reputation -although it may be clear or cloudy, positive or negative, accurate or inac-curate. You can set image goals to increase your organization’s visibilityor change how it is perceived by others.

Review the reasons an organization may want to change its image. If oneor more of these apply to you, start work on a new image goal. It is diffi-cult to measure progress, so to assess the overall response listen to thoseyou serve: interview board members and others both inside and outsideyour community. Remember that a good reputation may be yourorganization’s most valuable asset,

We’re



Public Relations and Marketing Worksheet

Discussion:

Public relations is time consuming and rarely has a direct finan-cial reward. But good relations with your publics are essential,Without public awareness of your organization and sympathy forits cause, fundraising, membership, and even board developmentefforts will fall flat.

Professionals in the PR business separate it into media relationsand other public relations. Media relations describes itself prettywell. It involves communicating and developing relationships withprofessionals in the media (from newspaper and magazines to radioand television). Non profits get a great deal of attention from themedia without paying for it through news coverage and publicservice announcements, if they pursue it.

The rest of public relations includes anything and everything un-dertaken to develop awareness of and sympathy for an organiza-tion and its cause.

1. Do you believe your organization projects a consistent publicimage?

Cl Yes Cl Needs Improvement Cl No Cl I Don’t Know

2. Does your name and logo appropriately identify your organi-zation and its purpose?

Cl Yes CJ Needs Improvement CI No Cl I Don’t Know

3. Do you have good working relationships with representativesof the major periodicals published in your region?

III Yes Cl Needs Improvement IJ No Cl I Don’t Know

4. Is your organizations name mentioned frequently enough inthe media?

Cl Yes Cl Needs Improvement D No I3 I Don’t Know

FP!%E x e r c i s e 1



5. Is your executive director a good spokesperson for yourorganization?

IJ Yes D Needs Improvement IJ No IJ I Don’t Know

6 . Does he or she spend the right amount of time out of the officeat public meetings, conferences and the like?

0 Yes Cl Needs Improvement Cl No m I Don’t Know

7. Does your board of directors include well-respected membersof the community who speak readily and positively about yourorganization and its programs?

D Yes D Needs Improvement D No 0 I Don’t Know

8. Do you communicate with your supporters regularly?

Cl Yes Cl Needs Improvement tl No Cl I Don’t Know

9. Do your special events or fundraising benefits enhance yourorganization’s image in the community?

Cl Yes 0 Needs Improvement Cl No Cl I Don’t Know

This tool was used by:

(Name/title) (Date>

Source:Succeeding With Consultants: Self Assessment for the Changing NonprofitBy Barbara Kibbe and Fred SetterbegThe Foundation Center 79 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003-3076“Reprinted by permission of the publisher”Copyright 1992 by The David and Luckie Packard Foundation

40 MODULE 2 D Communicating with Policy Makers


Setting Image Goals

Objective: To assess your organization’s image or set a new im-age goal.

Procedure: Individually or in a group, use the “image goalworksheet” to assess your image or set a new goal. You can use thecase study of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies of Georgia as anexample for this exercise.

Discussion questions:

1. How are you seen by the people or groups most important toyou?

2. How are you seen by the people you serve inside and outsidethe community?

3. Are you satisfied with this image?

4. How would you like it to change?

Materials required: uImage goal worksheet,” flip chart, or news-print, as well as a transparency of the case study or copies of it forthe group.

Approximate time: This will vary depending on the organiza-tional stage of your group. An established organization may needonly 30 minutes to an hour to assess image, whereas a new onemay need several sessions to develop the right image.

Source: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, 1990.

Exercise 2


CHAPTER 3 n Establishine Your Credibility

EXAMPLE Image Goals Worksheetas completed by Healthy Mothers, Healthy BabiesCoalition of Georgia

1. How are you seen by the people or groups most impor-tant to you?

A. People we serve:

1 . Pregnant women and mothers see us as a resource for refer-rals to prenatal and child health care.

2 . Community agencies see us as a resource to help eliminatebarriers.

B. Others inside the community:

1 . Churches see us as a caring organization

C. Others outside the community:

1 . Policy makers see us as a resource for information and MCHstatistics.

2 . Funders see us as an effective provider of an important service.


A. People we serve:

1 . Yes, but we want to increase the public awareness of our re-ferral services.

2 . Yes, but we want other community groups to use our services.


1. Yes.


1. Yes.


CHAPTER 3 l Establishing Your Credibility


A. People we serve:

1. We want to maintain this image and increase publicawareness.

2. We want to contact the faith community and other groupsabout use.


1. Fine as it is.


1. Fine as it is.

4. How do you want your image to change and with whom?Write your image goal here:

To be seen by the target population, health and social agencies, andcommunity groups and policy makers, as the primary source of ma-ternal and child health information in Georgia.




l!!!!!4-Exercise 3

Image Goals Worksheet

1. How are you seen by the people or groups most impor-tant to you?

A, People we serve:

B. Others in the community:



A. People we serve:






A. People we serve:



4. How do you want your image to change and with whom?Write your image goal here:

Note: If you aren’t sure what your image should be, refer back tothe section on positioning your organization to clarify it.




/f your ofganiza-

tion is to survive

you must keep

abreasf of public

issues and

policies fhaf

aflect your

mission and

services.

CASESTUDY

Setting Policy GoalsMost community-based organizations depend on public and private fundsto support their programs. Both types of funding are affected by politicalclimate, however. If your organization is to survive you must keep abreastof public issues and policies that affect your mission and services. Justas it is important to take the time to assess your mission, it is also essen-tial to look at your organization’s fundamental policies. Your image andcredibility can be damaged by unclear or conflicting policy goals.

Your organization’s policies should reflect your mission and guide deci-sions about services, programs or support of public issues that may im-pact not only your organization, but community-wide efforts. A policygoal is a general statement that will guide your strategies to fulfill yourmission, Such a goal may be organization specific to direct internal strat-egies for program implementation or more global to address public is-sues that need the support and assistance of policy makers. The follow-ing diagram shows the evolution and direction of an organization’s policygoals.

Vision 3 Mission 3 Policy Goals 3 Strategies

The relationship between an organization mission, policy goals, strate-gies, and public policy is illustrated in the following case study.

Setting policy goals

THE COLLABORATIVE PREVENTION ADVISORY COUNCIL (CPAC) was orga-nized in 1993 by the Morehouse School of Medicine under a contractwith the Georgia Division of Mental Health, Mental Retardation andSubstance Abuse Services to develop regional plans for resource sharingand program implementation within southwest Georgia’s 40 counties.CPAC’s membership is composed of representatives from the Departmentof Education and Children and Youth Services, Divisions of Family andChildren Services and Public Health, Criminal Justice CoordinatingCouncils, Head Start, community service agencies (i.e., churches, faithcommunities, schools, social services, youth groups), non-profit organi-zations, the business community (local chambers of commerce, etc.), andother community members interested in prevention activities. The sharedvision of creating prevention-ready communities in southwest Georgiaresulted in the collaborative’s mission statement.


CHAPTER 3 l Establishina Your Credibilitv

MODULE 2 n Communicating with Policy Makers

Mission statementThe Collaborative Prevention Advisory Council (CPAC) believes thatprevention works to reduce or eliminate substance abuse among youthand adults. We will provide advocacy services, share resources througheffective networking, identify needs and access resources to local com-munities, and develop a comprehensive plan for a collaborative preven-tion system for the southwest region of Georgia.

Policy GoalAll counties (40) in the region should have a substance abuse preventionprogram.

Strategiesl Establish local prevention coalitions in each county to include

policy makers, private and public health providers, social ser-vice agencies, education, law enforcement, faith community andcommunity leaders.

n Advocate for prevention resources to include:1. Prevention funding allocation from Regional Boards for

each county as part of the Regional Plan in the annualbudget

2. Regional prevention infrastructure

3. Mental Health, Mental Retardation and SubstanceAbuse policies to include prevention

Who Will BenefitCommunities and residents in southwest Georgia

Positive Public Policy IssuesH Federal block grants for substance abuse prevention and drug

free schools

I Federal funds for building community prevention coalitions

I Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance abuse Re-gional Boards high risk youth prevention grant funds

Negative Public Policy Issuesn Decreased federal funding for prevention and social programs

to balance budget

47


I Increased congressional emphasis on judicial solutions to drugproblems with decreased funding for treatment and prevention

n Limited state financial allocations to match federal funds forprevention

The policy goal set by CPAC established its regional priority and focusfor communicating with policy makers around prevention. CPAC’s mem-bers reviewed and disseminated information on specific public issuesthat could affect their ability to achieve their goal.

Again, a significant part of setting policy goals is to assess trends inpublic policies that may affect the viability of your organization. For in-stance, members of the Collaborative Prevention Advisory Council (CPAC)constantly monitor federal and state policies that affect funding for sub-stance abuse prevention. Many of the organizations and programs rep-resented on CPAC depend on government funding, and changes in bud-get priorities could impact their capacity to provide local prevention ser-vices. A major area of concern for CPAC is the current congressional trendto decrease budget allocation for the Center for Substance Abuse Pre-vention (CSAP), a primary source of funding for community-based sub-stance abuse prevention programs, by combining the funding for CSAPwith another agency under the Substance Abuse and Mental HealthServices Administration (SAMHSA). The organizations that are a partof CPAC believe that without a separate demonstration authority forCSAP there will be a major dilution of the nation’s substance abuse agendaand activities which would impact local initiatives. Thus, in keeping withits policy goal, CPAC joined local and national advocacy efforts to com-municate to policy makers the need for continued funding for CSAP andprevention.

To determine the status of your policy goals, complete the next exercise,which should help you set realistic goals, assess your resources, and iden-tify obstacles to achieving your goals. Use the “policy goal worksheet” tocomplete this exercise for your organization.


CHAPTER 3 n Establishina Your Credibility

Setting Policy Goals

Objective: To help your organization assess and/or set policy goalsfor future organizational efforts.

Procedure: You can do this exercise individually or in a group.Completing the four steps for each of your goals will help you or-ganize information that should be readily at hand. The case studyof CPAC illustrates how to complete the steps.


1. Does your organization have written policy goals?

2 . Do your goals support the basic beliefs and values in your mis-sion statement?

3. Are your goals written with specific strategies?

4. Have you assessed public policy issues that may affect yourorganization’s health and survival?

Materials required: “Policy goal worksheet,” flip chart or news-print, and a transparency or copies of CPAC policy goal worksheet.

Approximate time: May vary depending on the number of goalsto be set.

Source: Adapted from Stern, Marketing Workbook.

Exercise 4



50

EXAMPLE Policy Goal Worksheet completed by CPAC

Goal: All counties (40) in the region should have a substanceabuse prevention program.

1. What are the absolute best results you could hope for?

To have active involvement and support of both community groupsand agencies on CPAC working together for substance abuse pre-vention in the Southwest Georgia region.

To share resources and secure adequate funding in order to expandand develop comprehensive prevention services in the region.

2. What outside factors might help or hinder your ability toachieve this ideal?

Outside factors Outside factorsworking for you: working against you:

1. High rate of substance abuse 1. Organizational turfin region, producing a need issues that hinderfor community and regional collaborationprevention efforts

2. Changing federal fund-2. State prevention infra- ing agenda for social

structure that supports programs and limitingcollaborations budget allocations to

federal agencies respon-3 . Support of faith communities sible for prevention.

and grassroots organizations.3. Limited state matching

funds allocated forprevention efforts bylegislation.

3, How will the realities of internal or external resourcesand other factors affect your ability to achieve theseresults?

n Identifying local and regional prevention needs will mean usinginformation gathered by member organizations and agencies.



m To gain community support we should conduct forums with localgroups. Helping mobilize those communities will take staff andfiscal support from member organizations.

I Building local prevention coalitions in all 40 counties will involvecollaborative coordinating efforts and support from communityleaders and policy makers.

n To monitor and advocate local and federal funding and supportof prevention programs and services we will need to develop apublic policy network.

n To help the advisory council gain credibility, we need to demon-strate that the residents of the 40 counties will benefit from thesepreventive activities.

4. What are your realistic, attainable goals?

Goal: All counties (40) in the region should have a substance abuseprevention program.

Strategies: Establish local prevention coalitions in each county to in-clude policy makers, private and public health providers, social serviceagencies, education, law enforcement, faith community and communityleaders.

Advocate for prevention resources to include:

1. Prevention funding allocation from Regional Board for eachcounty as part of the Regional Plan in the annual budget

2. Regional prevention infrastructure

3 . Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse poli-cies to include prevention

Priority of goal: High priority; beneficial to community andorganization.


CHAPTER 3 B Establishing Your Credibility

I!!!!!4--Exercise 5

Policy Goal Worksheet

Complete this as an individual exercise, or include other keyorganization’s leaders and members. Doing the four steps for eachof your goals will help organize information that should be readilyat hand.

1. What are the best results you could hope for?

Let your imagination flow. Don’t worry about whether yourthoughts are realistic; the next steps will bring you down toearth. Write your ideals into a general goal statement.

Goal:

Goal:

Goal:

2. What outside factors may help or hinder your ability toachieve this ideal?

Outside factors Outside factorsworking for you: working against you:

1. 1 .

2 . 2 .

3 . 3 .



3. How will the realities of internal/external resources andother factors affect your effort to achieve these results?

What are your strategies? What time and resources can youcommit to your organizational effort? Who will benefit fromyour work?

4. What are your realistic, attainable goals?Weigh the ideal results you would like to achieve against therealities of the political/social climate and your resources. As-sess whether the achievement of this goal will benefit peopleand make a difference. Then decide on your policy goal and thestrategies to realize it.

1. Goal:

Strategies:

Priority of goal:

2. Goal:

Strategies:

Priority of goal:

Source: Stern, Marketing Workbook.



The mosf

effecfive way 10

influence legida-

fion af /he city,

county, stale,

and federal

leveb is ihrough

direcf confact

wifh elecfed

officials.

Establishing Contacts and CredibilityWith Policy makers

Again, establishing contacts with policy makers is a high priority andshould be based on your credibility as established by the quality of yourprograms and services. Develop strategies that include regular directcontacts with key policy makers.

Establishing legislative contacts

The most effective way to influence legislation at the city, county, state,and federal levels is through direct contact with elected officials. Thismay take the form of telephone calls, faxes, letters, or visits to local of-fices. Elected officials are most influenced by their own constituents whenthey believe them to represent important groups of voters. To be effectiveon highly visible issues, a community-based organization may need toform a collaboration with other groups. Collaborating with others foradvocacy and services is discussed in Chapter 4.

It is extremely important to identify public officials who can affect theproblems that your organization’s services address. Complete a profileon key policy makers so you can prepare helpful information when theyconsider issues that affect you, your community, and your organization.

Influencing legislation or policy changes is largely a matter of communi-cation, Continuity is the key to an effective relationship with those in

now public officials and legislators before you needthem. Your influence will wane if you get in touch

with your legislator only before a vote on your bill.

Preparing fact sheets

You are the expert on the issues, problems, and needed services in yourcommunity. Preparing fact sheets to provide this information to policymakers will establish your credibility and enhance your organizationaladvocacy role. Healthy Mothers and Babies established its unique role asan advocate for maternal and child care in Georgia partly by preparingfact sheets and legislative alerts for policy makers and consumers.

Fact sheets present information about a specific problem in a clear for-mat. They may be used in presenting testimony or during personal visits


CHAPTER 3 B Establishing Your Credibility

with legislators and public officials. The data in a fact sheet should belocalized (if possible) and geared to the audience it is meant to reach. It’salso effective to compare local data with state and national figures.

Fact sheets intended to be read orally should be doubled-spaced andclearly typed (sometimes using all capital letters helps). For help in writ-ing a fact sheet, ask advice from a professional writer such as a journal-ist, editor, English teacher, or long-time and experienced advocate.

A successful fact sheet:l uses current data;n is written in simple language;n is localized;n includes the name, address, and telephone number of a person

to contact;n summarizes the problem in one or two sentences.n contains supporting statistics;n is no more than one page in length (front and back); andn may include graphic presentations such as maps, graphs, or

charts (which can be attached separately).



56

Sample Fact SheetThe U.S. Health Care System

Contact: Name, Address, Phone Number

An increasing number ofpeople in the U.S. cannot afford basichealth care.

I Forty eight percent of the nation’s population lacked health insur-ance for some or all of 1987. (Department of Health and Human Ser-vices, 1992)

m In addition, 70 million Americans have health insurance plans thatare inadequate for their needs. (Joint Economic Committee, 1989)

n More than 8.4 million children had no insurance coverage during allof 1990 (Children’s Defense Fund)

n Each year, half a million children under the age of three go withoutimmunization against the most common childhood diseases. (Na-tional Education Association, 1991)

n Insurance covers only 74% of the cost of physician services, 39% ofdental costs, and 25% of prescription drug bills. (National HealthCare Campaign)

I Each year, 75,000 women receive no prenatal care until the momentthey enter the delivery room. (National Education Association, 1991)

I In 1989, black infants died at more than twice the rate of whiteinfants. The black infant mortality rate was 18.6 per 1,000 com-pared with 8.1% for whites. (Centers for Disease Control, 1992)

I In 1992, it was reported that 32% of Hispanics, 20% ofAfrican Ameri-cans, and 13% of whites lacked health insurance of any kind. (Na-tional Council of La Raza, 1992)

I One in seven women aged 61-64 had no health insurance coverageof any kind in 1990. (Women’s Research and Education Institute, 1992)

Health care costs are out of control.

m In 1992, $838 billion was spent on health care. This means thatAmericans spent $1,600,000 per minute on medical care. (U.S. Com-merce Depart men t, 1993)

n Between 1980 and 1990, drug prices rose a staggering 152% . . . Thisincrease cost the federal government as much as $150 million in1991 alone. (Speech by David Pryor)

I Per capita health care spending is expected to rise from $1,837 in1986 to $5,550 in the year 2000. (Health Care Financing Adminis-tration, 1989)

B In 1980, the average family spent one out of every eleven dollars ofits income on health care. By the year 2000, the average family will


spend one dollar on health care for every six dollars of income. @‘ami-lies USA Foundation, 1991)

I Costs for medical care paid by the elderly more than doubled in the1980’s and will probably triple in the 1990’s. (Select Committee onAging, 1990)

Our health care system is bloated by administrative waste andneedless procedures.

I The U.S. spend more on healthcare than any other country - 40%more per person than Canada, 90% more than Germany, and twiceas much as Japan. (Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee,1 9 9 1 )

I American hospitals spend an average of 19% of their budgets onbilling and administration compared to Canadian hospitals whichspend only 8%. (National Health Care Campaign, 1989)

I The U.S. health care system spend up to 24 cents of every dollar onadministration and billing. This compares to 11 cents spent inCanada. (New England Journal of Medicine, 1990)

I The number of health care administrators is increasing three timesas fast as the number of doctors. (National Health Cure Campaign,1989)

I It is estimated that 14% of all coronary bypasses, 32% of arterialballoon procedures, and 17% of upper GI examinations are unneces-sary. (Rand Corporation, 1989)

US. Businesses are losing ground due to soaringhealth care costs.

I American businesses are currently spending $238 billion a year onhealth care. (Select Committee on Aging, 1992)

I In recent years, American businesses, large and small, have seenhealth care costs increase 25% to 50% annually. (National HealthCare Campaign, 1989)

I Health care costs add approximately $1,000 to the cost of an Ameri-can-made car. This is four times the cost for a Japanese manufac-turer, (Subcommittee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Com-petitiveness, 1992)

I When polled, 95% of business executives in Fortune 500 companiesstates that health costs were a major concern compared to othercosts of doing business for their company. (Health Affairs, 1991)

I Business payments for health insurance tripled from 1980 to 1991,and are expected to rise sevenfold between 1980 and 2000. (Fami-lies USA Foundation, 1991)



@ Be simple, clear and politel Ask for a specific actionl Be legible (hand written is fine)l Include your name and address, so that you can receive a responsel Express appreciation for past work (if possible)


Writing a Letter to an Elected Leader

Your letter to an elected leader should:

SAMPLE LETTERJune 1,1996

THE HONORABLE MEMBER’s NAMEU.S. House of Representatives (or U.S. Senate)Washington, DC 20515 (or 20510 for the Senate)

Dear Congressman/Congresswoman Member’s Name(or Senator Member’s Name):

I am writing to express my concern about the debate in Congress over healthcare reform. Our nation is in crisis. Too many of our citizens are unable toafford the health care they need. Too many of the people I know are shoul-dering expenses they cannot bear or foregoing medication and treatment theyneed. This is an intolerable situation for a country that spends enough moneyon health care to provide comprehensive benefits for everyone.

I hold firmly to the belief that everyone living in the United States has aright to quality health care. It deeply concerns me that Congress may yetfail to craft legislation that serves the health care needs of everyone in thiscountry.

Our representation in Washington appears more interested in maintainingthe status quo than making meaningful change. Simple insurance reformswill not make health care accessible to all. We MUST have universal cover-age! It is essential if we are to effectively control health care costs. It is themoral imperative for a country that values the well-being of its citizens.

1 urge you to support a health care plan that:I Provides health care to the whole population no later than 1998.I Extends comprehensive benefits, including long-term care, mental

health, substance abuse treatment.n Is paid for in a fair and equitable way, with all employers required to

pay their fair share.n Controls costs and reduces the administrative burden.H Either supports a publicly financed approach or allows states to set up

single payer systems.

Thank you, in advance, for acting on my request.

Sincerely,

Your NameYour Address



Setting policy goals and establishing related strategies willhelp you organize your resources and improve your effec-tiveness in bringing a community voice to public policy.

A reputation for commitment and high standards is thebest way to enhance your image and establish your orga-nization as a credible representative.

A policy goal is a general statement that will guide theselection of strategies or actions to f&ill your organization’smission.

Direct contact is the most effective way to influence policymakers. To establish this contact, you must know who theyare and where their areas of interest or power lie. Com-munication is the key, whether dealing with them in per-son or through your public relations materials.


Partners

PART 1: ADVANTAGES OF WORKING IN A

COALITION

PART 2: DISADVANTAGES OF WORKING IN A

COALITION

PART 3: BUILDING A COALITION

@


CHAPTER FOUR WRITTEN BY:

Karen Hobert FlynnConsultant

Common Cause41 Shady Hill Lane

Middletown, Connecticut 06457(860) 632-0613

@Partners

PurposeThis chapter is designed to help your organization maximize its impactin the public policy arena by working strategically in coalitions with otherorganizations.


m examine the advantages and disadvantages of collaboratingwith other groups;

I identify groups and leaders in your community that could addto your coalition effort;

l recruit partners that bring a variety of strengths to your advo-cacy effort;

I build trust and decision-making procedures among coalitionpartners; and

I strategize how to amass resources for collaborative action.

OverviewCollaboration with other groups has many advantages, and you shouldconsider them carefully if you want to advocate for change. Althoughorganizations differ widely in their concerns, those in the social servicearena have a great deal in common,

Advocates can win few of today’s key issues working alone. It pays tolook for allies - as both an opportunity and a necessity. By sharing en-ergy and expertise, and by coordinating efforts to avoid duplication, or-ganizations can achieve more together than apart, By working togetherthey also demonstrate the importance they attach to their issue.


CHAPTER 4 n Partners

TO keepa Advantages of Working in a Coalitioncoalition When organizations work together in a coalition, their combined resources

fOJdb’, can enable them to engage in activities that a single organization could

members musf not undertake alone. See Module One: Developing Community Capacity

oftenfor additional information on coalition building.

compromise. You can, for example, benefit from each other’s organizational strengths.Some groups in a coalition may have limited funds, but may have a strongnetwork of local activists; others may have a sophisticated research de-partment that produces studies that build the case for reform, but less ofa lobbying presence; other groups may have substantial financial re-sources, but a small membership; and some groups may have excellentrelationships with policy makers.

Coalitions also garner respect. When groups work together, policy mak-ers know it, and they are more likely to give your issue attention. Forexample, you have more clout when you represent a broad-based coali-tion with women’s, senior, religious, labor and consumer groups than ifyou merely represent one labor union.

One often-overlooked reason to work together has to do with the natureof public-interest campaigns, namely, that when you advocate for reformor a new public policy, such a change threatens groups interested inmaintaining the status quo. More often than not, the other side is goingto be more organized, have more resources and money, and carry moreclout and leverage with policy makers. So we need to pool our strengths- our energy, our activists and volunteers, and our often meager frnan-cial resources.

Disadvantages of Working in Coalition

Working with other organizations can be time consuming and labor inten-sive. If the coalition’s issue is not your organization’s top priority, the workcan divert staff time and organizational resources. You will need to assessyour level of activity in the coalition in the context of your other priorities.

To keep a coalition together, members must often compromise. Somemembers will be confrontational, others more timid. The coalition mayneed to soften its message or tone down tactics to accommodate the morecautious partners. This can be frustrating for others.



If your organization devotes a lot of time and energy to the coalitioneffort, it can also try your patience when other groups do not contributeas much. Remember that not all groups have the same commitment toan issue, the same institutional resources, or the same skills. If all ac-tivities are done in the name of the coalition, groups that contribute a lotmay not feel as if they get enough credit.

Learn as much as you can about a coalition before you become involved.Ask about the member organizations and those who are most active.Investigate the coalition’s activities to make sure that your organizationis comfortable with them. Check with community leaders about thecoalition’s reputation to ensure that participation would not damage yourown. Attend a few meetings to learn how the coalition evaluates currentevents, plans activities, and makes decisions. If you are uncomfortablewith some of a coalition’s participants or activities, don’t join. Not everycoalition experience is positive, but when you share a common goal, thebenefits often outweigh the risks.

The characteristics of a successful coalition are:

early determination of temporary or permanent status;flexibility among members for compromise;

member equality;

leadership that reflects all member groups;

acceptance of differences in values and a mechanism for deal-ing with them;

recognition that negotiation and bargaining are integral partsof the group process;

well-publicized meetings open to the public, and full sharingof information to avoid secrecy and misunderstanding;

continuous efforts for membership expansion;

an issue of concern to all organizations involved; and

adoption of common measurable objectives.

If these characteristics are not descriptive of the coalition you are con-sidering (or have recently joined), proceed with caution. You have workedhard to establish the credibility of your organization. Although joiningcertain coalitions may appear to be beneficial to your cause, you shouldassess whether the potential harm to your organization’s reputation isworth the risk.


CHAPTER 4 w Partners

I/YOU WM~ 10 Building a Coalitionbuild a coalition You may find that no coalition is working on your issue, and you may

around a have difficulty encouraging an existing coalition to take it on. In that

particular issue case, you may want to consider starting your own. Coalition building is

you must firsttime-consuming work, but in the long run can help spread your workaromd

identify indi-

vidua’s andCoalitions vary in structure, purpose, and style. In order for a coalitionto work, its participants must be flexible.

organizations

willing to beA coalition may be an informal arrangement among representatives ofvarious groups united by a common position on a single issue, a network

in valved. of groups that share a similar approach on several issues, or a formalagreement among groups that gives the coalition its own separate identity

Effective coalition building involves at least four stages:

m identifying potential participants;

I recruitment;l building trust and setting goals; and

I motivating a sense of collective action.

Identification

If you want to build a coalition around a particular issue you must firstidentify individuals and organizations willing to be involved. It is help-ful to start a core group with your friends - those you trust and whotrust you. When you’ve established this, work to build as broad a coali-tion as possible. Look for groups that bring power and diversity to yourwork.

Who can open doors in the community? Find them and they can help youplug into a wider network of organizations. Although they may not bethe people who actively participate in your coalition’s work, they canprovide advice and key contacts.

Which community leaders should be involved? Those who are willing towork, who are concerned about your issue, and who lead others. Some-times they have formal leadership roles in the community; other timesthey are simply trusted people.


CHAPTER 4 l Partners

When looking for partners seek out people who bring different strengths,You want people who can influence others. You need those with access tofinancial and in-kind resources. Look for members who bring your issuecredibility, who are considered experts, but bear in mind that those withexpertise may not be as important as those who are well connected andwilling to be active.

Do the people in your coalition reflect the diversity of the community? Ifnot, find out who the leaders are in parts of the community that you donot know well. For example, if the community residents are AfricanAmerican, Polish American, and Korean American, and you have identi-fied only African American and Polish American leaders, you need tomake additional calls and visits to identify Korean American leaders.

A coalition should be as broad as possible to show widespread supportfor an issue. Seek natural allies when building a coalition, but remem-ber that with imagination you can find new allies, A group that does notappear to fit in with the rest of the coalition can in fact lend credibility toyour effort.

For instance, one state coalition worked to enact a campaign-financereform bill for state legislative races, The bill included limits on whatpolitical action committees (PACs) could contribute to candidates. Thecoalition recruited several small PACs to support their effort. These smallPACs could not compete with larger PACs in their contributions and foundthat legislators were constantly asking them for money they did not have.Such an incongruous coalition garnered a great deal of media attention,and participants felt that new doors were open to ~them as a result of the partnership.

A coalition

should be as

broad as pos-

sib/e to show

widespread

suppori for an

issue.

An issue that can unite unlikely allies such as con-servatives and liberals makes a powerful state-ment that the issue is of broad public concern.

RecruitmentOne of your biggest challenges can be persuading groups to join a coali-tion Do your homework and research the organization, then emphasizeits self-interest, not your own. If you have friends who work for the orga-nization or who are familiar with it, ask their advice. Find the angle thatmakes your case - that involvement helps its constituency.



Building a coalition takes time and energy, Allow time for an organiza-tion to take a position on an issue. If it isn’t currently concentrating onthat issue, you may need to wait for the group to decide by a vote ofmembers or the board, or in a staff meeting. Send them backgroundmaterials on the issue so that they can more easily make a decision.

One easy way to bring groups into a coalition is to ask them to sign aletter or list of principles to a policy maker, then approach them laterabout additional participation, You can structure endorsements so thatmember groups can opt in or out, provision by provision. Participantscan also agree that for a particular effort, groups in the coalition will not

work against each other. (They don’t have to work for whatsomeone else wants, either; they just don’t allow policymakers to pit one against another.)

Sometimes an organization may not join your coalitionbut can be helpful in leading you to other contacts or inhelping to neutralize opposition to your effort. Other timesone organization can bring in others because of its owninfluence. If you are not sure whether a group is a likelyally or a target for your educational efforts, ask for an

informal exploratory meeting with a few of its leaders.

Ask each interested organization to assign at least one rep-resentative to the coalition. This person will attend meet-

ings, clear joint actions of the coalition with his or her ownorganization, and motivate the organization to be active.

When possible, it may be better to involve several representa-tives of each organization, At this stage the dropout rate is high,

and your chances of ending up with a motivated contact may be better ifyou start with several people.

Building Trust and Setting Goals

In the third stage of coalition building you need to familiarize advocateswith each other and with the substance of the issue; you must also workout together the goals of the advocacy effort, Coalition members need tohave a common understanding of the issue and shared goals, yet musthave the flexibility to accommodate political and organizational differ-ences. Clearly define and state the purpose of the coalition. Remember,total consensus on all issues is not necessary prior to action.


CHAPTER 4 I Partners

Once a group is on board, you need to build trust. Establishing trustentails personal contact on a regular basis, This means face-to-face talksor repeated telephone contact as well as a steady flow of information tothe coalition. You’re asking others to trust your judgment, and you musttrust theirs. Go slowly at first. Make many group decisions. Circulatedrafts of any joint materials, and ask for and accept comments. Show awillingness to share resources and information, Listen well. Such effortshelp develop a shared understanding of goals and strategy, and also de-velop the personal relationships that build trust - and fun - amongcoalition members.

Clarify decision-making procedures and try to reach consensus. Deci-sion making must be open and participatory, It may not be necessary tovote on everything - democracy can be informal - but all members mustfeel that the coalition is listening to them and working for goals theyshare. Dominant leaders who listen only to themselves cannot hold acoalition together very long. Cooperative decision making takes longer,but it gives groups a greater stake in the issue, broadens support, andenergizes a larger pool of activists.

Establish that no one is empowered to speak for the coalition on issuesnot previously agreed upon. Each organization is free to speak for itselfoutside of coalition activity. Devise other guidelines for joint activity, suchas ensuring that organizations do not use group events to push theirown agendas.

Rarely will every group feel as intensely about the issue around whichthe coalition is created. Groups have different resources to devote to theeffort. You need to recognize this and try and stay away from disagree-ments about who does more. Reward those who contribute the most.

Be willing to do more than your share to boost the joint effort. Be direct- ask groups what would make it easier for them to participate, and beas accommodating as possible. Make it clear that your written materialsare available for use by other groups, and prepare sample materials thatthey can use.

Even if you are doing most of the work, invite and encourage participa-tion, and leave room for other styles. A coalition needs leadership, notdomination, Above all, share credit and praise. Find ways to create aclimate that reflects the broad participation of the coalition.

Establish a means for keeping supporters informed. Hold working meet-ings to share information, divide tasks, and discuss issues. Invite sev-

Clarify deei-

sion-making

procedures and

fry fo reach

consensus.

MODULE Communicating with Policy Makers 67

CHAPTER 4 I Partners

era1 organizational representatives to share the role of coordinator. Acoordinator facilitates communication among the groups by sending outmeeting notices, copying materials, and calling others to set agenda. Somecoalitions rotate meeting chairpersons. The task of the chair for a givenmeeting could include setting the meeting site, calling other leaders,deciding the agenda, considering tasks and assignments for participants,and gathering needed materials.

Coalitions Act TogetherThe fourth stage of building coalitions is the most important: developingand solidifying a sense of collective action. A group of individuals or or-ganizations talking about the problem is not a coalition. A coalition startsto think of itself as such through common experiences and specific jointactions.

A coalition needs to regularly develop action-oriented approaches, strat-egies, and timelines. You may face difficult decisions and tensions; as aresult, it is important to create a positive climate and an understandingthat groups are willing to cooperate to achieve a common goal.

Meet as often as necessary. Meetings can make or break a coalition. Theymust be well prepared, focused on planning action, and facilitated effi-ciently. Plan the agenda and goals of the meeting in advance. Stick to theagenda and keep the discussion moving forward. Involve everyone in themeeting. Allow time to share information about advocacy efforts, Makedecisions democratically.

Avoid holding meetings just to discuss things; encourage the coalition toplan effective tactics to move you toward your goal. Seek commitmentsfrom people and organizations on specific tasks, and establish a timelinefor completion of those tasks. Appoint someone to write down assign-ments and distribute the list to all participants after the meeting.

At the end of the meeting, summarize the decisions reached and reviewwhatever follow-upwill occur. Set the date for the

next meeting. A regularlyscheduled time is helpful.


Assessing Benefits and Risks of Joining Coalitions

Using the worksheet that follows, list anticipated benefits andrisks. Next, note possible ways to minimize or eliminate the risks.On the basis of this information, decide whether to join thecoalition.


1. Are the mission and values of the organization consistent withours?

2. Will our supporters agree with this collaboration?

3. Can we work better alone?

4. Are there barriers or differences we can overcome or live withto reach our goal?

5. Is the price of collaboration too high?

Materials required: “Benefits and risks worksheet” and flip chartor newsprint.

Approximate time: Depends on the group and if there are con-troversial issues involved.

Source: Strategic Planning Workbook.

CHAPTER 4 m Partners

Exercise 1

1


Benefits and Risks Worksheet

Instructions:

1. List the benefits you expect from joining the coalition, as wellas the risks.

2. Note possible ways to minimize or eliminate risks. Circle thebest ideas.

3 . Compare the benefits to the risks and decide how to proceed.

4. Your decision:

J o i n i m m e d i a t e l y Join later - Do not join

Adapted from Strategic Planning Workbook.


Coalition building

This exercise should be done in small groups of 6 to 10 people. Youmay want to try the exercise during a board training or development sessions. Each group will be a small coalition that has cometogether around the following goal:

All babies should be born to healthy highschool graduates in your community.

Assign each participant a different role in the coalition. You couldhave people representing a pro-choice Protestant organization, apro-life Catholic organization, a human-services provider, a schoolsuperintendent, a business group, and a policy maker (the mayor,state senator, or governor, for example). Take a few minutes tobrainstorm about other groups or kinds of people that may behelpful in your coalition (teenagers, doctors, etc.).

Strategy development

Design one or two strategies your coalition could carry out toachieve your goal. Think about whom you need to influence, anddiscuss what you will need to do to gain support from each one.Make sure that all coalition partners are comfortable with the strat-egies your group selects. Briefly discuss the what, where, when,and why of your strategy.

Amassing resources

What can each group bring to your strategy? Make a list of whatyou will need to carry it out; consider what financial, human, andorganizational resources you could use. Will the coalition need toraise funds to carry out your strategy? Which groups can donatestaff time to the effort? Who has volunteers that can assist? Whatwritten materials will you need?


Exerc ise 2

1

74MODULE 2 n Communicating with Policy Makers 1 1

CHAPTER 4 m Partners

Forming coalitions with organizations that share yourgoals can greatly increase your ability to influence publicpolicy.

The advantages of forming a coalition include making useof each others’ organizational strengths, gaining increasedrespect, and overcoming resistance to the status quo.

The disadvantages are that coalitions can be tune con-suming and labor intensive; moreover, they involve com-promise that can be frustrating to the members.

To build a coalition you need to identify and recruit mem-bers, build trust and set goals, and motivate collectiveaction,


The Policy Setting:People and Process

PART 1: LOBBYING BY NON-PROFIT

ORGANIZATIONS

PART 2: WHY STATE AND LOCAL

GOVERNMENTS ARE SO IMPORTANT

PART 3: LOCAL GOVERNMENT

PART 4: STATE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS

PART 5: NATIONAL STRUCTURE AND

FUNCTIONS

@


CHAPTER FIVE WRITTEN BY:

Jamie McAuliffeConsultant

The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies1740 Massachusetts Avenue N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20036(202) 387-8575

@

The Policy Setting:People and Processes

PurposeThis chapter is designed to help you understand policy-making and theunderlying power structure that contributes to it. This should help youdevelop successful strategies for contacting policy makers who can helpyou achieve your organizational goals.


m understand lobbying or other advocative strategies in view ofyour organization’s tax-exempt status;

w understand the basic policy making process at the federal, state,and local levels, and determine who the important actors in itare;

I know your legislators, their constituency, and where their sup-port comes from; and

n determine which level of the policy process applies in your ad-vocacy strategy.

OverviewGood communication and fruitful relationships with policy makers arebased on comprehensive research, sound knowledge of your organiza-tion and its goals, and a detailed understanding of the people you arecontacting. Your organization has many strategies available for influ-encing policy-making through lobbying and related activities, depend-ing on the nature of its tax-exempt status. You must know what is al-lowed so you can proceed as effectively as possible to influence the ap-propriate public officials. Awareness of your own abilities, and of thepower structure with which you are dealing, grows increasingly impor-tant as the federal government turns much of its responsibility for theadministration of funds over to the states, counties, cities, and variousother forms of regional government.

MODULE with Policy Makers 75

CHAPTER 5 n The Policy Setting: People and Process

Lobbying By Non-profit Organizations1

LObb'iflD Typically, non-profit organizations shy away from political activities forinVohS inflU- fear that they are not permitted to lobby. But there are many things you

can and should do to sustain your organization and its mission. Belowencing federal, are some of the basic rules and distinctions to keep in mind when plan-sfa!e, or local ning your advocacy strategy.

legislafion

501(c)(4) vs. 501(c)(3)

The tax law provides that groups with this status, classified as “socialwelfare” organizations, can engage in lobbying without any limitations.They can also do some electoral work, although it cannot be their mainfunction, Contributions to these groups, however, are not tax-deductible.The following comments, then, will focus on the rules for private, non-profit charitable and educational organizations that are exempt fromfederal taxes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Lobbying

Lobbying involves influencing federal, state, or local legislation. Whatyou can and cannot do depends on whether the advocacy involves fed-eral or state issues, whether you receive any federal funding, and yourorganization’s tax classification. Depending upon what you do, you oryour organization may have to register as a lobbyist. Federal tax lawdoes not forbid you to lobby, but it limits the amount of lobbying you canundertake as a 501(c)(3). Both direct and grassroots lobbying are allowed,they are simply subject to certain restrictions.

Within reasonable limits you can:

n Write your members of Congress or state legislature on organi-zation letterhead.

n Call long distance to the Capitol at agency expense.

n Take a carload of people to the Capitol to meet a legislator orstaff and get mileage paid by the agency

*This information comes primarily from a guide published by the Children’s De-fense Fund, An Advocate’s Guide to Lobbying and Political Activity for Nonprofits:What you Can (and Can’t) Do. The distinctions mentioned here are only an initial guideto advocacy rules and are based mostly on federal laws. If you have further questionsabout the legality of your organization’s activities, refer to some of the resources listedin the Resource section or talk to a tax advisor or lawyer familiar with the rules.



n Engage in other activities generally considered “lobbying” or“grassroots lobbying.”

Direct Lobbying is any attempt to influence local, state, or federal legis-lation by contacting a legislator, legislative staffer, or government em-ployee to persuade him or her to influence legislation, This includeswriting or calling legislators and presenting testimony on legislation.

Grassroots lobbying is any attempt to affect legislation by influencingpublic opinion and getting people to act. IRS rules say that grassrootslobbying is anything that states a position for or against pending legisla-tion and urges people to take action with regard to that legislation.

The limits are:

n If the IRS is informed in advance and certain simple forms arefiled, small agencies can spend up to 15 to 20 percent of theagency’s total resources on lobbying. As the size of theorganization’s budget grows beyond $1 million per year, the 15to 20 percent figure decreases according to the formula describedin An Advocate’s Guide to Lobbying and Political Activity forNonprofits. If this filing process is not followed, you are stillallowed to do some lobbying so long as it is not substantial,generally up to about 5 percent, which permits most groups todo all the lobbying they need and want to do.

I There is a special, smaller limit on “grassroots” lobbying - lob-bying that has the purpose of getting the general public to con-tact legislators and ask them to act on a bill. It is capped atone-fourth of your overall lobbying limit.

n Lobbying activities must fall within the organization’s general“charitable” or “civic” purposes.

m You must be able to show that no employees or clients werecoerced into lobbying.

Under IRS rules, the following activities are not even considered lobbying:

You are permitted to:

n If you are a membership organization, inform your members(not the general public) of legislative issues critical to the goalsof the agency and take positions on them (but telling people towrite Congress ins considered lobbying).



m Research and conduct nonpartisan analyses of legislation andstate your position on such issues in the analysis, as long asyou give complete information so that people can draw theirown conclusions,

n Invite legislators or their staff to visit your program and learnabout your work or to explain current legislative efforts.

n Attend workshops on how to lobby, generally,

n Respond to official written requests by legislative bodies foradvice or testimony.

As a private citizen, you can:

I Work on legislative issues during lunch hours or after work.In public, you should state explicitly that you are speaking asa private citizen, although your argument can be based partlyon your experience with the agency.

I Put bumper stickers on your personal car, even if it is used inbusiness.

n Participate on your own time in other groups that actively dis-cuss politics and issues and o\lobby in that group’s name.

What happens if an agency breaks the rules?

The IRS can always do an audit of your organization to see if you arespending too large a portion of your funds on lobbying activities.

n If the IRS substantiates such overspending and your agency’slimit is 5 percent, they can rescind your tax-exempt status, inwhich case contributions to your agency would no longer betax-deductible.

n If they substantiate such overspending and your agency’s limitis based on the IRS formula that goes up tp 15 or 20 percent,they can levy a 25 percent tax on the money spent above thelimit; and then,

n If they determine that your agency has exceeded the limits bya substantial amount (by an average of 50 percent over fouryears of expenditures), the IRS can rescind your tax-exemptstatus.


CHAPTER 5 n The Policy Settina: PeoDle and Process

Source: Children’s Defense Fund, An Advocates Guide to Lobbying andPolitical Activity for Non Profits. 1991

Lobbyist registration requirements

At the federal level you or your organization may have to register as alobbyist and file periodic reports about your direct lobbying activities,whereas grassroot lobbying does not normally require registration as alobbyist. Registration requirements provide the government and thepublic with a way to obtain information about lobbying activities. Statesand local jurisdictions have their own laws and many require individu-als and organizations to register as lobbyists for direct and grassrootslobbying. For more specific information refer to Resource section for re-sources related to federal and state procedures.

Lobbying with federal funds

Even though you will not jeopardize your tax exemption by lobbyingwithin guidelines, you may not be able to use certain funds for it. Moneyreceived from a federal agency, for example, may not be used to fundmost lobbying activities. Usually, however, such restrictions do not applyto other money your organization receives.

Byrd Amendment

This amendment, enacted in 1989, forbids organizations from using fed-eral funds to hire a lobbyist to help get a federal grant or contract. It doesnot forbid you, however, from using federal funds to prepare an applica-tion or request for a federal grant, contract, or loan.

Voter education and participation

If your organization is a 501(c)(3), you risk losing your tax-exempt sta-tus if you conduct any partisan political-campaign activities. But youcan educate candidates and the public, and promote voter participationin a nonpartisan fashion.

Learn the laws and regulations that pertain to your organization and itsprograms so you can use your voice effectively without jeopardizing your



group’s status. Rules and regulations change often, and it is up to you tostay current.

Why State and Local GovernmentsAre So Important

The trend in the past 30 years has been to place more and more respon-sibility in the hands of local and state governments. The federal govern-ment, through grants-in-aid, gives states the power to enact programsand services; the states then pass down much of the administrative re-sponsibility to localities. Often, a big challenge at the local level is how tomeet these responsibilities without adequate funding. Regardless, statesand local governments take up the vast majority of services and func-tions of government including education, transportation, welfare, crimi-nal justice, commercial regulation, and health.

As of the writing of this manual, the 104th Congress is going one stepfurther. Through legislation in areas such as welfare, health care, andenvironmental issues, legislators are trying to broaden state control andlessen federal oversight in the distribution of funding. As a result, it iseven more important to understand what is being done at the state andlocal levels, and who is doing it.



It is equally critical to look at the form and power structure of your localor state government. Depending on your location, the mayor’s office maycarry more weight in affecting policy changes than the city council; orthe majority party in the state legislature may be the first place to lookfor support or to introduce a bill. Identifying local leadership can alsohelp in the search for government funding support at the local, state, orfederal levels.

Keep in mind that friends and contacts you make at the local level fre-quently move on to more powerful positions. The local council memberyou befriend today may be tomorrow’s senator or representative inWashington.

Local Government Structures

Local governments can be set up in a variety of ways. It’s important tofamiliarize yourself with the structure in your area to maximize yourorganization’s efficiency. Here is a brief overview.

Towns and townships

The town is still the basic form of local government in New England. Ascounties and municipalities became incorporated, the town’s functionsbecame more limited. Over the years, attendance at town meetings de-clined and a representative town meeting plan was devised in whichvoters choose a large number of citizens (around 100) to attend the townmeeting and represent their views. The township, in contrast, is an in-termediate form of government in many of the Middle Atlantic and Mid-western states. These days much of townships’authority has been handedover to the counties, but in some wealthy suburban areas townships havegained powers nearly equal to those of cities.

Cities

It is difficult to generalize about the hundreds of municipalities acrossthe country, but there are certain characteristics that hold true for most.In most cities, council members (or aldermen) spend only some of theirtime on city business and continue their full-time jobs. Their pay reflectsthis part-time service. The size of councils can range from as many as 50(in Chicago) to 9 each in Toledo, Boston, and Pittsburgh.



Almost all city governments are unicameral, and the growing trend isaway from ward elections and toward at-large elections. This helps avoidlogrolling (a practice by which council members swap votes to get projectsthrough that are of interest to one another).

The degree of council participation depends upon the form of govern-ment. Where there is a weak mayor system or a commission system,the council can have quite a bit of authority. In cities with astrong mayorsystem, the council members act more as voices for constituent complaintsand problems. In most cities, council members are passive and do not actas policy innovators. As a result, because voter turnout for city electionsis usually low and turnover of politicians is high, the public is limited inits ability to influence public policy through their legislative representatives.

This does not mean that it can’t be done; it just calls attention to thechallenges you may face at this level. Directing your attention only tothe mayor, or to the office of a council member, may be highly effective orcompletely ineffective depending on your local government’s structure.As with most advocating, the more bases you cover, the better, but it isup to you to find out who holds the most sway in your area.

Weak mayorplanIn this system, the city council is both a legislative and an executivebody. Council members appoint administrative officials, make policy, andprepare the budget. The mayor lacks effective administrative power; hisor her authority to appoint is limited, and the authority to remove isusually absent. This system developed to isolate departments from amayor’s political coercion so that no single person could claim sole re-sponsibility for government action. Other executive officials are inde-pendently elected, and a number of boards and commissions are not con-trolled by the mayor, Because of the decentralized power structure ofthis system, identifying the key players is more complex and involvescasting a wider net.

Strong mayor planMany large cities have this form of government, particularly in the North-east. Here the mayor controls the budget and has broad power to appointand remove city officials. The city council confirms the appointmentsand usually controls the appropriations process. Several cities with thestrong-mayor system also have a chief administrative officer (CAO) withauthority to manage the city’s financial affairs. This position is often

82 MODULE 2 n Communicating with ‘Policy Makers


permanent and carries over from one administration to another to pro-vide a nonpartisan voice in government.

Council manager planA majority of all medium-sized cities have a council manager plan, withsome large cities such as San Diego, Kansas City, Cincinnati, San Anto-nio, and Miami using it as well. In this system a small council, elected atlarge, hires a manager to run the city. The manager usually serves at thepleasure of the council. The duties of most managers include preparingthe city budget, supervising the hiring and firing of city personnel, andnegotiating with labor unions. The city manager system is designed todivorce politics from civic operations. Though this cannot always occurcompletely, a city manager’s job is to walk the line between setting policyand simply running errands for the council.

Counties

Counties have traditionally performed a wide variety of functions in theareas of health, welfare, education, criminal justice, road maintenance,and record keeping. Recently, they have been given additional functionsas the administration units for federal and state programs in social wel-fare, education, and crime control, In some states, home-rule chartersallow counties to perform functions that previously were city responsi-bilities. These include water supply, library services, sewage disposal,flood control, and airport management.

Most counties are administered by a three- or five-member board of com-missioners. Counties are found in states, although they have never beenimportant in the New England states, where the town remains the basicunit of local government.

Councils of government

These are voluntary regional associations of local governments in metro-politan areas that work on a broad range of problems such as water sup-ply, transportation, sewers, and airports. In the past, they have served tobring together local officials particularly for the purpose of coordinatingfederal grants. Though there are some fairly strong examples of theseassociations, particularly in the Twin Cities area and in Portland, Or-egon, because of federal cutbacks many were disbanded during the 1980s.



Be aware of their existence, however; they may play a role in the distri-bution of grants or funds in your area.

Local Government Budget and Legislation

Unlike the federal government, many local and state governments mustbalance their budgets. The reality of this requirement has hit home inthe 1980s and 1990s as federal monies shrink and local problems, man-dates, and responsibilities grow.

A key resource for uncovering the process for budget measures and en-acting legislation at the local level is your city and/or county ofice ofthe clerk. Usually this office will have basic guides to the process at thelocal level. It will also be able to produce legislative calendars and com-mittee meeting times. Committee meetings, in particular, present anopportunity for citizens and groups to speak for or against a proposal. Itis here that the two basic types of municipal legislation - ordinancesand resolutions - are considered and then sent to the general boardwith a recommendation to pass or table them. Ordinances usually referto laws that affect the general population, whereas resohtions are di-rected internally toward the government administration.

If part of your advocacy is aimed at influencing or changing the budget-ary process at the local level, where you direct your efforts will dependon the form of government. For example, the strong mayor systems keepthe budgetary power mainly in the hands of the mayor, but the councilstill has the power of appropriation. Only a minority of mayors have thepower to veto council actions, so participants are generally expected towork out their differences.

Complicating this process are the independent policy decisions of specialdistrict units, such as school boards or transportation authorities, thathave budgetary and tax consequences that the local government mustinclude in its overall budget and tax structure. These special boards aresources of power that you should get to know.



Appointed Policy makers

The highest concentration of appointed policy makers can be found onthe numerous commissions present at the municipal level. From the PoliceCommission to the Planning Commission, leaders in the local commu-nity hold seats to consider proposals, make recommendations to the citycouncil, or implement departmental reforms. Often, members of thesecommissions are former elected officials, union leaders, business lead-ers, community leaders, or active residents.

The various city and county departments also hold key voices in localgovernment, as they must implement local ordinances and run city ser-vices. Getting to know the staff and the department heads who havedecision-making authority over issues important to you can give yourorganization a boost and a friendly voice at city hall.

Staff

Don’t underestimate the role and importance of staff at any level. At thelocal level particularly, staffers play a key role. Frequently, local legisla-tors work only part-time but keep several assistants who work full-time,reviewing constituent requests, drafting resolutions, and talking to grouprepresentatives.

Establishing a relationship with them is crucial to your advocacy efforts.Once they come to know and trust you and your organization, they mayget back to you for advice, for information, or to let you know about up-coming legislative items that you might want to follow.

A relationship with elected officials’ staffers should be key to your advo-cacy strategy, but you should also create ties to the staff of agencies,departments, or commissions that can influence events related to yourissue. These people frequently have the broadest net of contacts and maymake good referrals,

Since at the local level, city and county attorney offices are instrumentalto the preparation of legislation, you should also get to know their staffs,as they will be among the first to know about and analyze upcominglegislation.

MODULE 2 n Communicating with Policy Makers 8 5


Nontraditional Policy makers

Examples of nontraditional policy makers can range from the mayor orcouncil member’s spouse to the heavy-hitting local fundraiser. One wayto keep track of who has the decision maker’s ear is to follow the socialpress. Who’s hosting the fundraising event? Where does the mayor eatout? Frequently, several reporters cover the local political beat. A call tothem might unveil, in a matter of minutes, who holds the attention ofthe local politicians and decision makers.

Leaders of the faith community

Faith leaders are frequently cited as examples of nontraditional policymakers. They may hold power because of the constituents they repre-sent and because they have established a presence in the community.

Political consultants

Because of the increasingly costly nature of campaigns even at the cityand county levels, political consultants are growing closer to the powerstructure and frequently have the ear of policy makers they helped getelected. For their part, elected officials know that these firms and indi-viduals can be essential to their reelection bid. Pay close attention towhich office runs the campaigns, These people can be invaluable friendsor forceful enemies.

Business, labor, and community groups

Most often the big players in local politics are ‘the local businessmenrepresented by their chamber of commerce, and (especially in the largercities) the union leaders. Consensus must be reached with these playersbefore major policy/legislative change can take place. Sometimes, a veryvocal community-action group or coalition can be a real force at the locallevel by virtue of the number of citizens it represents, Unfortunately, itis frequently the case that groups that represent more affluent constitu-ents are heard over the voices of other, disenfranchised groups. In part,this is due to the disparity of resources, but also because some communi-ties are out of the power loop and lack any direct connections to the innercircle of policy makers.



Other examples

In general, remember that in politics, power usually lies with money orwith numbers (of constituents or listeners). The following are some otherpeople to keep in mind who have one or both.

l

n

l

m

m

n

m

n

n

n

l

n

The media - print, television, and radio

Neighborhood councils and staffs

Professional association leaders

Educational leaders

Senior-citizen leaders

Lawyers of the major firmsService providers in key areas, (i.e., hairdressers, barbers, or

1 industry

bartenders)

Important players in loca

Human-service providersCorporate associations

Local political party leadership and political clubsTenants’ associations

Who Really Has Power?

If you are new to the political scene, the best strategy for finding out whohas power in your area is to talk to people. Speak with community mem-bers active in the arts, in education, or in any area that directly involveslocal officials. Talk to members of the media who cover political events,city hall, and the local social scene. Talk to any local government-watch-dog groups.

The first step is to get an idea of the general power structure in yourlocality. What positions traditionally hold a lot of power?What organiza-tions have historically been seats of influence? Has business usually heldmore power than labor? Has this changed? After you have asked yourselfquestions like these, the next step is to hone in on people in importantpositions in these organizations.

On the political front, a surprising amount of information is available tothe public. For instance, campaign contributions, personal tax and in-come information of candidates and holders of elected office are all a

MODULE 2 B Communicating with Policy Makers 8 7


matter of public record and provide useful information about who theheaviest financial hitters are in the community - who raises the mostmoney and for which candidates, Results from past elections also pro-vide a wealth of information, An elected official’s weak link in his or herdistrict can be used to your advantage if you can rally support and showthe official that his or her action on your issue will reflect favorably atthe polls in the next election. Most of this information should be avail-able at your local registrar of voters or from the secretary of state’s ofice.Frequently, local government-watchdog groups will keep track of suchinformation and may be willing to share it with you.

As already mentioned, you can find those who wield power on the manycommissions, advisory committees, task forces, and departments thatabound in most city governments. Depending on the structure, thesepeople are appointed by the mayor or the council members and, becauseof their coziness with elected officials, may hold more influence thantheir positions would suggest.

State Structure and FunctionsIn most ways state governments resemble the federal government in struc-ture and process. Almost all are bicameral and have a legislature thatmakes laws, oversees program implementation, and responds to constitu-ent needs. Keep in mind that much legislation gets rushed through atthe end of any given session, Know when the budget deliberations takeplace in your state and when the key decision-making period about indi-vidual items is. Plan your strategy accordingly

Functions of state legislatures

Individual legislators represent the interests of their constituents. Theyhelp people deal with state administrative agencies and answer otherpersonal requests. Legislators should also respond to demands for policy-making and explain voting decisions to their constituents.

Legislators review and evaluate actions of the governor and monitor theadministration of state programs. This oversight function is performedthrough the legislature’s approval of the state budget, the holding of com-mittee hearings, and the approval of executive personnel appointments.The legislature controls appropriations, so it can review all agency pro-grams before approving budget items. Most important, legislators con-

88 MODULE 2 I Communicat ing with Po l icy Makers

CHAPTER 5 m The Policy Setting: People and Process

sider the crucial policy issues of the day such as drug-law reform, capitalpunishment, and education reform.

The actual process of passing legislation and assigning committee posi-tions is similar to that of Congress (described later in this chapter). Knowwhen your state deliberates about the budget and what agencies receivefunding in your area. The likelihood that legislators will vote along partylines varies greatly from state to state, but it is essential to know whatthe trend is in your state. For instance, in California there is a strongtradition of nonpartisanship that makes a strategy for influencing policyless dependent on party dictates. In other states, it may be more impor-tant to identify key players within the party or to understand the caucusstructure before contacting the legislature.

States also differ in the length of their legislative sessions, which affectsyour strategy for contacting members and also may increase or decreasetheir overall importance in your plan. The length of the legislative ses-sion also determines the size of staff, with states like New York, Wiscon-sin, Ohio, California, and Illinois holding large professional staffs at thestate level. Know when your legislature meets, for how long, and duringwhat periods important legislation (such as the budget) is consideredbefore you contact people at the state capitol.

Caucus committees

Caucus committees developed mostly to make up for weak party systemsat the state level and to coordinate strategy and campaign fundraising.In many states they have developed into powerful forces that determinewho gets (re)elected and who benefits from the services that committeesoften provide in campaign strategy. They have also become another wayfor political-action committees (PACs) to get around individual campaign-donation limits. It would benefit you to find out who runs the caucus

The ,ike,ihood fhaf

committees for the party you are trying to work with, how strong the &#lafOrS UMdifferent party caucuses are in your state, how they work, and how youcan get your voice heard when they are discussing legislative matters.

vole alono pady

lines varies ~feafly

Governorsfrom Ha/e fo slate,

but if is essentialThough in many states the legislative bodies have grown in power, the to know whaf fhegovernor still holds the most powerful position at the state level. Gover-nors often exercise their most effective legislative leadership in informal ffend is in your

ways. As the head of his or her state’s party, the governor can bring pres- s/ale.



Though in

many states

the legislafive

bodies have

grown in

power, the

governor slill

holds /he mod

po wefful

posifion af fhe

sfafe level.

sure on legislators to support a program or face a loss of electoral sup-port. With party leaders, governors also control sizable numbers of pa-tronage jobs. Particularly in low-income states, governors have consid-erable leverage in creating feelings of obligation among legislators whoseconstituents benefit directly from the awarding of patronage positions.And, of course, the governor gets the most media attention. Besides theobvious power that governors have in drafting legislation, their appoint-ments to courts, agencies, and departments directly reflect their influ-ence. Before dealing with either a governor’s office or state agency ordepartment important to your organization’s efforts, it pays to know itspolitical leanings and where political appointments originated. This maygive you and your organization a sense of how to tailor your message tothem.

State budget

Again, state budgets are becoming increasingly important in the fund-ing channel. Most states have instituted an “executive budget,” in whichthe governor and staff propose the budget and it is approved by the leg-islature. Governors have the line-item veto (which the U.S. presidentlacks), which allows them to scuttle individual items without sendingthe whole bill back to the legislature. Though governors play the domi-nant role, many legislatures have increased their influence, especiallyin determining how federal funds will be used.

-75There is no pure system of budgeting. Most states

1have developed their own budgeting procedures,which might combine incrementaL budgeting -the traditional system of going from year to year

Ff/

without much innovation or change in the pro-grams - andzero-based budgeting or manage-

/7

merit by objectives - in which departments pro-vide, and are judged by, their stated objectives.

/State budgets are a prime battleground betweenlegislators and governors these days, as costs ex-ceed revenues and politicians have to make difi-cult choices about spending. Governors want in-creased power and flexibility over budget making,whereas legislators are often forced to make difi-cult decisions with little time to carefully thinkthings over.


CHAPTER 5 I The Policy Setting: People and Process

The legislative process

Initiatives, referenda, and recallsOver the past 25 years the ability of citi-zens to directly affect policy matters hasincreased with the use of initiatives, refer-enda, and recalls. An initiative lets citi-zens bypass legislatures and propose newstatutes or changes in government char-ters. The proposals for change are thenplaced on the ballot for voter approval. _

In most states, a certain percentage ofvoters (usually around 10 percent) have to sign the petition before it canbe put on the ballot. The initiative is used most often west of the Missis-sippi, where political parties are usually weaker.

A referendum gives voters the opportunity to approve or reject statutesor constitutional changes that have been proposed by the legislature.Such a method is often used to approve local school-bond issues andamendments to state constitutions; voter response can vary greatly de-pending upon the issue.

The least-used technique is the recall. In this procedure, voters circu-late petitions calling for the removal of a public official. If a sufficientnumber of signatures is collected, an election is held in which the voterschoose to keep or remove the official.

Increasingly, voters are using initiatives to reduce the role of their stategovernments by pushing for term limits and even, as in California, lim-iting the legislature’s operating budgets, Initiatives are also seen as away to circumvent the legislature and directly effect policy change. Be-cause initiative and referendum drives can be extremely costly, often theproponents of or opposition to proposals are large, powerful interest groupsthat use their power and wealth to conduct media blitzes. As a result,some question whether these processes truly enhance, rather than limit,the democratic process.

State agencies

Agencies are one of the most important - and overlooked - aspects ofstate government. While the governor and the legislature must pass thebudget and make law, the individual agencies and departments must



If your organiza=

tion is seeking

change or help,

you may find it

mofe easi/y a!

fhe agency level,

rafher fhan Irying

fo creafe of

influence

legislafion.

implement them. These departments vary in size and in responsivenessto executive control. Transportation, human services, corrections, educa-tion, and health are usually large with sizable budgets and staff. In manystates these departments can be fairly independent, with their adminis-trators elected separately. Often, however, they are appointed by thegovernor and approved by the legislature.

Though many agencies are directly and visibly accountable to the gover-nor, many receive little attention because of the size of the overall statebureaucracies. If your organization is seeking change or help, you mayfind it more easily at the agency level, rather than trying to create orinfluence legislation. Contact with state agencies that affect your field isimportant in the search for government grants or contracts. These agen-cies can also be effective voices for you in the other branches ofgovernment.

State funding

The state source of funding is particularly important for smaller non-profit organizations. Usually, a state agency or department will havelists of potential sources to whom they can award grants for speciallydesignated services, Obviously, one way to increase your chances of get-ting a state grant is to get on one or more of these various lists. Identifyagencies for which your programs or services might be appropriate andthen let the right people know that you want to be added to their list.This is equivalent to having a prospective employer keep a resume onfile. If you can demonstrate that your activities also benefit other organi-zations it will be more appealing to the funders.

State staff

The importance of local staff contacts has been mentioned; it may beeven more important to develop such relationships at the state level. Ofparticular significance are staffers who work on key legislative commit-tees. When you have established a relationship with these people theycan be an invaluable source of information on the status and effects oflegislation, If you and your organization have a track record of integrity,you may be consulted if a proposal comes through the committee that isin your area of expertise. Once you have developed this relationship youshould maintain frequent communications, sending your monthly news-letter or other correspondence.



In addition to the key committee staff, legislators keep aides at both the Unlike in wash.state capitol and their district offices. If possible, develop relationshipswith both staffs. If you are concerned about a local problem, contact the ingfon, D.C.,

local office. If you are interested in legislation or state budgetary mat- many~fafeters, a trip to the state capitol may be necessary. legislafofs

It is also a good ideas to establish contacts with staffers at the various operafe wifhoufagencies and departments that handle the implementation of programsand the disbursement of funds, Again, caucus committee staffers can be

a greaf deal of

useful contacts as well. public or media

scrufiny.

The power structure and nontraditional policy makers

First and foremost in analyzing power at the legislative level is under-standing the general power structure and history of policy making inyour state. For example, in some states, party representation in terms ofnumbers may be similar, but power (on key committees and in otherimportant legislative areas) may be much more concentrated in the handsof a few in one party. Knowing the general trends and historical powerstructure is vital when you consider who to contact at the capitol andhow to do so. As always, if you have little political experience, it helps tofind friends at the capitol who can fill you in on the present politicalsituation as well as on past trends.

Unlike in Washington, D.C., many state legislators operate without agreat deal of public or media scrutiny, which can depend partly on thelocation of the state capitol. If the capitol is in the state’s largest city (asin Boston or Atlanta) there may be more coverage. But capitols in out-of-the-way places, where government is the only game in town, may getmuch less media attention.

This lack of scrutiny has led many to believe that lobbyists and special-interest groups hold increasing influence over the policy making pro-cess. In some states, term limits for state legislators can mean even morepower for special interests, lobbyists, and staffers. These people knowhow the system works and use that knowledge well. Moreover, becauseof heavy workloads, individual legislators may have to rely on special-ists in certain subjects to help them formulate legislation - which meansturning to these same lobbyists, staffers, or outside advisors.

If local legislative and appointed positions are often stepping-stones tobigger and better offices, it is probably even more so at the state level.Historically, the governor’s office has been a step away from the presi-



dency, and state legislators often run for Congress. Keep this in mind tounderstand some of the political motivations behind your representa-tives’ actions, and take it into consideration when you pitch your message.

94

National Structure and FunctionsCongress, comprising the House of Representatives and Senate (with435 and 100 members respectively), represents a maze of rules, proce-dures, and functions. Understanding a few of the more basic functionsand processes is the first step to advocating effectively in Washington.Again, nothing takes the place of in-depth research. In the Resource sec-tion you’ll find suggestions for other resources to use at the federal level.

General structure

The sheer size of the House, with more than four times the membershipof the Senate, means that it has to work in a more orderly, predictable,and controlled fashion. It has more rules, and the debate and amending

processes are limited, which meansthat it is generally able to dispose oflegislation more quickly than the Sen-ate, The Senate’s smaller size allows itto be more personal and informal in itsoperations. It often operates by unani-mous consent, and the privileges of en-gaging in unlimited debate - the fili-buster - and of adding random amend-ments to bills are closely held traditionsnot allowed under House rules.

The legislative process

It’s commonly said that in Washington it is easier to defeat a bill than topass it. A bill receives its closest examination and undergoes the greatestnumber of changes at the subcommittee and committee levels. There itcan run into trouble because this is the first opportunity that opponentshave to state how the bill needs to change to be acceptable. A bill mayalso be delayed in scheduling for floor action. Priority depends upon thebill’s level of controversy as well as the agenda of the leadership. In ad-



dition, amendments on the chamber floor may drastically change thenature and initial intent of the bill.

If you become aware that a particular bill of interest to you has beenintroduced, KEEP TRACK OF IT. Find out, from the Clerk of the House,the Secretary of the Senate or an interested organization, which com-mittee the bill was referred to. You may then write a brief letter to theCommittee Clerk for that committee asking to be notified when the billis put on the committee agenda for discussion or is scheduled for a publichearing. (Be sure you send your name, address and telephone number,)You may also want to write to the Chairperson of that committee re-questing that the bill be put on the agenda or scheduled for a hearing.Sometimes only a volume of letters on a particular bill will assure that itreceives a committee hearing, since not all bills are “automatically” con-sidered - many die without ever have being considered by a committee.Only major pieces of legislation, or bills in which there is widespreadinterest, will normally be scheduled for public hearings.

When a bill is scheduled on the committee agenda for consideration, andif you have an active interest in the legislation and feel there are contri-butions you can make to the committee process, you may decide to testifyat either a meeting or a hearing. The purpose of this testimony should beinformational so that committee members can vote on the bill with asmuch as full an understanding as possible on all sides of the issue itaddresses, and the consequences of its passage. In a meeting, the spon-sor, experts on the problem, and informed members of the public willnormally be heard.

Testifying at Public Meetings: How to beInfluential and Effective

1 . WRITE to committee members and to your own legislator, simplyexpressing support or opposition to the legislation.

2. IF YOU DECIDE TO TESTIFY, notify the committee as soon aspossible of your desire and, as a courtesy, let your legislators knowthat you’ve asked for time to present testimony.

3 . IF YOU REPRESENT A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS OR AN OR-GANIZATION, choose one person to present the group’s point ofview and bring others along as supporters. (No committee wantsto hear the same testimony over and over).


CHAPTER 5 l The Policy Setting: People and Process

4 .

5 .

6 .

7 .

8 .

9 .

PREPARETESTIMONYAND/OR SUGGESTEDAMENDMENTSIN ADVANCE. Read the bill carefully and any available analyses.Do research, if necessary, be sure that all your facts, backgroundmaterial, and figures are accurate. Consult with others to deter-mine the scope of the issue and clarify what you, or the group,want to cover in your testimony.

PREPARE A CLEAR, CONCISE WRITTEN STATEMENT whichhas been thoroughly proofread for errors and review it with oth-ers who have same interest.

WHEN YOU TESTIFY, identify who you are and, if you representa group, give the name of the group. At the beginning of you re-marks, state whether you are testifying in support or oppositionof the proposal or bill. Relate your group’s or your own experienceor views directly to the issue.

KEEPYOURTESTIMONY SHORTANDTOTHE POINT. Ifyourtestimony is lengthy and complex, it is best to offer highlights atthe hearing and request permission to place your complete posi-tion and supporting material in the record. Anything you presentin writing will be placed in the committee members files and willbe available to them at future meetings. If possible, have copies oftestimony available for committee members and staff.

AVOID EMOTIONAL SPEECHES AND PROPAGANDA.Your roleis an important one - don’t abuse it. This is the surest way toinvite a hostile reaction and alienate the very committee mem-bers you are trying to persuade to your point of view.

IF YOU ARE ASKED A HOSTILE QUESTION, keep a cool head.Don’t be afraid to stop and think for a minute to answer a ques-tion properly. If you don’t have the answer, never guess - requestpermission to file a detailed response at a later date.

Inserting language into a bill or introducing an amendment that en-sures programming issues are in the funding stream can be a very im-portant lobbying strategy for advocacy groups. Although this can be verysuccessful, it is not without its challenges. It often requires you to havea relationship with the author of the bill or members on the committeewho are drafting the proposed legislation. Early in the process you shouldconnect with the right people and thoughtfully communicate your issuein a way that influences legislators. Be constructive. If you believe a billis taking the wrong approach, explain what you believe to be the right


CHAPTER 5 I The Policy Setting: PeoDle and Process

approach. If you have specialized knowledge share it. Concrete, clear cut An informed andinformation and language can have important impact and persuade alegislator or committee to re-think their approach in determining the ambitious non=

final outcome of a bill. profit can weigh

Given how easy it is to derail a piece of legislation, if you have direct in by requesfing

interest in the outcome of a bill do not pursue it in only one house of permission f0Congress, If you have had success in the House of Representatives, itcan take just one member of the Senate, influenced by your opponent, to

ta/jfy at sub.

defeat your whole initiative. Similarly, if you have failed to affect the commiffee an%rprocess in one house, don’t dismay. Be sure to make an attempt in the commif/eeother chamber.

Committees

It is here that the majority of work on bills is performed. A committeemay dispose of a bill in several ways, It may approve a bill with or with-out amendments, rewrite it entirely, reject it, report it unfavorably to theHouse and Senate floor, or just refuse to consider it.

SubcommitteesAssigning bills to a subcommittee is one of the ways a chairman caninfluence the eventual outcome. Sending a piece of legislation to an un-favorable committee may encourage delay or simply quash the bill.

Most bills, however, are subject to hearings, in which experts and gov-ernment officials testify about its merit. Here an informed and ambi-tious non-profit can weigh in by requesting permission to testify. Thesehearings are touted as fact-finding sessions to educate Congress and thepublic about specific problems. But, unless the issue is of national con-cern or generates a lot of media attention, the participation of subcom-mittee members is limited.

Once the hearings are concluded the subcommittee meets to mark up thebill - amending, rewriting, and sometimes discarding various measures.If it is not rejected it goes on to the full committee.

Full committeeThe full committee may repeat the subcommittee procedures, includingadditional hearings, or it may ratify the action of the subcommittee. Of-ten, the full committee will include additional amendments. If these arenot too sweeping, the bill will be reported to the House and Senate floor

MODULE 2 l Communicating with Policy Makers

hearings.

97


“with amendments,” which have to be considered separately. If thechanges are substantial, a “clean bill” is sent to the floor with a newnumber.

Most subcommittee and full committee hearings are open to the public,though some, involving national-security issues, are closed. Over the pastfew years, however, more committee meetings have been closed becauseit is thought that the members can consider the legislation more objec-tively and make difficult decisions without lobbyists and special inter-ests present.

Frequently, though, special interests or high-powered lobbying groupswith detailed expertise in the subject initiate the bills. Even more often,bills come from the executive branch as part of a president’s legislativeprogram.

How a bill becomes law

The following description is a skeleton version of how a bill becomes law.There are more complicated routes and most bills introduced never be-come law. Bills must be passed by both the House and Senate in identi-cal form before they can be sent to the President.

Since the majority of legislation originates in the House of Representa-tives, this section follows the process most often used in the House. Ac-tion in the Senate is similar,

Introduction of a BillThere are four basic ways in which proposed legislation is developed andintroduced before Congress. These include:

n Members of Congress introduce specific bills.

n Constituents and interest groups ask members of Congress tointroduce legislation that addresses the concerns of the indi-vidual or group.

I The Administration proposes programs or legislative changesand convinces members of Congress to introduce correspond-ing legislation.

n Congressional committees propose legislation to correct ineq-uities in current law or to develop programs to meet new or


CHAPTER 5 I The Policy Setting: People and Process

unmet needs. This usually takes place as a result of hearingsor research in areas over which a committee has jurisdiction,

Bills introduced in the House are designated by the letters “H.R.” fol-lowed by a number (assigned in numerical order). Senate bills begin withthe letter “S.” President Clinton’s Health Security Act was introduced inthe House as H.R. 3600 and in the Senate as S.1757.

Pathway to Becoming Law

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee (based upon thesubject matter) and then usually to a specialized subcommittee. If thesubcommittee thinks the proposal deserves consideration, it will studythe subject matter and hold hearings. It may then make revisions andreport (i.e. recommend) the bill to the full committee. If the full commit-tee agrees the bill is needed, it may either accept the bill or amend itbefore recommending it to its chamber (House or Senate) for action. Com-mittees and subcommittees rarely give bills unfavorable reports. Instead,many times no action is taken on a bill and then it dies.

In the House, many bills go before the Rules Committee before going tothe full House for consideration. The Rules Committee sets forth theconditions under which a bill is debated and amended on the floor. In theHouse, this is often a critically important step,

The normal process is to set a time limit for debate on a bill and deter-mine whether amendments to the bill may be offered on the floor, and ifso, the number of amendments that may be offered, or if the bill is to bevoted on as reported from committee without further amendments.

Not all bills in the House go before the Rules Committee. Some are “privi-leged” and go directly to the floor, while others are considered noncontro-versial or routine. The Senate does not use special rules for consideringbills. Bills in the Senate are normally scheduled by the leadership.

If the House passes a bill, it waits for the Senate to pass similar legisla-tion If the Senate bill differs from the House version of the bill, a confer-ence committee is appointed to work out the differences between the twoversions, Members of a conference committee are drawn from the Houseand Senate committees that originally considered the legislation. After acompromise is reached, a conference report is filed and sent to each cham-ber for final approval. Since the conference report reconciles the differ-ences between the two versions and the result must be approved by each

MODULE 2 n Communicatinp with Policy Makers 99


chamber in identical form, no amendments to a conference report areallowed.

Enactment

When a bill passes both houses of Congress in identical form, it is thensent to the President for consideration. The President has 10 days (ex-cluding Sundays and holidays) during which to consider a bill. The Presi-dent can sign the bill into law or veto it and return it to Congress. If thePresident vetoes a bill, it will only become law if the Congress overridesthe veto by two-thirds majority vote in both houses.

After enactment, the law Is assigned a number which indicates the Con-gress in which it was approved and the public law number of the lawpassed (i.e. P.L. 103-142 means the 142nd public law passed by the 103rdCongress).

Authorization vs. Appropriations

This legislative process applies to any law that is enacted. There arebasically two types of legislation - authorizing and appropriating. Au-thorizing legislation provides the rules for new programs and activitiesor it continues current programs. For example, this year congress willreauthorize the Head Start program. If Congress did not act to reau-thorize the program, it would end. An appropriation is the means bywhich congress funds programs to carry out the purposes of the autho-rizing legislation. For example, the President has proposed a $700 mil-lion appropriation increase for Head Start in FY 1995.

A common misconception is that once a bill authorizing a program isenacted, money is immediately available to fund the program. Unlessthe program has been set up as an entitlement or capped entitlementprogram, this is not the case. Generally, an appropriations bill is enactedafter an authorization bill has passed, Without an appropriations billthe programs contained in an authorization bill cannot be funded.

Source: The Children’s Defense Fund, Congressional Workbook, “LeaveNo Child Behind” Annual National Conference, Cincinnati, OH (1994)



Budget process

This cyclical process begins early each year, when the president sendsbudget proposals to Capitol Hill. The president lays out his priorities forthe fiscal year, which begins October 1. The House and Senate, for theirpart, create their own budget and provide the money needed to carry itout. This frequently differs from the president’s budget and is often asource of conflict between the legislative and executive branches. It isalso the process that creates the most wheeling and dealing, as both sidestry to score political points, appease and protect constituents, and sat-isfy the public at large.

While legislative committees handle bills authorizing funds, the ap-propriations committees consider the actual spending for federal agen-cies and programs. Overseeing these processes are the budget commit-tees, which prepare a congressional budget resolution setting out goalsfor spending and revenues for the next fiscal year. These committees arealso charged with monitoring the revenue and spending actions of theHouse and Senate.


CHAPTER 5 B The Policy Setting: People and Process

Congressional staff

In his book The Power Game, Hedrick Smith writes the following, whichshould give you an idea of the importance of staff at the federal level:

On a normal day, a senator or [representative] has two and some-times three simultaneous committee hearings, floor votes, issues cau-cuses, meetings with other congressmen from his state or region, pluslobbyists, constituents, and press to handle. He will dart into onehearing, get a quick fill-in from his staffer, inject his ten minutes’worth and rush on to the next event, often told by an aide how to voteas he rushes onto the floor. Only the staff specialist has any continu-ity with substance. The member is constantly hopscotching. (p. 282)

Personal staffThe makeup of a senator or representative’s staff depends on whether heor she wants to emphasize constituent service or legislation. Usually,however, there is a chief of staff, a scheduler, several legislative assis-tants (LA’s) supervised by a legislative director, a legislative correspon-dent, a press secretary, and several caseworkers who handle constituentmatters. Also, each member has several aides who work out of the homedistrict or state office. In general, junior members tend to focus moreattention on constituent services than the more senior members, andHouse members spend more time on casework than do senators. This isdue, of course, to the election cycle, which is shorter for House members(every four years as opposed to every six in the Senate) and more uncer-tain for junior members who are up for reelection,

Committee staffs

Most congressional committees have two staffs, one professional and oneclerical. The clerical staff is responsible for the day-to-day running of thecommittee and for assisting the members and the professional staff. Pro-fessional staffers handle committee policy and legislative issues gener-ally, including legal and other types of research, public relations, statis-tical and technical work, and drafting and redrafting legislative languageand amendments.

The most important functions of committee staff are: planning agendas,organizing hearings, oversight and investigations, bill markup andamendment drafting, preparing reports, preparing for floor action, con-


CHAPTER 5 B The Policy Setting: People and Process

ference committee work, liaison with the executive branch and specialinterests, and press relations.

It is at the committee level that an established group or individual cangain the most influence. If you have developed a relationship with a staffon a particular committee related to your work and goals, you may becalled upon for advice and information. Obviously, organizations withWashington offices and paid lobbyists will be the most attuned to thisprocess.

Power in Washington

Dozens of books have been written about who runs Washington - aboutwho is behind the obvious power structure. Answers run the gamut fromthe media elite to the special-interest lobbyists. Reality lies somewherein between.

There is no doubt, however, that the strong presence of media organiza-tions in Washington make it a very publicity-oriented town. Developingmedia contacts is essential to any group’s attempt to advocate. Just out-side this inner circle of pundits you will find the world of think tanks,which also hold sway on policy direction. Frequently these organizationsare staffed by former government officials and administrators, and main-tain close relationships with members.

And, as everyone knows, Washington is a town of lobbyists. More thanany other group, the Washington-based lobbying organizations main-tain an almost familial relationship with politicians on the Hill. Anyorganization with the resources and desire to affect change in Washing-ton would do well to hire a lobbyist there (within the federal regulatorylimits, of course>. For those who don’t have it in their budget, many non-profit groups based in Washington make it their business to help othersin their advocacy efforts. (A good starting point for finding an organiza-tion in your area of interest is the Washington Information Directory.Refer to the Resource section.)

Advocacy and Congress

A common misperception of congressional representatives is that theycan put legislation into effect that gives you money. Rarely can they puta line in a bill that would benefit your organization directly What theycan and will do is weigh in for you with the proper department or agency.

If you have

developed a

relafionship

wifh a sfaff on a

parficufar

commiffee

refafed fo your

work and goals,

you may be

called upon for

advice and

infofmafiun.



Congressional staffers can also be a resource for you when you need in-formation. Through their liaisons at the appropriate departments, theycan find out the procedure, who best to speak with, deadlines, and re-quirements. If your task involves statistical data gathering or informa-tion collection regarding legislation, a congressional office can contactthe Congressional Research Office at the Library of Congress.

Remember,

when develop-

ing a felafion-

ship wifh PO/icy

makers, one of

the best things

you can do is

he/p them solve

problems in Th ree rules to abide by are:their disfricts. n ask something specific;

When approaching a congressional representative, as in all meetingswith busy legislators, you must be prepared, and most of all you must beable to clearly explain what you want and (if possible) how it can beaccomplished.

I ask for something achievable; and

n demonstrate the effect in the congressperson’s district.

If you simply pay a visit to gripe about a certain bill that is under consid-eration, you probably won’t get much accomplished. But if you can puttogether 10 (or more) voters from the district that will write individualletters, or cosign a letter that clearly states your objections to (or supportfor) a bill with careful explanations, there is a much greater chance youwill be heard. (A well-written, informed letter is the way to go. Congres-sional offices are inundated with postcards every day and pay little at-tention to them.) Of course, nothing beats the one-on-one meeting.

Another strategy to keep in mind is the “Dear Colleague” letter. Thisletter is an inter-office memo used by members of Congress to share in-formation with their fellow Congress people. It is used for a variety ofthings - informally introducing a bill, communicating information aboutmeetings and briefings, asking for co-sponsorship or support of a bill,etc. Staffers receive approximately lo-20 of these a day, and author manyof them as well. If you are interested in gaining access to a number ofindividuals who can influence policy decisions, write up a draft of a DearColleague letter in a memo style that succinctly outlines the key issuesyou are.concerned about, asking for a particular action or specific sup-port. Many issues are complex, but a single page, presenting the facts asclearly as possible is preferred and welcomed by most legislators. Sub-mit them to your Congressman’s legislative aide. Staffers tell us thatwhen much of the work is done there is a good chance some of your keypoints will be included in a Dear Colleague letter relating to the topic.



If you come all the way to Washington from your home district, this showsyour senator or representative how much you care, and it will probablyget you an appointment more easily. If you wait for the legislator to visityour district you may be more subject to the vagaries of his or her sched-ule. In general, Mondays and Fridays are not the best days to contactyour congressperson because he or she may be traveling to or from thehome district. But these days can be good times to contact staffers, be-cause their schedules may be less packed with legislative issues.

Remember, when developing a relationship with policy makers, one ofthe best things you can do is help them solve problems in their districts.And, to better demonstrate your legitimacy and that of your message,you will be more persuasive if you can provide a diverse coalition ofsupporters.

Visiting your legislator

Cal2 - your legislator to schedule an appointment.

The meeting:Action -begin by letting him/her know what you are asking him/her to do and on what issue. If it is regarding a specific bill, referto it by number and the general subject matter.Build- your argument beginning with positions with which thelegislator certainly must agree and then take these argumentsinto the context of your own circumstance and district.

Personalize - cite personal reasons and experiences for request-ing the action sought,

support - show that your position or the legislation has broadpublic interest. Use facts and figures to support your position, ifpossible.

Commitment - seek some indication of his/her position, but don’tinsist.

Thanks - express your appreciation for agreeing to meet anddiscuss these issues.

Suggestions:n Dress - appropriately.

I CordiaZ - be positive and cordial; avoid threatening statementsor questions. The legislator has a right to hie/her own opinion also.

MODULE 2B Communicating with Policy Makers 105

CHAPTER 5 w The Policy Setting: People and Process

PunctuaZ -be on time; your legislator is very busy and has othermeetings and appointments, Don’t talk too long-get to the point.

Respectful - but don’t be intimidated; your legislator is there toserve you.

Limit - the discussion to one or a few issues, discussing the mainone first.

Accuracy -be sure your statements are factual, If the legislatorasks questions which you cannot answer, indicate that you willobtain the answer for him/her,Supportive - your legislator may want to appear somewhat sup-portive of your issues, no matter how he or she is planning to vote,Don’t be mislead by empty statements.

Opposed - if the legislator asks hostile-sounding questions, don’tautomatically assume he/she is against your cause. If the legisla-tor is to be an effective advocate for your position, he/she mustknow the answers to tough questions.Follow up - send a “thank-you” letter to the legislator to in-crease the effectiveness of your visit, Thanks them for their time.Remind them of the most positive statements they made to youand indicate a desire to further communication (especially if nocommitment was obtained).

Source: LegislativeTrainingWorkshop, Indianapolis, IN-Healthy Moth-ers/Healthy Babies, Indiana Perinatal Association, NAACOG (199 1)

Political Action Committees (PAW

These organizations are authorized by law to collect money and makecampaign contributions to candidates. PACs fall into three main catego-ries: business, labor, and ideological or single-issue. In general, PACsfavor incumbents. There are rarely limits on the tot& amount of moneythey can spend, but there are limits to spending for any one candidate.Most PACs are permitted to contribute $5,000 per candidate per electionand $15,000 per year to a national party committee. In the House, manycandidates regularly receive more than half of their campaign funds fromPACs. Senators are less dependent on PAC money, receiving a higherpercentage of campaign contributions from individuals. Indirectly, con-gressional, senatorial, and presidential candidates benefit from PACmoney that is given to the national party committees and then redistrib-uted to them.


CHAPTER 5 m The Policy Setting: PeoDle and Process

In the states, PACs have become the dominant source of funds as thepressure to spend more money during campaigns has intensified. Asmentioned, a 501(c)(3) organization may not form a PAC for making po-litical expenditures or contributions,

Federal funding mechanisms

The federal government uses two basic funding mechanisms for every-thing from community development to transportation: categorical grantsand block grants. Over the years, different parties and various legisla-tors have proposed changes to the system, but as of now the majority offederal spending at the state and local levels is still through categoricalgrants, Categoricalgrants refer to federal spending given to the states,with amounts and spending requirements laid out. States and localitieshave to follow federal regulations in using the money.

BZock grants, on the other hand, are lump sums given without spend-ing requirements attached. Block grants have gone in and out of favorover the years. Critics find it senseless to send money without specifyingwhat it is for. Those in favor of block grants, supporters of the “NewFederalism,” argue that categorical grants should be abolished to get thefederal government off the backs of the states. Though categorical grantsare still the federal funding method of choice, it looks as if block grantsmay again become the main funding mechanism. The final outcome ofthis debate is very important to any organization that seeks governmentfunding because it will establish where the primary power of distribut-ing the money will be. Make certain you become acquainted with thespending process in your particular area of interest, and keep track ofany changes.



Exercise 1Policymaker Profile

Instructions: Participants need to do a fair amount of researchto complete this exercise effectively. Example: participants canchoose an official that they know from their home district and at-tempt to answer as many of the questions as possible. This shouldgive them an indication of how attuned to the political scene theyare. In Part 3 they can construct their diagram, and imagine whattypes of people might be in the circles of influence.

It would be extremely helpful to complete the following exercisebefore contacting any public official you wish to reach.

1. To better understand both the time constraints and concernspolicy maker face, and to realize how important time and effi-ciency are when you contact them, complete the following taskfor an elected official in your area.

n Contact the staff and obtain the official’s schedule for a typi-cal day. How much time would they have for you and yourorganization? Can you articulate your organization’s mis-sion succinctly and forcefully in that time? What can you dofor them that would make their decision or participationeasier? The better prepared you are and the less an officialhas to do to help you achieve your goal, the more likely yourchances of success.

2 . You have to know your contact inside out. This can be difficultif you are not in the mainstream of politics in your city or state.If this is the case, don’t hesitate to seek advice from anotherorganization that advocates frequently, or from a friend whooperates on the inside. However you do it, try to answer asmany of the following questions about your official as possible.

n What is this person’s interest?

n What is his background?

I What is her record of support on the issue you are advocat-ing?

M What is his voting record on this or related issues?

1 0 8 MODULE 2 B Communicating with Policy Makers

I On what committees does she serve? What positions doesshe hold?

n Who chairs the committee that would be considering theproposal you support or oppose?

I Who is the leading opposition to your policy maker?I Who is his constituency? How does he communicate with

these people?n Who gives her money? Can you get in touch with any of

these people?

3. Once you have answered these questions, ask yourself whomight be helpful in influencing your chosen policy maker. Whois in his or her circles of influence? Draw yourself a diagramwith the official in the middle, surrounded by concentric circles.Starting with the inner circle, name those whom you believe tobe part of this circle. Work your way out to the outer circlesand name people who might be more marginal but still mayhave the policy maker’s ear. Once you have exhausted all yourpossibilities, show your diagram to several others to see if theycan add names. Once you have your circles of influence filledin, start contacting these people to see who you can get behindyour proposal before you get in touch with the policy maker.Also find out who might contact him or her directly on yourbehalf.

Materials needed: Large pad of newsprint and markers.

Time required: 20-30 minutes for Parts 2 and 3.




It’s essential to understand the basics of lobbying regula-tion; if you plan to do a lot of lobbying, or are uncertainhow the rules affect your organization, be sure to investi-gate. This is particularly important at the state level, asthe law may vary from state to state.

You must grasp the general framework of the local, state,and federal policy-making structure, and consider howyour locality fits the general picture.

It’s important to recognize the importance of staff in youradvocacy efforts and begin to develop contacts with them.

Non-elected policy voices in your community - everyonefrom the non-traditional voices to the sometimes hidden(but important) voices from the underlying power struc-ture - may be extremely helpful as you proceed.

Maximizing your strategy at different policy levels is criti-cal to success. Be specific about your goals and what youcan accomplish at the federal, state, and local levels.

Be sure to recognize the basic legislative, budgetary, andfunding mechanisms that operate at the different policylevels,

A specific plan of action for contacting a policy maker ofparticular importance to your efforts will go a long waytoward getting your voice heard.


~96ImplementingStrategies -

PART 1: GOAL-START-PATHWAY MODEL

PART 2: USING THE MEDIA

PART 3: FUNDRAISING

PART 4: MOBILIZING ADVOCATES

,@


CHAPTER SIX WRITTEN BY:

Karen Hobert FlynnConsultant

Common Cause41 Shady Hill Lane

Middletown, Connecticut 06457(860) 632-0613

@

ImplementingStrategies

PurposeThis chapter is designed to help community-based organizations devisestrategies and implement a comprehensive plan for communicating ef-fectively with policy makers.


n examine what research you should conduct to help your orga-nization reach its policy goals;

M craft and frame your message;

n choose the best individuals to send it to;

n inventory the resources and skills your organization and othergroups bring to your goal; and

n plan how you will deliver your message through the media,working in coalition, and with other tactics.

OverviewCommunicating effectively with policy makers can strengthen your or-ganization and expand its reach, educate those in power about your work,and help you shape and change public policy that affects your goal.

You must develop a strategy to achieve that goal. To do so; you’ll need toassess how much of your resources (money, staff time, etc.) you can de-vote to it; find out who your potential allies are; identify the best policymakers to contact; refine your message; and determining the best waysto disseminate it.


CHAPTER 6 w Implementing Strategies

Goal-Start-Pathway ModelTo think strategically, ask yourself several questions:

n What do you want to win?

I What resources do you have?m Who are your potential allies?

n Who has the power to solve the problem?

The Goal-Start-Pathway model can help you answer these and otherquestions. First, identify your policy goal(s) (visibility, education,sustainability, replicability, or public policy implementation). Second,assess your starting point, What does your organization bring to thisprocess? What resources do you have to reach your goal? Third, whatskills, information, and tools do you need?

Goal

Policy goals are discussed at length in Chapter 3. Keep in mind that agood policy goal meets most of these criteria. Ask yourself whether reach-ing your goal will:

1. Result in a tangible improvement in people’s lives.

2. Give people a sense of their own power. Effecting change aroundsome issues requires professional legal work or a powerful person’sinfluence. You may want to concentrate instead on issues that yourmembers can implement themselves. Such work empowers themto tackle other problems that may earlier have seemed out of reach.

3. Build a powerful organization, Your organization should bestrengthened by its work. It is not enough to win something, oreven to do so in a way that involves people. You should win in away that strengthens your organization - via new contacts andresources as well as a solidified reputation for talent, expertise,and dedication - so that you can weigh in on other critical issuesthat arise.’

Your specific policy goals should fit the context of your long-term goalsand vision. What precisely are you asking for and by when? A decisionmaker should be able to say “yes- or “no” to your proposal.


CHAPTER 6 n Implementing Strategies

Sometimes we overestimate our power. It is a good idea to have one ormore fallback goals that, though less than your ideal, still improve yourorganization and people’s lives. Don’t shift to your fallback position thefirst time a decision maker turns down your request, however. In fact,assume that many of your proposals will be rejected at first. If you haveworked diligently for a long period and are finally convinced that youcannot reach your first goal, shift to one of your fallbacks so that you canstill achieve something of value.

Starting Point: Your Organization

Assess what resources you bring to the advocacy process. What are yourorganization’s advocacy skills? What do you understand about the pro-cess? How much money, staff time, and other resources can you invest inthis effort? This gives you a more realistic idea of the activities you canundertake and helps you consider how to build your organization as youreffort progresses.

Answer the following:

1. Do you have money in the bank to finance this effort?

2 . Do you have staffers that can work on it full or even half time? Doyou have office space and phones for all of them?

3 . Can you afford mailings, or can you get in-kind support for them?

4. How many of your organization’s leaders can you involve? Howmany volunteers?

5 . Do you.have allies that you can work with on this issue? What canthey bring to the effort - staff, volunteers, money, mailings,expertise?


CHAPTER 6 B Implementing Strategies

To f/J Ily Once you have assessed the state of your organization, consider how youwant to strengthen it as you implement your strategy. Make these orga-

iflveflfW’& nizational goals measurable and specific, such as:sfrengfhs you n recruit and train 30 new volunteers;

can bring to an m develop stronger relationships with the Urban League and the

advocacy efforf,

find auf whaf

your allies can

confribufe,

State Alliance of PTAs;I develop an up-to-date and comprehensive press list;I raise $5,000; andI increase membership by 500.

Starting Point - Allies

To fully inventory the strengths you can bring to an advocacy effort, findout what your allies can contribute. Who cares about the issue besidesyou? Your allies may not be part of your organization, but they can helpyou win your issue.

Chapter 4 outlined why it is important to seek allies and coalition part-ners. Learn as much as you can about your allies’ strengths. Do theyhave a large membership or volunteer base, good press contacts, a can-vassing operation, a public relations firm, or money for advertising andmailings? Encourage your allies to inventory what they can bring to theeffort. This will help you identify areas where you are weak and need tobuild strength.

Knowing your strengths will help you plan tactics that can be well ex-ecuted. The “starting point” method of conducting an asset inventoryprepares you for the next stage of strategy planning - making the path-way to your goal.

Pathway

What skills, information, and tools do you need to move toward yourgoals? Answer these questions:

1. What research should you conduct?


CHAPTER 6 w Implementing Strategies

2. Whom should you influence? Be sure to include those who canaffect policy makers (i.e., the media, financial contributors, influ-ential businesses, etc.).

3. What is your message? How will you deliver it? For each target oraudience, what is the best time, place, and way to engage in advo-cacy activities? Should you use the media, work with your coali-tion, tap other advocacy tools, or employ all of these methods?

4. How much money and what resources will it take to implementyour strategy?

As we review each question, think about how your organization willimplement these elements. Who will be responsible for research orfundraising? What resources do they have? Team effort is vitally impor-tant, but always assign ultimate responsibility to one person.

Research

To develop a strategy consider every angle, advantage, and potentialroadblock that could affect your plans.

An advocate needs to do two kinds of research:

n historical and current information; andI opinion-leader surveys,

Historical and current informationThis pulls together all relevant information on your issue. What otherlocalities or states have engaged in a similar activity? How did they doit? Were they successful? What is the government body’s or policy maker’shistory in dealing with this issue? Has another organization attempteda similar advocacy program? Any information to flesh out the issue andprepare you for inquiries will be valuable.

From this research prepare a “white paper” for your staff, volunteers,and supporters, as well as for the media and policy makers. This willdemonstrate your seriousness and preparation, The white paper will alsoensure that all those advocating your cause will be using and dissemi-nating the same information, thus limiting people’s ability to misstateyour position.


CHAPTER 6 n Implementing Stratepies

Opinion-leader surveysThese will help you develop a successful strategy. First, identify all opin-ion leaders or organizations in your community who influence policy onyour issue. This group should be no larger than 40 people and shouldinclude heads of local organizations, elected oficials, educators, oppo-nents, and others who may affect decisions related to your issue.

Next, a few members of your organization (or outside supporters) shouldinterview the opinion leaders about your vision, both to get their reac-

tion and to solicit their advice on how you can gain communityand political support for your goals. The rewards of this process

are twofold: first, you obtain valuable information on the nu-ances of the playing field; and two, you begin to build

support with your community’s opinion leaders.Those you speak with may become your strongestsupporters.

Once you have completed the interviews you canconstruct an accurate picture of who will support

you, who won’t, where the possible obstacles lie, andwhat you need to do to see your policy enacted. In addition, the input youreceive can help you craft your message.

Who can solve your problem?

Who has the power to say “yes” or “no” to what you want? Is the decisionmaker the city council, the state legislature, a board of directors, Con-gress, or the local bus company? Discover who has the power to help soyou can focus your resources where they can make a difference.

Even if the power to give you what you want is held by an institution likethe Board of Education or the state legisature, remember that these in-stitutions are made up of people. Find the names of thosewho make decisions relevant to your effort.They will be your targets.

Also learn about the institution. who has the power in a particular bodyor committee? Who else may influence its decision? Not only does thishelp you narrow the focus of your effort, but it makes your constituentsfeel that winning is possible. It is much less daunting to change oneperson’s mind than to change the policy of a big institution,



Once you have identified the primary decision makers, consider how toinfluence them. Learn their position on your issue or similar issues and

Once you have

find out what causes and groups they support. Discover who they re- idenfified the

spect and work with. If they belong to the local chamber of commerce primary decisionthey might be willing to listen to other members, makers, con=

Take into account their personal priorities as well as their professional sib how foones. For example, if you are working to get a Medicaid waiver for home-and community-based long-term care services, you may find a sympa-

influence ihem.

thetic ear with a decision maker who has a close family member whoneeds such services.

More cynically, politicians certainly care about votes for reelection. Yourefforts should demonstrate that a large number of voters care deeplyabout the issue. If you know a major contributor to the politician’s reelec-tion campaign, you can also have that person speak on your behalf.

If you have little direct access or power over a primary decision maker, asecondary decision maker becomes important. You may not be able toinfluence the CEO of a corporation, but if you can talk to members of theboard who can in turn lobby the CEO, you have moved your issue forward.

The more you can learn about the people who have the power to helpyou, the better you will be able to target your activities and tactics inways that reach them. If you know the issues that particularly interestthe decision maker, you can craft and deliver your message in the mosteffective way

Developing a message

MESSAGE MANTRA: Successful advocacy dependsupon getting the right message to the right people in avariety of ways.

The importance of a tightly focused, effective message cannot be overes-timated. If policy makers have to decide for themselves what your advo-cacy message is, you have lost the battle. Over and over, through varyingtactics, mediums, and styles, you need to get your message across.

There are hundreds of messages, but to gain support each must be simple,direct, easy to remember, believable, and compelling. If you cannot ar-ticulate your message in fifteen (or fewer) words, you should rethink it.


CHAPTER 6 l Implementing Strategies

If an expert has difficulty explaining a concept, your audience will notunderstand it.

A message isn’t effective unless it is backed up by a strategy that getsthe word out to those you want to influence. Message and strategy go

hand in hand.

What’s your point?

These three questions will help you identify the components of yourmessage:

1. What makes your organization or cause unique and valuable?

2 . What is your vision of what you want to accomplish?

3 . Why are you advocating for your organization and why should apolicy maker support it?

In three sentences or less, what is your message? From the message, canyou come up with a few suggestions for your slogan? Limit your slogansto about six words,


Policy Statement

1-2 pages (one sheet of paper)Avoid cliche, jargonCast everything in human termsStress that you are helping people help themselves

1. Pointed Statement of Issuesm Open with a bold statement (“Last week in ,-

children went hungry.“)

n Define the issue preciselyn Put it in a local context that is consistent with your services,

service areas, populationsn Hit hard, but don’t sensationalizen Don’t get into the multitude of causes of problemsn Use statistics, graphs, charts, and anecdotes/stories (combine

quantitative and qualitative)

2 . Statement of Your Organization’s Unique Ability to Respondto This Issuem This section should answer the question: Why are you the best

equipped to address this issue?n Give concrete program details, staff, etc.n Describe specific strategies you have undertaken or will under-

taken Use numbers and stories to demonstrate the value of your work

(use information from your own program or from similar pro-grams around the country that have more resources than youhave; say that you could do the same or more with the sameresources)

m Optional: mission, other program accomplishments (proof thatyou have succeeded in the past); partnerships (broader commu-nity involvement)

3 . A Picture of What You Will Accomplish and the Benefit to theEntire CommunityI Strong concluding sentencen Contact person, address, phone numberI Modify this policy statement according to the audience. This is

the starting point. Use cover letters to target your audience.


1



Tactics for delivering your message

Communication lies at the heart of advocacy. How you deliver your mes-sage is critical to any strategy, Whether writing letters, making phonecalls, meeting with a member of the legislature, or holding a press con-ference, your task will be to inform and effectively promote your goals bydelivering your message to policy makers and decision makers.

Focus tactics on the decision makers you wish to reach. A tactic impliesa specific demand. A candlelight vigil for “better health,” for example, isnot specific enough,

There are hundreds of kinds of tactics. Which are best for your groupdepend on who you want to influence and what your group is capable ofdoing. Tactics include:

n letter writing;

n telephone campaigns;

n petition drives;

n press conferences;

B policy maker accountability sessions;m meetings with public officials;

n rallies or demonstrations;n prayer vigils; and

n town hall meetings.

Your constituents and your allies should always be comfortable with yourtactics. Don’t ask people to do things they feel are inappropriate. Revisitideas, because people’s perceptions of tactics may change over time. Ingeneral, people begin an advocacy effort by wanting to deal with an is-sue in a low-key manner. But if policy makers don’t respond after severalmonths of this, people may want to change their tactics - perhaps be-coming more confrontational.

Try to see that most public tactics are covered by the media. Be sure todevelop a media component to strengthen your overall strategy.

Suggestions for writing your legislator

n Courtesy and Brevity - When establishing a written contactwith your legislator, remember those two key points. All corre-spondence should be brief and to the point. Except in rare in-



stances, your letter should not exceed one page. The purposeand /or reason for your letter should be stated clearly withinthe first paragraph.

One Topic - Confine each letter to one topic or piece of legis-lation Because of the volume of correspondence, it is not un-usual for it to be sorted by the legislator or his staff with re-gard to the subject matter,

Correct In format ion - Make sure to use the legislator’s cor-rect name, title, and address, Also, be sure any informationused is accurate and not based on rumor.

Address - Use personal or business stationary with the cor-rect return address. Envelopes sometimes get thrown awaybefore the letter is answered,

Specifjr - When writing a legislator about a specific bill, tryto identify the legislation by number and subject. To avoid con-fusion, be sure the number is correct. Also, be sure to be spe-cific about the action you want the legislator to take. Gener-ally, you will be urging your legislator to thoughtfully considerand support your position,

Zdentifi Youself - In your letter, identify yourself by positionand the organization you serve. When discussing legislation,state as clearly and concisely as possibly the effects of that leg-islation on your institution and on your legislator’s constitu-ents.

Personalize - Personal examples that illustrate your pointhave a powerful impact and may be cited to advance your cause.Also, if you have data, share it. Your legislator will appreciateyou sharing personal examples on data as it will help to clarifyyour position.

CZarity - Restrict the use of technical jargon in your letter.Make sure the letter is understandable to anyone, regardlessof their experience in the health care/social service field.

Positive - Be positive in your approach. Remember, you catchmore flies with honey then with vinegar.

Follozu Up - Be sure to follow-up with a letter of appreciationif your legislator votes or acts in accordance with your sugges-tion Take the opportunity to offer your future assistance with

MODULE 2 W Communicating with Policy Makers 123


other health/social service-related legislation. You may addi-tionally wish to recognize your legislator’s support in a publi-cation (if applicable), and forward a copy to him or her.

Using the Media

Many advocates mistakenly believe that if they mail out press releasesand hold occasional press conferences, they can effectively rally publicsupport for their issues. Obtaining good media coverage requires a skilledand detailed plan from the beginning of your project. This should includ-ing contacting reporters on a story-by-story basis and examining pollingdate and research to determine how best to frame the issues to reach thepublic and policy makers.*

Frame the debate and develop your message

Developing a media strategy requires the involvement of yourorganization’s leadership and its most creative people, an understand-ing of public opinion about your issue, and a review of past media cover-age of it3

With these elements in place, you can begin to frame the issue and de-velop press lines. To frame the debate, choose the conceptual languageand symbols with which the issue is to be discussed and portrayed. Forexample, describing a local problem in human terms can portray thepotential impact of a policy with greater effect.

Develop press lines or “sound bites” appropriate for answers lasting 10,30, and 60 seconds for television and radio interviews. Remember thatmost stories will use only one or two quotes at most, so shorter and cleareris best. A sound bite is much like a good quote. It summarizes or statesthe issue in a way that is clear, appealing, and memorable. Test yoursound bites on friends, acquaintances, and impartial observers.

Getting to know the media

What are the news organizations in your state, district, or community?Who are the movers and shakers in the media world? Who will helppeople decide to support your issue?



Sample Letter with Notations

The HonorableUnited States SenateWashington, DC 20510

Dear Senator ..

(First, tell your representative what you are asking him or her to do3I am writing you to support the Early Childhood Investment Packagethat includes a $700 million increase for Head Start and a $198 millionincrease for the Child Care and Development Block Grant for FY 1995.

(Then tell him or her why you are concerned about the need to investmore in Head Start and child care. Ifyou work with children and theirfamilies, you should say this. If you can give examples of children andfamilies who will be helped in your community, say this. If you knowany statistics about the problem in your community such ~8 waitinglists for Head Start centers or child care assistance, include them.)In (your town, county, community), we have - children on waitinglists for Head Start and - families on a waiting list for child care as-sistance. The shortage of Head Start and child care resources in ourcommunity means that many of our low-income children are missing theopportunity to prepare for school. Families are also not getting the sup-port they need to work and be self-sufficient. We cannot afford to haveany children in (your town, county, community) miss the opportunitieswhich Head Start and good child care provide.

(Then, repeat your request one last time and thank your representativefor considering your concerns.)Ensuring that the full amount is appropriated for the Early ChildhoodInvestment Package ($700 million for Head Start and $198 million forthe Child Care and Development Block Grant) will help thousands ofchildren receive strong early childhood experiences and help their par-ents work as well.

Children in (your state) need you to support mqior new investments inHead Start and child care. This is an investment in America’s futurethat we can not afford to make. Thank you for considering my views. Ilook forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Your nameaddress (if not on letterhead)telephone number

Source: The Children’s Defense Fund, Congressional Workbook


CHAPTER 6 m Implementing Strategies

Mosf edifors and

reporters are

inundafed by

press releases

and harried by

deadlines, so it

may fake fime

for them fo

become familiar

with you and pay

aHenfion lo whaf

you have fo say.

To answer these questions, compile a press inventory, In most communi-ties, a private company, association, or local press club will put togethera media directory with names, addresses, telephone and fax numbers,and other key information, Media organizations have a great deal of staffturnover, so continually update your notebook or computer file. Don’tforget cable stations; there is usually a public access station that includeslocal programming options,

Answer the following questions:

1. Who covers your issue(s)? Get the names of specific reporters.Add home telephone numbers of the reporters with whom you willhave the most contact, and try to keep track of their schedules soyou don’t make a major announcement when your most informedreporter is unable to cover the story.

2 . What are the deadlines? Deadlines change for different editions,newscasts, and days of the week. Interview key reporters and as-signment editors to get their best advice as to when to drop offreleases. Be aware, however, that most editors and reporters areinundated by press releases and harried by deadlines, so it maytake time for them to become familiar with you and pay attentionto what you have to say.

3 . What is the chain of command? Make sure you know who thenewsroom editors, assignment editors, and weekend editors are,who the managing editor is, who sits on the editorial board, whoowns the organization (is it part of a larger chain?), and what otherinvolvements the editors and owners have. You need to know, forexample, if the general manager is also the president of the cham-ber of commerce.

4 . Who are the target audiences? Check the recent rating and cir-culation figures and continue to get an update of how their mar-kets are changing. Check out the special features and sectionsthat have become popular with each station or publication.

Relationships with reporters

It’s critical to build ongoing relationships with reporters who cover youractivities. Be aware of several issues when doing so.


CHAPTER 6 n lmplementtng Strategies

An exploratory trip to the local newspaper or television station is a goodway to gather details that will make your interactions with reporters

Make if easy for

positive. For one thing, it will give you a first-hand look at their work rePoders f0 f&and perhaps stimulate some ideas to make it easier. Be sure to arrangeyour visit with the appropriate person, however; don’t just show up and

fo yOU, Make

expect a tour. Heif work easier

When you’ve become familiar with one or two reporters, you may want toby supplying

try to schedule meetings and phone conversations. Be sensitive to theiraccurafe

9re,iab,e

deadlines when you do. There’s no faster way to turn off reporters than f& and !~JUESto pester them when they’re trying to get a story out under pressure. felafed fo your

Some papers - especially weeklies - have a fairly regular editorial issue,production cycle, and there may be a few hours each week when report-ers catch their breath and start to research their upcoming stories. Findout when these times are, because they give you an ideal opportunity tocontact a reporter and pitch a story, With daily papers any such breakwill have more to do with an individual reporter’s schedule than withthat of the paper, so try to be sensitive to this, as well. Because manyweeklies have freelancers assigned to certain beats, you may have aneasier time contacting them because they’ll always be hungry for a story.

Make it easy for reporters to talk to you, Many welcome a chance to getout of the office when they have time, so when your relationship is wellestablished you may offer to buy them a cup of coffee and talk thingsover. Be sure, though, that you do not go beyond the occasional lunch,and don’t be surprised if they insist on picking up their own tab; mostpapers have fairly strict ethics standards about such things. Moreover,reporters are by nature inquisitive and will quickly become suspicious ofgifts or anything they sense as an attempt to buy them off.

You can also make their work easier by supplying accurate, reliable factsand figures related to your issue. Always provide a source for your data,and always be sure it is accurate. If a reporter discovers that you’ve dis-torted information, either deliberately or inadvertently, that will be theend of your credibility and of your ability to disseminate your messagethrough his or her organization.

Never try to give reporters a finished story you’ve written yourself; theirjob is to write as complete and unbiased a story as they can, and theywill resent the implication that they need your help to do it.

When you send press releases, call to confirm that they were receivedand see if the reporters have any questions; this is one way to ensure



that your release doesn’t end up lost in a pile with 50 others that camethat morning. Just be sure you don’t do this every week, or you’ll soon begetting a message that the reporter is in a meeting and can’t talk to you.

If you’ve established good relationships with one or two reporters, try toschedule news conferences to fit their schedules - they’ll be flattered.Call them with breaking stories, preferably with a quote from your spokes-person. Always be honest, and when you offer to get back to them withinformation do it promptly.

Press conferences should be reserved for breaking news. Newspaperstake editorial positions on local, state, and national policy issues, so you

may want to arrange an editorial board meeting to brief and persuadethe newspaper to support your issue. Send out a steady stream of pressreleases, statements, studies, and fact sheets to the media to keep themup to date on your issue, but again, be selective about whom you call andhow often, You must walk a fine line between keeping reporters aware ofyour activities and driving them crazy.

Selecting a spokesperson

Select one or two spokespeople who are poised and comfortable doingpress interviews and able to commit the necessary time. Let your con-tacts in the media should know who your spokesperson is and that he orshe has the authority to speak for your organization.4

t3cmvw,MR..uH..MU...

Delivering the right message to the right audience

Good coverage by the local press, radio, TV, and cable TV are fundamen-tal to the success of any advocacy effort, Nevertheless, your effort willsucceed only if the right message is delivered to the right audience. Dif-ferent media outlets have different audiences, and you need to under-



stand these differences to target your message effectively. An advocacyeffort that seeks to influence policy makers should focus on editorial pages,

op-ed columns, letters to the editor, and public broadcasting. If you wantto reach the general public, you should focus your efforts on daily news-papers and the electronic media. If you are trying to reach a particulardemographic group, consult radio stations’ listener guides and interest-group or community-based ethnic newspapers6

Using Licensing Boards To Deliver the Message

Jim Conran, founder and president of CONSUMERS FIRST, a Califor-nia-wide consumer and advocacy organization, urges licensing boards toseek out media coverage to let the world know the board is there andthat it has a public as well as professional members. He recommends:

m Get acquainted with the media people who cover your issues inthe general and trade press;

n Train board members in media skills;n Be candid - concealing information doesn’t pay off,n Meet with editorial boards about any policy issues before the

board;n Write letters to the editor;n Appear on public affairs and other talk shows.

Anne Sheehan, Undersecretary of the California State and ConsumerServices Agency, advised public members that they can promote publictrust by doing their job effectively:

n Use the media to inform the public about board responsibili-ties and authorities and to notify the public about board disci-plinary actions;

n Make sure the legislature hears from public members as wellas lobbyists for the profession;

n Make sure the public understands that it is okay to questionhealth care professionals and to hold them accountable for af-fordable, quality care.

Acting vs. reacting

When dealing with the media, there will be times when you need to actto develop a message and a strategy to deliver it, or and other times that



your organization will need to react by responding to an event, develop-ment or action. Reacting to an event or responding to press inquiries ismuch easier than creating a new message and delivering it. The follow-ing section provides some tips on how to interview with reporters,

Before an interview

To give an interview that helps deliver your message, you need to under-stand the kind of story the reporter wants to do, where it will appear,and its context. In addition, learning about the logistics of the interviewwill put you at ease and allow you to prepare in advance. Don’t be afraidto ask questions of the reporter; this gives you a chance to develop arapport.

Try to find out the following:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Who is the reporter? What is his/her style? Read, watch, or lis-ten to see how he/she presents stories, How does the reporter treatpeople in your field or industry?

Who else is the reporter interviewing? This can help you un-derstand the angle and what kinds of questions you may have toanswer.

What is the topic ofthe interview? Find out how much the re-porter knows about the subject. Offer to send background materi-als ahead of time.

When is the interview? Set time limits in advance; 20 to 30 min-utes should be plenty of time. Try to do the interview when youare at your best, You may have to work with the reporter’s dead-lines.

When wiZ1 the story appear? Reporters rarely let you see a storybefore it is printed or aired, but find out when that will be so youcan pick up a copy of the publication or have your VCR ready.

How will the interview be done and how will it be used? Willthe interview be live or taped? Done in person or by phone? Will itappear on television, in the newspaper, in a magazine, or in someother outlet?

Why is the interview being done? Try to get a feel for thereporter’s angle on the story so you can better field questions.6



Tips on different kinds of interviews’

PrintYou may find yourself relaxing too much in a face-to-face print interviewsince no cameras are recording your every move. Coach yourself to be-have as if the cameras were rolling - which is, of course, easier to re-member if the reporter is taping your remarks. Print reporters needquotes, just as television reporters need sound bites. Prepare some inadvance. Develop short, clear, concise statements and practice sayingthem. Make the message quotable. Although print reporters are open tobeing educated on an issue, don’t ramble or waste their time. Be specificand simple. Support your facts with written materials and studies.

It may help to make your own tape of the conversation. This politely letsreporters know that they had better quote you accurately, since you canprove exactly what you said. It can also be educational to listen to your-self later so you can improve each time you do an interview. (If the re-porter seems defensive that you are taping, this is a disarming - andtrue - explanation.)

Just because the interview won’t be viewed doesn’t mean that body lan-guage isn’t important. Remember that you are communicating and theimpression you make on the reporter will influence the story. Make eyecontact. Speak with confidence. Be animated and enthusiastic. Remem-ber to relax - you will usually know more about the subject than thereporter does. If you get the feeling the reporter has information youdon’t - either about the field in general or about some aspect of thestory - just ask. Reporters appreciate candor in an interview subject,but if they get the feeling you’re putting up a false front they’ll takegreat delight in puncturing it, and you won’t know about it until thepaper hits the stands.

Telephone interviews for print and radioNever accept a cold call and immediately agree to give an interview. Giveyourself time to think. When a reporter calls, find out why they are call-ing, discuss their deadline, and call them back. If you are uncomfortabledoing this, buy yourself time by telling them you are in a meeting. Evena few minutes give you time to think about what you want to say. Callthem back when you are ready. This puts the interview on your time-table and allows you to gather your thoughts.


CHAPTER 6 I ImDlementing Strategies

Take some time to decide what you want to say. Jot down a few notes, Ifyou want to refer to any data or numbers, find the documentation so thatyou have it in front of you for the interview. You can also collect positionpapers, press releases, and useful statistics.

Be sure to speak with animation and energy. This is not a normal phoneconversation. You might want to stand up to talk on the telephone; whenyou stand, you speak with more energy and vocal variety.

Without visual cues it is difficult to know if your audience understandsyou. Use simple language and avoid technical jargon, but don’t be conde-scending. Ask questions to be sure that you are getting your messageacross. As with in-person interviews, the reporter may be taping the con-versation, and you may want to as well. Be sure to find out, and let himor her know if you are doing so, both out of consideration and for legalreasons.

Radio talk showsEven though the audience cannot see you, act as if you are on camera tohelp your voice stay animated and energetic. Try to sound confident andin control. Use vivid language to help the audience visualize what youare talking about, and try anecdotes and stories to keep the listenersentertained and make your message more memorable. Radio listenersare often engaged in other activities while they listen, so repeat yourimportant points and speak in an engaging way to draw their attention.Humor is often helpful to keep people interested, so use it whenappropriate.

Television talk showsTelevision studios are notorious for having bad furniture that can ap-pear to swallow you onscreen. Never let your shoulder blades touch theback of the chair. The camera foreshortens the image, so if you sit in achair “normally,” on television it will look like you are slouching.

A studio may use three or four cameras at a time, moving in, out, andaround. Ignore them and focus your attention on the interviewer, theother guests, and the audience. If there are live call-ins, ask the floormanager which camera you should address when talking to the caller (itwill usually have a red light),

If there are other guests on the show or you are on a panel, don’t get lost,Jump in to make a point, clarify and take control. Be alert for opportuni-

132 MODULE 2 D Communicating with Policy Makers


ties to deliver your message, but don’t dominate the conversation to thepoint of becoming obnoxious.

Be friendly with the camera crews and floor manager, Their job is tomake you comfortable and help you look good. Ask for water, powder, oranything else to help you stay and look cool.

Options for using the media

Initiating media exposure is much harder than reacting to it becauseyou have to sell your story. There are many ways to get media coverage.Some are more appropriate than others, depending upon your issue andthe activities you engage in. As you plan your strategy to reach yourgoal, consider using a number of different tools to gain press exposure.

Press releasesThe press release is one of the most basic tools in any effort to garnermedia attention. It can report current activities such as a new programor a position taken by a coalition, A release can report special events likeluncheons, town hall meetings, award ceremonies or routine events suchas election of officers, appointment of staff, and annual meeting plan~.~

Several elements should be in all press releases:

The date: Include it so editors, reporters, and producers candetermine how time-sensitive the story is.

A contact person: A press release should explain the who, what,where, when, and why of a story. Reporters will often have fur-ther questions or will want to verify the facts. Without a con-tact name and phone number your release loses its credibility.

A sample headline that tells the story: Reporters use their ownheadlines, but your headline can give them a quick grasp ofthe subject.

Do not bury the lead: Don’t make reporters hunt for informa-tion The first paragraph should tell the gist of the story, andthose that follow should provide the detail and background.

Quotation(s): A quotation from a leader or authority can addinterest and credibility to your story. Reporters like to be ableto quote people in their stories.



n Background paragraphs: The last paragraph should provideinformation about the organization sponsoring the release. Endthe release with a “-3O-” or “##” centered at the bottom of thepagea

Send copies of your press release to the appropriate editorial desk orwriter - the news or features desk, health writer, and so forth.

Press conferencesAgain, reserve press conferences for extremely important announcements,the appearance of a well-known figure, or to release fast-breaking news.Plan your press conference to meet the deadlines of papers as well asradio and television stations. Send out a press advisory to give reportersas much advance notice as possible. Again, if you have good relationswith one or two reporters in your area, you may want to be sure they canattend as you plan your schedule.

A successful press conference should have an agenda that includes anintroduction of the spokesperson with a brief description of his or hercredentials, the statement by the spokesperson(s), and a question andanswer period. Prepare press packets that contain a statement, back-ground pieces on your organization, and information about the issue.Have a table at which reporters, photographers, and camera crews cansign in. This will help you track coverage and confirm that attendees areon your press list. Assign someone to greet the press and direct them toyour spokesperson(s).

av..-!7X5 UNITED

s7A7ES,Q%i5W.,



Editorial board meetingNewspapers take editorial positions on local, state, and national policy If fhe paper

issues that interest them and their readers. Small newspapers have an decides to fun aeditor who writes the editorials. Large papers have an editorial boardwhose members share responsibilities. These boards usually include the

favorab,e edfiom

publisher, the editor-in-chief, the managing editor, the editorial page rial be Sure toeditor, and the paper’s editorial writer(s). make copies and

To arrange a meeting, start by calling one of these people. Concisely ex- sefid Ihem toplain the goals of your organization or coalition and ask to meet with theeditorial board to discuss why you believe the newspaper should take a

policy maers

position on your issue. you wan! to

educate.If there is no editorial board at your paper, or if your requests are re-buffed, ask for a meeting with the publisher or the editor. Don’t be disap-pointed if all you can arrange is a meeting with one member rather thanthe whole board; that may be a sign of quick success rather than failure.Even in large newspapers, an editorial page editor or writer commonlyholds a preliminary discussion, inviting you to a board meeting only ifthe issue is of interest to other members.

Leave written information on the background of your issue and the namesof one or two people for the paper to contact for more information. Onceyou build a relationship with editors, keep them up to date on your ac-tivities with press releases.

If the paper decides to run a favorable editorial, be sure to make copiesand send them to policy makers you want to educate. If the paper doesnot take a position (or opposes yours), you should ask the paper to printan op-ed (a guest editorial by a reader) stating your position.

titters to the editorThis is often the most widely read section of the newspaper after thefront page. Letters to the editor written by an individual or an organiza-tion allow you to discuss pertinent issues in your own words. They alsolet you challenge someone else’s opinion and keep your issue in the fore-front of the news.

Remember to keep the letter concise and lead with the most importantinformation. Some other tips:

l type the letter (double-spaced);I make your first sentence short and compelling;m keep the letter shorter than 250 words;


CHAPTER 6 l lmolementing Strategies

I feel free to use your own personal experience to illustrate yourpoint; and

I sign your name and include a phone number and address (youcan ask the editor to withhold your name from publication, butyou must sign your name for your letter to be considered).lO

Politicians and policy makers often have staffers check the editorial pagesof the major and capital-city newspapers daily. Letters to the editor helpthem gauge public opinion. If you have a letter printed in a paper youmay want to send a copy to the policy maker(s) you are trying to reach.

Public service announcementsPublic service announcements (PSAs) provide an excellent opportunityto reach radio listeners with a short message. Television and radio sta-tions broadcast PSAs at no charge for non-profit organizations. PSAsusually cannot be used to publicize partisan activities, but they can an-nounce events and meetings or urge people to vote, get a flu shot, and soforth. PSAs are most effective when they motivate people to do some-thing - to go, to give, to volunteer, to call for more information. YourPSA may be read live by the station announcer, or you can record it inadvance.ll

The best PSAs:

n communicate one idea to the listener;B include a phone number for more information;

I are brief (10 seconds/21-23 words; 20 seconds/41-44 words; 30seconds/65-67 words; 60 seconds/l20 words); and

I answer the questions What’s happening,” ‘When,” ‘Where,”‘Who’s sponsoring,” and “Where to call.”

Written public service announcements should be typed and double-spacedin all capital letters. Do not send PSAs to news directors, but rather tothe public service director or department. A slide or slides should accom-pany PSAs for television whenever possible. Slides should be in colorand in horizontal format.12

Community bulletin boardsRadio stations and publications such as newspapers offer free commu-nity bulletin boards or announcement sections. Items must be brief andtimely Give only the essential information and be sure to include a phonenumber. Don’t rely on community bulletin boards to deliver a large turn-



out for your event, but consider them a means to build name recognitionfor your group.

The Internet and Online Computer ServicesThe use of computers has changed dramatically in the past few yearsand many organizations are taking advantage of the opporutnities suchtechnology offers. Many organizations are jumping on the Internet, thelargest network of computer systems on the planet. It is a global networkthat connects huge numbers of networks to another. The Internet linkstogether hundreds of thousands of universities, government agencies,corporations, and individual homes. According to the Internet Society,the “net” reached five million host computers and twenty-five millionusers in 1994.

The growth in Internet users is astounding - in 1994 more than 2.6million new host computers were connected to the Internet. That is morethan 7,000 new connections every single day. And those numbers don’tcount the millions of users on the major online services like CompuServeand America Online, because each one of these services is counted asjust one host computer.

Communities are springing up all over “cyberspace” (a term coined in ascience fiction book by William Gibson). The WELL is an example of aBBS (Bulletin Board System). BBSs sprang up like weeds all over thecountry during the past decade. Some, like the WELL, charge moneyand have full Internet connections, but most are just systems set up inpeople’s bedrooms and garages. Many are free to users and a hobby forthe system operator (SYSOP). A computer, some software, and a few in-coming phone lines are enough to start one of these services. They caterto different tastes and different interests. There were 60,000 BBSs run-ning in the United States in 1993, according to Boardwatch magazine.That’s a lot of local power in grassroots form.

The Internet provides a wealth of services. The network provides acessto reference information, publicly distributed software and dicussiongroups. People have discovered that news travels faster and straighteron the Net than through any other medium. The Net makes it possibleto hear what’s going on from people on the scene, nearly everywhere.What kind of information is available online? Millions of pages of texton any topic, pictures, sounds, songs, movie clips etc. You can uploadanything that you can put into digital form and people anywhere candownload it. You can log onto the library systems of the biggest re-search facilities in the world, search for articles, and then read some-


CHAPTER 6 m Implementing Strategies

thing that catches your eye. The Internet provides access to new worldsof information, new communities of interest, and new ways to keep intouch with people. As a communication strategy of the future you maywant to consider hooking up to the net.

Everyday thousands of e-mail messages are received at the white House.If you wish to send an e-mail to the president or vice president of theUnited States it should be addressed to:

[email protected]

[email protected]

A specially trained staff sorts and tallies the e-mail by the different po-litical issues and reports the results to the president and vice president.

Sometimes a commercial online service offers “partial Internet accessnby establishing a “gateway” between its own small system and Internetemail. These providers include CompuServe, Prodigy, and America Online.These service vendors are not the Internet; they are proprietary onlineservices in which all of the software services and content are either sup-plied by the vendor or through arrangements with the vendor. There is acharge for such service, but the vendors offer a carefully structured, user-tailored environment, provide a lot of software that makes things userfriendly, and provide links to well-known information research services,

HEALTHOnline is an online (and Internet Gateway) service devoted toimproving health and quality of life, which offers a worldwide library ofdata, resources and networking. With the ease of a telephone call, youcan “travel” nationwide to discuss industry issues, ask questions, solveproblems, exchange information, research topics and access the best mindsin healthcare today by linking with healthcare providers, clinicians, con-sultants, researchers, legislators, foundations, university faculties, tradeassociations, community coalitions, insurance companies, and otherhealthcare leaders. For a fee, the service provides interactive discussiongroups, a library of resources including a database of case studies, andhealthcare journals, a calendar of events and many other services. Formore information about this service contact The Healthcare Forum.



FundraisingIf your organization has not raised enough money, your staff and boardmay have dedicated too little time to the most important aspect of sus-taining any advocacy effort: raising funds. Fundraising options include:

Foundation grantsGovernment grants

Personal phone solicitations

Direct mail

Home fundraisers

Events such as dinners, benefit concerts, and walk-a-thons

RafflesPersonal contributions

Ads/Ad booksFinance committee

In your initial research with area opinion leaders, include fundraising-related questions. How much do they think people would contribute toyour cause? What type of fundraising do they think will be most success-ful? What would they personally contribute? What benefits would theywant from a contribution? The answers will help you shape yourfundraising strategy.

What are your allies or coalition partners willing to contribute to thiseffort? At an early stage in your planning process, have a frank discus-sion among coalitions members about how much money they are willingto contribute to your joint effort.

Raise more money than you spend. Just because another organizationmade money on a certain venture does not mean your group will havethe same success. Carefully assess how and why the other group mademoney. Did it have hundreds of volunteers? Did it use a mechanism suchas a church bulletin to advertise its event?

Fundraise around your strategy, People are by nature more likely to con-tribute to a cause they deem worthwhile than to give you money for “mun-dane” needs such as rent and electricity. By raising money around youreffort, you also publicize the issue and may recruit new volunteers.

Keep your fundraising activities in sync with your advocacy effort. Ifyour advocacy goal is to gain support for refurbishing a homeless shel-

By raising

money around

your efloft, you

ako publicize

the issue and

may recruit new

volunteers.



Volunteers can

sell raff/e fickefs

and ad books,

participate in

bike- and waDr-

a-fhons, staff

fundraising

events, and help

wifh felephone

solicitafion.

ter, a black-tie dinner is an inappropriate funding mechanism. Conversely,if you are launching an effort to reform statewide domestic violence poli-ties, a high-profile event may attract the decision makers you need forsuccess.

Remember to stay true to the overall image ofyour organization, A healthorganization might not want to sell junk food to raise money. Fundraisingis part of your organization’s overall program and should reflect its stan-dards and goals.

For additional sources on fundraising, see the Resource section.

Mobilizing Advocates

Your staffers, board, volunteers, and allies should all participate in youractivities. In most phases of your strategy development, you need to thinkof ways to plug in each of these different groups.

Allies

Chapter 4 outlined how to build and work in coalitions. Plug in coalitionpartners at all stages of strategy development. Allies can help with re-search, particularly opinion-leader surveys. Coalition partners can alsohelp you influence decision makers; each group should survey its boardand other leaders to discover useful relationships of this kind. Perhaps aboard member is a neighbor, a distant relative, or a large contributor ofthe decision maker. Such information is critical and can make a realdifference in your advocacy effort.

Your allies need to be part of your message-development process, as well.All coalition partners should be comfortable with the message and workfrom the same page. The key to a successful campaign is to deliver yourmessage in as many ways and as many times as possible to your targets.Most events - from face-to-face meetings with policy makers to pressconferences - are strengthened by the presence of diverse groups. Yourallies can add expertise, resources, time, energy, and people to your events.



Volunteers

Volunteers are an important resource for your advocacy effort. They canhelp pull together background information on your issue. Volunteers canbe the army you need to implement successful fundraising events. Theycan sell rafIle tickets and ad books, participate in bike- and walk-a-thons,staff fundraising events, and help with telephone solicitation.

Volunteers may be attracted to your organization for several reasons:

n They may be about to reenter the work force, perhaps afterraising children,

n They may be having difficulty in their professional lives, Un-employed people can fill some of the professional void by vol-unteering with your organization.

n They may be young people looking for opportunity, or seniorcitizens with much to give but few places that welcome themas warmly as a non-profit organization.

I They may be inspired by your cause, or by friends, family, neigh-bors, and other supporters who believe strongly in yourorganization’s goals,

Keeping volunteers happyMost volunteers are committed to the organization with which they work.But for their time, energy, money, creativity, they need to receive “psy-chic pay,” They want to know they did a good job. You can offer this by:

n providing training and education on key issues;

I working with them to develop time-management, organiza-tional, and leadership skills;

n offering them the opportunity to meet new people and network;

n giving them fulfll1 ing assignments that are fun and challeng-ing;

I allowing them to manage a project or activity; andn involving them in the organization as much as possible.

Volunteers should be put to work as soon as they arrive. Explain theorganizational and strategic importance of the task they are assigned.Ask them how much time they can commit and assign tasks accordingly.Never allow volunteers to feel that you wasted their time. Treat them

Never allow

volunfeers fo

feel thaf you

waded heir

time.


CHAPTER 6 N Implementing Strategies

with respect. Most are responsible adults; give them the latitude to makemistakes and learn from them.

CASE STUDY Effective Strategy

PODER (PEOPLE ORG~G TO DEMAND ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS) is amulticultural, grassroots, membership-based organization in SanFrancisco’s Mission District, which has a predominantly low-income,Latino-based population. Founded in 1991 to fill a void of communityorganizing, its first campaign was aimed at addressing the environmen-tal hazards encountered by residents in the area, particularly a problemof lead-paint poisoning in their houses.

The Child Lead Hazard Prevention Campaign, as it came to be called,organized the residents of the Mission District to advocate for, and par-ticipate in, the creation, implementation, and monitoring of a citywidelead hazard reduction program that would result from a city ordinance.

With a budget of less than $40,000, and in-kind office space and equip-ment provided by the West Coast offrce of Consumers Union, one paidstaffer and several volunteers set out to organize the residents, begindialogue with health department officials, and ultimately convince thecity council to pass the lead hazard reduction ordinance.

Over the following two years, PODER encountered much resistance fromlandlords who did not want their properties subject to the additionalregulation and expense involved in lead cleanup. Through a combina-tion of personal meetings with members of the Health Department, anorganized “accountability” session with more than 50 community mem-bers and health department officials, meetings with the city attorney’soffice and the local media, PODER was able to establish the first multi-lingual door-to-door tenant lead hazard notification program in the state.

Working together with members of the San Francisco Lead Coalition,PODER also targeted the principle body responsible for drafting the cityordinance. This, the Lead Hazard Reduction Committee, appointed bythe mayor’s office, had after a year and a half been unable to developlanguage and objectives for the ordinance. Seizing the initiative, PODERmembers and others from the Lead Coalition drafted an interim ordi-nance. Final passage of the ordinance is expected in 1996.



After just a few years in existence, PODER has doubled its budget andits staff, gained its own office space in the Mission District, and initiatedother campaigns that center around resident concerns. In conversationwith members of PODER, the following came to light as the essentialtools used in the organization’s advocacy strategy:

1.

2.

3 .

4 .

Grassroots pressure. The mobilization of the community mem-bers was, perhaps, the single most important element in thestrategy.

Media contacts. Two feature stories in San F’rancisco’s main news-papers - the Chronicte and the Examiner - brought the issueinto particularly sharp relief for council members and the mayor’soffice.

Stuff relationships. Once the staff at the Health Departmentwas made aware of the gravity of the lead problem, PODER hadinvaluable allies on the inside who were able to put added pres-sure on the upper levels of the administration. In turn, the man-agers and department heads became advocates at City Hall dur-ing the ordinance consideration process,

Coalition partners. PODER was fortunate to have an issue forwhich it could find like-minded friends in the non-profit commu-nity. Given its tiny staff, this expanded PODER’s political cloutand helped expedite the process.

The changes sought by PODER are, of course, not on the scale of na-tional Medicare or welfare reform. PODER is, however, one group that,with few resources but an effective strategy, was able to accomplish itsgoals.

The mobiliza-

fiun of fhe

community

members was,

perhaps, fhe

single mod

imp or/an!

elemenf.



Exercise 1

Creating Your Own Plan

This worksheet focuses on the strategies and actions needed to achieveyour policy goals. Each policy goal requires an assessment of yourorganization’s current abilities (start) and strategies and specific actionsdirected at target audiences(s) of policy makers (pathways). One work sheetshould be used for each policy goal. If you have numerous strategies for apolicy goal, you may want to use a worksheet for each strategy.

Policy Goal:

Start (selfbssessment):I Where are you now as an organization in relation to the policy goal?

n What resources do you bring to achieving this policy goal?

Strategy:

Audience(s) of Policy Makers:

Specific ActionslEvents (Tactics):

n What

H Where

I W h e n

I W h y

n Who

firne line:

Intended Result of Actions:

Actual Reeult of Actions:

Follow-up Actions:

144 MODULE 2 m Communicating with Policy Makers

Resources Needed to Carry Out Actions:

MO?lf?y

I Budget (staff, phone, fax, meeting space, paper, video, travel, mail-ing, copying, etc.)

n Source of funds (existing organization sources; new fundraising;others)

People

H Team leader(s)

B Organizational staff support

I Volunteers/clients

n Other organizations (coalition or noncoalition)

n Media contacts

Mater-We

n Research (historical and current information on the topic of yourpolicy goal)

n Opinion-leader surveys

n Policy-goal-specific white papers(s)

B Longer research piece

I Mission and positioning statement of organization

n Press materials (press releases, public service announcements, andothers)

n Video

n Talking points for those meeting with policy makers

n Others


IF!!?

MODULE 2 B Communicating with Policy Makers 1 4 5


The Goal-Start-Pathway model is a useful tool to help yourorganization plan and implement a strategy.

You can begin by assessing the state of your organizationand then develop strategies to strengthen it as part of youradvocacy efforts.

It’s essential to craft your message with an eye toward thedecision makers you’ll send it to, and pick those individu-als based on sound research.

You must gain a thorough understanding of the meansavailable to disseminate your message, including the op-tions available through print and electronic media.

It’s critical to determine how much money you will needto effectively disseminate your message on an ongoingbasis, and develop fundraising strategies to meet thosetargets. Use the strengths and connections of coalitionpartners to get your message out, raise funds, and so forth.

146 MODULE 2 n Communicating tiith Policy Makers


End Notes

‘Kim Bobo, Jackie Kendall, and Steve Max, Organizing for Social Change. SevenLocks Press, Chicago, IL 1991, p. 16.

2Kathy Bonk and Phil Sparks. Strategic Media: Designing a Public Interest Cam-paign. Communications Consortium, Washington, DC, 1990.

3Ibid.

‘Ibid.

‘Ibid.Ten& for Substance Abuse Prevention, Prevention Works: The Ten Command-

ments of Communication. Washington, DC: Department of Health and Human Ser-vices, 1994.

‘Ibid.8A Leadership of Difference Advocacy Workshop Packet. Atlanta: Morehouse School

of Medicine, 1990.

eAmerican Public Health Association, Media Relations: Model Standards Project.A cooperative agreement with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wash-ington, DC, 1994.

loA Leadership of Difference.“Ibid.‘*Ibid.

MODULE 2 n Communicating with Policy Makers 1 4 7

@Conclusion

Decreasing government funding for organizations that provide hu-man services is causing profound changes in the way those organi-

zations define and sustain themselves. In view of increasing competitionfor diminishing funds, it is crucial that your community-based organiza-tion (CBO) learn to navigate the difficult waters of public policy. To dothis, you must gain an expert’s knowlege of the structure of governmentat the local, state, and national levels, You must also learn to find thepeople who can make changes - whether they are public figures or powerbrokers behind the scenes - and discover the best ways to influencethem.

To survive and flourish you must build an organization with an impec-cable reputation - for both honesty and excellence. Your reputation inthe community will be based on how relevent your goals are and howwell you succeed in reaching them, It’s vital that your CBO be - and beperceived as - active and involved, accomplishing what it sets out to do.You must then communicate that reputation, and the importance of whatyou do, to policy makers. There are many ways to do so.

But in today’s competitive environment, word of mouth alone will notcarry you. You must clarify your goals and ensure that those in powerare aware of them. More than that, you must keep abreast of pendingdecisions at all governmental levels so you can support those that willbenefit your organization - and just as important, rally your membersand your allies to oppose those that will do you harm.

Because you represent interests vital to your community, legislative oradministrative changes that diminish your ability to fulfill your missionhave repercussions far beyond your office doors. This should spur you toact, because what harms you harms your community, and this gives youan immediate and powerful constituency both to advocate what benefitsyou and to oppose what does not. You must make the most of that con-stituency through your use of the media, by forming alliances with othergroups, and by appealing to the needs and desires -both altruistic andpractical - of those who can affect your organization’s future.


CONCLUSION

SettingYourselfApartClarity of mission is essential in developing organizational goals, strat-egies, and policies. You must state your mission formally, based on a sharedvision for your community. If your CBO has existed for many years, youshould check your original mission statement to see that it is still rel-evant. If it isn’t, consider rewriting it or reorienting your activities toreflect it more accurately. It is imortant to stay in touch with it, becauseit will guide your self-definition and the actities that flow from it.

When you have a clear picture of who you are and what you are about,you must communicate it. Public officials, both elected and appointed,are inundated by information and requests from every direction. Howcan you bring your CBO to their attention and keep it there?

Before anything else you must acquire a firm grasp of who can affectyour organization’s future. Consider not just elected officials but thosewho can influence them - locally, at the state capital, and in Washing-ton Meet, at least, with local policy makers. Articulate your goals clearlyand concisely, through position papers, letter writing, or other publicrelations methods, Be sure they know what you’ve accomplished, andthat they hear about it not only from you but from members of the com-munity at large - members who vote. Become known as experts in yourfield, a group to whom decision makers can come when they need adviceor information. If you’ve helped them, they may be able to help you whenit comes time to renew or increase your funding.

Policy Goals

It’s important to periodically reevaluate what this funding is for, how-ever. Organizations can become so frantic chasing after the money tosustain themselves that they lose sight of the best ways to use that money.Policy goals will help you keep track of your priorities and strategize thebest ways to realize them.

The trend toward redistributing federal monies to the state and locallevel can turn to your advantage. If your policy goals are likely to beaffected by legislative, administrative, or fiscal changes, you can moreeasily confront the situation locally or at the state level. But to do so,your goals must be clearly articulated so you know precisely what youare fighting for or against. Moreover, if your goals are clear to you and


CONCLUSION

you have done your work to publicize them, they will be clear to yourallies both at other CBOs and in the halls of power. This is an invaluableasset.

Forming Alliances

There is, of course, strength in numbers, but there can also be disarrayand discouragement. It may be to your advantage to form or join a coali-tion of organizations with similar goals.

Carefully asess the situation before you do, however, Advantages of alli-ances include benefiting from each other’s organizational strengths. Forexample, a coalition partner may have limited funds but a strong net-work of local activists. On the other hand, you may have little or nolobbying presence but an excellent research department. Joining forceswith others can complement your strengths and redress your weaknesses.If nothing else, the greater your collective membership, the more likelyyou are to get the attention of politicians and others with influence.

On the other hand, coalition work can sap your resources, both in termsof money and of staff commitments, You must hammer out goals andbuild trust, both of which take time and effort, It pays to have a clearidea of how such responsibilities will be shared. Moreover, it’s critical tobe careful of your reputation. If one or more groups in the coalition usemethods with which you are uncomfortable (or if your methods makethem uncomfortable), consider carefully before proceeding. In successfulcoalitions you’ll find member equality and an ability to compromise, lead-ership that reflects all member groups, smooth mechanisms for dealingwith internal conflict, well-publicized meetings, and a variety of similarqualities that lend themselves to cooperation and success. If these ele-ments are missing, this may not be the coalition for you. Evaluate all thebenefits and risks before you proceed.


CONCLUSION

The Policy Setting

For your organization to survive you must have a clear idea of the powerstructure at all levels of government. This is no small feat.

As in many aspects of this work, clarity begins at home. You must beclear about your CBO’s tax-exempt status and how this may affect yourability to lobby.

When that is established, you must gain a firm grasp of your localgoverment structure. Are most of the decisions that affect your CBO madeby the city council or by a county planning commission? Do you have apowerful mayor who can help you, or a city manager with little say? Isyour funding administered locally, or are decisions mandated from Wash-ington? You must answer these and similar questions before you candevelop strategies to affect policy.

As you grow those strategies, never overlook the importance of staffmembers - not only those of elected officials but those in agencies, de-partments, and commissions that can influence events related to yourissue or activities. Staffers provide continuity and relative stability in atumultuous political world where elections, hirings, firings, and otherevents can upset your best-laid plans overnight. But beyond what per-sonal influence they may have, staffers are often the gatekeepers to thegardens of power. Build careful, long-term relationships with them andyou’ll reap the rewards again and again,

Also consider “nontraditional policy makers” - those ubiquitous, behind-the-scenes deal makers who can sometimes affect public policy more thanelected officials who must answer to the press and the voters. These caninclude a council member’s spouse or a wealthy, powerful fundraiser.Nontraditional policy makers can also be church leaders, political con-sultants, and business or labor leaders, Try not to leave any of them outof your equation; sooner or later one of them may provide the crucialconnection you need to sustain or expand your programs.

Try not to be overwhelmed. You can calmly and deliberately assess whohas the power simply by talking to people and doing a little research.Speak with government-watchdog groups. Check public records of cam-paign contributions, Talk to labor leaders or even rank-and-file unionmembers who’ve been around awhile and know the turf.

When you know the “who,n learn the “what.” Gain a clear understandingof the legislative process at the local, state, and federal levels. If you


CONCLUSION

don’t know about citizen initiatives, find out how they might be useful toyou. Learn the ins and outs of state funding so you’re not overlookedbecause you weren’t. on somebody’s list. Learn what committees affectyour work, both in your state capital and in Washington, then see if youcan establish connections with those committee chairs or members. Again,get to know the staff; they can help you more than almost anyone else.

And when you ask your connections for something, ask for somethingspecific and achievable, and demonstrate convincingly how they willbenefit by giving you what you want,

Strategies for CommunicationWhen you know your goals, have targeted your policy makers, and haveestablished your likely allies and opponents, you are ready to form astrategy to realize your goals. First, determine what you’ll need in termsof information and money

Information, in this case, includes a knowledge of others’ successes atwhat you’re trying to accomplish. It also means opinion-leader surveys.Both of these will help you create your message and shape it for eachaudience.

You must also learn to fundraise effectively. Be sure your strategy in-cludes foundation and government grants as well as other means suchas direct mail, raffles, and so forth. Take care that your fundraisingmethods reflect and impart your organization’s values. Be aware thatpeople are far more likely to donate to your cause than to pay your elec-tricity bill, and target your message and your efforts accordingly.

Shaping your message and understanding your resource limits will helpyou plan appropriate tactics which will fit in your budget. You can alsoplan tactics which help raise money as they deliver your message. Thereare many ways to disseminate your message, including letter and tele-phone campaigns, meetings with public officials, town hall meetings, andextensive contact with the print and broadcast media. Assess your ca-pacity for mobilizing volunteers and members. Build good long-term re-lationships with reporters. Appoint a spokesperson and learn how to writepress advisories and releases. Make your position known to the editorsof the local paper and seek their editorial support.


CONCLUSION

Changing TimesAs shifts in public opinion lead to changes at all levels of government,organizations that are nimble and light on their feet will move quickly toadapt and survive. You must strike a delicate balance between such ad-aptation and a long-term, dogged commitment to realizing your visionand goals. You may have to change your tactics, but don’t lose your idealsin the process. Knowledge and understanding will help you adapt andcontinue your work effectively; they are a tremendous source of power.

The work done by your organization and others like it helps sustain yourcommunity. Keep that ultimate goal in mind, and the means to realize itwill become clear, Remember that there is more at stake than your orga-nization itself; there is the survival and prosperity of all those who de-pend on you. That ripple goes all the way to the edges of the communityand comes back to you.

Acknowledgement:

Conclusion written by:Cary Groner, Editor439 61st Street, Oakland, CA 94609(510) 595-7428


@Bibliography

Following are resources of interest that pertain to each particular chapter, thatwere either cited, or may be particularly useful in further researching the topic,

CHAFTEX 2: Defining Who You Are

Brice, C. (1994). Walk taZl:Affirmations for people of color. RPI Publishing, Inc.:San Diego, CA

Community team training institute (CTTI): Participant’s manual. (1992). OSAPNational Resource Center for the Prevention of Perinatal Abuse of Alcoholand Other Drugs: Fairfax, VA

Communities that care team handbook: A comprehensive prevention program.(1994). Developmental Research & Programs, Inc.: Seattle, WA

Langley, M., Hipps, Y., Thompson-Reid, P., & Mckeithen. (1995). Healing ourcommunities in the nineties: A guide for developing churchlcommunity-based prevention and treatment programs. Sunshine Brotherhood Commu-nity Foundation, Inc.: Atlanta, Georgia. (Partially funded by a grant fromthe Center for Substance Abuse Treatment)

Lofquist, W. (19891. Technologv of prevention workbook, AYD Publications: Tuc-son, Arizona.

Stern, G. J. (1990). Marketing workbook for nonprofit organizations. Amherst H.Wilder Foundation: St. Paul Minnesota.

Thompson-Reid, I? (19951. Coalition buildingguide. Health Promotion ResourceCenter, Morehouse School of Medicine: Atlanta, Georgia.

CIIAFWR 3: EstablishingYour Credibility

Barry, B. W. (1986). Strategic planning workbook for nonprofit organizations.Saint Paul: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation,

Mattessich, P., & Monsey, B. (1992). Collaboration: What makes it work. SaintPaul: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.

A Leadership of difference advocacy workshop packet. (1990). Morehouse Schoolof Medicine.

Media relations: Model standards project. American Public Health Association,as a cooperative agreement with the Public Health Practice Program Officeof the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Stern, G. (1990). Marketing workbook for nonprofit organizations. Saint Paul:Amherst H. Wilder Foundation,

CHAPTER 5: The Policy Setting: People and Process

An Advocate’s Guide to Lobbying & Political Activity for Nonprofits: What YouCan (and Can’t) Do. Washington, D.C.: Children’s Defense Fund, 1991.

Beyle, Thad. State Government: CQ’s Guide to Current Issues and Activities,1994-95. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Press, 1994.

Bibby, F. John. Governing By Consent; An Introduction to American Politics,Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Press, 1992.

The Children’s Defense Fund, Congressional Workbook. ULeave No Child Be-hind” Annual National Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio (1994).

Cigler J. Allan & Loomis, A Burdett. Interest Group Politics. Washington, D.C.:Congressional Quarterly Press, 1995.

How Congress Works. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Press, 1991.

Guide to Congress. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Press, 1991.

Hopkins, R. Bruce. Charity, Advocacy, and the Law: How Nonprofit Organiza-tions Can Use Charitable Dollars to Affect Public Policy-Lawfully. NewJersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1992.

Interview with Robert Patalano, former legislative aide to Rep. Jane Harman(D-Calif.), October 6, 1995.

Peters, Charles. How Washington Really Works. Reading, Mass.: Addison-WesleyPublishing Company, 1992.

Seltzer, Michael. Securing Your Organizations Future. New York: The Founda-tion Center, 1987.

Smith, Hedrick. The Power Game: How Washington Works. New York: RandomHouse, 1988.

Telephone Interview with Eric Altshule, Chief of Staff for Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Term.), September 30, 1995.

Telephone Interview with Mark Klein, Associate of Solem &Associates, San Fran-cisco, September 2, 1995.

Telephone Interview with Rosa Lizarde, Legislative Aide to Supervisor SusanLeal, San Francisco Board of Supervisors, September 20, 1995.

Telephone Interview with Lisa Pagan, Director of PODER, San Francisco, Octo-ber, 13, 1995.


BIBL IOGRAPHY

Telephone Conversation with Earl Lui, Staff Attorney with Consumers Union’sWest Coast Regional Office, October 10, 1995.

United States Government Manual 1994195

Wittenberg, Ernest, and Wittenburg, Elisabeth. How to Win in Washington: verypractical advice about lobbying and the media.. Cambridge Mass.: Blackwell,1994.

CHAPTER 6: Developing Strategies

A Leadership of DifferenceAdvocacy Workshop Packet. Atlanta: Morehouse Schoolof Medicine, 1990.

American Public Health Association, Media Relations: Model Standards Project.A cooperative agreement with the Center for Disease Control and Preven-tion, Washington, DC, 1994.

Bobo, K., Kendall, J., & Max, S. Organizing for Social Change. Seven LocksPress, 1991, p. 16.

Bonk, K, & Sparks. P. Strategic Media: Designing a Public Interest Campaign.Communications Consortium, Washington, DC, 1990.

Carag, Jing, et. al. Novice’s Guide to the Internet. De Anza College, Cupertino,California, 1994.

Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Prevention Works: The Ten Command-ments of Communication. Washington, DC: Department of Health andHuman Services, 1994.

Citizen Advocacy News, Volume 7, Number 4, Fourth Quarter, 1995.1424 Sixteenth Street, NW, Suite 105, Washington, D.C. 20036

Rheingold, Howard. The Virtual Community. Addison-Wesley Publishing Com-pany, 1993.

Illustrations by:

Doonesbury: Gary B. Trudeau, 1994

Political Cartoon: Marguiles, 1996

Political Cartoon: Herb Block, 1995Politcal Cartoon: W.W. Norton, 1984


BIBLIOGRAPHY



@Resources

The following resources are provided as additional sources of information.

CHAPTER 2: Defining WhoYou Are

CADCA’8 Congressional Resource KitA publication of Community Anti-Drug Coalitions ofAmerica, 701 N. FairfaxStreet, Alexandria, Virginia 22314-2045.

Coalition Building GuideA publication of the Health Promotion Resource Center at Morehouse Schoolof Medicine, 720 Westview Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30310.

Collaboration Handbook: Creating, Sustaining and Ely’oying theJourneyBy Michael Winer Karen Ray (1994). Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, SaintPaul, Minnesota.

Collaboration: What Make8 It WorkBy Paul W. Mattesich and Barbara R. Monsey (1994). Amherst H. WilderFoundation, Saint Paul, Minnesota,

A Leadership of Difference Advocaqv Workshop PacketDistributed by the Southwest Cooperative Regional Prevention ResourceCenter at Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Drive, Atlanta,Georgia 303 10.

Marketing Workbook for Nonprofit OrganizationsBy Gary J. Stern (1990). Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, Saint Paul, Min-nesota.

Model Standard8 Project: Media RelationsAmerican Public Health Association (APHA) and Center for Disease Con-trol and Prevention (CPCL American Public Health Association, 1015 Fif-teenth Street, N.W., Washington, DC 2005

Strategic Planning Workbook for Nonprofit OrganizationBy Bryan W. Barry (1994). Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, Saint Paul,Minnesota.

159

RESOURCES

n The Technology of Prevention Workbook: A Leadership DevelopmentProgramBy William A Lofquist (1993). AYD Publications. Associates for Youth De-velopment, Inc. P.O. Box 36748, Tucson, Arizona 85740.

B ‘The ‘lb Commandments of Communication” Prevention WORKS!Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Rockville, MD.

CHAPTER 5: The Policy Setting: People and Progress

GENERAL

The State BudgetThis document describes in detail the various programs funded by a stategovernment and the dollar amounts allocated to them.

State PlansThese documents project the programmatic plans of a state agency for aspecified period of time.

City/County BudgetsDescribe in detail the various programs funded by a locality.

Registrar of VotersA font of information regarding political constituencies, voting records, andpolitical contributions.

Office of the Clerk (City or County)Provides legislative calendars, committee meeting times, etc.

POLITICS AND POLICYMAKERS

n Congreesional QuarterlyCQ is an excellent source for publications having to do with federal andstate government. They range from coverage of current issues, trends, andbasics guides to the different levels of government. (To order, call (800) 6381710) Many of the publications can be found at your local library or univer-sity. Below are a few useful titles by level.

m Policy Paradox and Political ReasonBy Deborah A. Stone (1988). Scott, Foresman and Co., Glenview, Illinois.


RESOURCES

State Level:

I Almanac of State Legielaturee: State Data AtlasStatistical profiles give a detailed snapshot of the current geographic, eco-nomic, political, and sociological composition of each of the 7,500 senateand house districts in all 50 state legislatures,

n Politic8 in the American States: A Comparative Analysis (Sixthedition)This book spans the scope of state politics, covering governors, state houses,the judiciary, and the bureaucracy. Data tables comparing the 50 States,original research, and an empirical approach allow readers to analyze sta-tistics and concepts on a state-by-state basis.

Federal Level:

Politic8 in America 1996, The 104th CongreesComplete profiles of every member-newly elected as well as incumbents-of the new Congress examine each member’s legislative priorities, personalstyle and achievements, giving an insider’s view of Congress. Accompany-ing each profile are key facts on each member.

Congressional Quarterly’8 American Congrecleional DictionaryBy Walter Kravitz. Describes a full range of congressional terms. Focusingon the procedures and rules of Congress, this handy dictionary featuresalmost 900 entries that not only provide definitions, but also explain themeaning of such terms as Balanced Budget, Inflationary Impact Statements,and Must-Pass Bills.

Congressional Roll Call 1994 -A Chronology and Analysis of Votesin the House and Senate 103rd Congress, 2nd Session

Every vote taken in the House and Senate during the second session of the103rd Congress is in this book. Key votes on the major issues in 1994 areexamined in depth by CQ editors and reporters. Special interest groups’ratings of the members are included, An index and numerous charts andgraphs make the information accessible.

Washington Information Directory 1995.1996Provides names, addresses, phone numbers, and now Internet addressesfor most agencies and organizations in Washington. Divided into 18 subjectchapters, this directory contains thousands of listings for the 104th Con-gress, the federal government and the non-profit organizations in and aroundWashington, and includes brief descriptions of each group-who they are,where they are and what they do.


RESOURCES

LOBBYING SOURCES

An Advocate8 Guide to Lobbying & Political Activity for Nonprofits:What You Can and (Can’t) DoChildren’s Defense Fund, Washington, D.C., 1991. Order from: Children’sDefense Fund, 122 C Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001; (202) 6288787.$5.95 post paid.

Being a Player: A Guide to the IRS Lobbying Regulation8 for Advo-cacy Char&eBy Harmon, Curran, Gallagher & Spielberg. Washington, D.C.: AdvocacyForum, 1991. Order from: Alliance for Justice, 1601 Connecticut Ave., N.W.,Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20009; (202) 332-3224

Federal LobbyingBy Jenner & Block, Washington, D.C.: The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.,1989. Order from: BNA Books, Distribution Center, 300 Raritan CenterPkwy., P.O. Box 7816, Edison, NJ 08818-7816

Lobbying and the Law: A Guide to Federal Tax Law Limitation8 onLegislative and Political Activities by Nonprofit OrganizationsBy Deborah Taylor Ashford & Robert H. Frank. Washington, DC.: Hogan& Hartson and Frank & Company, 1990. Order from: Hogan & Hartson,555 14th St., Washington, D.C. 20004-1109; (202) 6375600.

State:

n Campaign Finance, Ethics, & Lobby LawThe Council of State Governments. Washington, D.C., 1990. (Includes in-formation about state lobbyist registration laws.) Order from: The Councilof State Governments, Council on Governmental Ethics Laws, Iron WorksPike, P.O. Box 11910, Lexington, KY 40578-1910; 1-800-800-1910.

Other Sources:

8 Almanac ofAmerican Politic8 1996By Michael Barone & Grant Ujifusa. National Journal. Washington, D.C.This reference work details the legislators and issues of every congressionaldistrict in the United States. Illuminates the congressperson’s record un-der the Capitol dome and his or her linkage to the voters back home. (Toorder call, (800) 356-4838.)

n Congressional Yellow BookWashington, D.C.: Monitor Publishing Co. Directory of members of Con-gress, including committees and key staff. Phone numbers and-when theydare to give them outfax numbers.


RESOURCES

n Directory of Legislative Leaders 1995Compiled by National Conference on State Legislatures (NCSL). Containsthe names of state presiding officers, majority and minority leaders andkey staff members. Lists both capitol and district addresses, telephone, andfax numbers, as well as interim home or business telephone numbers. (Or-der from NCSL: (303) 830-2054, fax (303) 863-8003.)

i State Legislative Sourcebook, 1995: A Resource Guide to LegislativeInfo in the Fifly StatesProvides information on the fifty states’ legislative and organization andprocess, where to go for copies of bills and regulations, or to find out lobby-ing procedures at the state level. ( Contact: Government Research Service,701 Jackson St., Topeka, Kansas 66603)

B The U.S. Government ManualThis is the official handbook of the Federal Government which providescomprehensive information on the agencies of the legislative, the judicial,and the executive branches, (To order, write the Superintendent of Docu-ments, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954)

FUNDING SOURCES

I Catalog of Federal Domestic AssistanceAnnual with supplementary updates. Government Printing Office. Wash-ington, D.C. The government’s most complete listing of the federal pro-grams and activities which provide assistance or benefits to state and localgovernments, nonprofit organizations, etc. Extensive descriptions of eachprogram include eligibility requirements, application procedures, andamounts of grants. Indexed by agency requirements, application procedures,and amounts of grants. Indexed also by agency program, function, popularname, applicant eligibility and subject, (Order from: Superintendent ofDocuments, Washington, DC 20402)

n GovernmentA88istanceA~manac: The Guide to All Federal Program8Available to the American Public.Annual. Foggy Bottom Publications. Washington, D.C. Information on over1,370 domestic assistance programs with types of assistance, eligibility, rangeof funding, and contacts. Provides a funding summary for four fiscal years.Includes an introductory section on how to obtain federal assistance. (Or-der from: Omnigraphics Inc. 800-234-1340, fax 800-875-13401

n The “How To” Grants ManualBauer, David G. American Council on Education/Macmillan Publishing Co.1984. Step-by-step system for preparing successful grants. Chapters ongovernment funding describe how to use reference tools to research thegovernment marketplace, how to contact government funding resources,and how to submit proposals. Includes discussion of the characteristics ofgovernment grants plus a project planner and checklist. A little out-of-date


RESOURCES

this book is still a useful tool for grant seekers. (Order from: MacmillanPublishing Co., 866 Third Ave., New York, NY 10022)

CHAPTER 6: Developing Strategies

I Fundraising for Social ChangeKlein, Kim. Chardon Press, Inverness, CA. Excellent chapters on directmail, telephone solicitation, and major donor campaigns. (Order fromChardon Press, P.O. Box 101, Inverness, CA 94937.1

n The Crase Roots Fundraieing BookFlanagan, Joan, Contemporary Books, Inc. A very popular how-to book onmany forms of grassroots fundraising. (Order from Contemporary Books,Dept N, 180 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60601.)


@ Glossary

ActLegislation that has passed the House and Senate and has been signed bythe President or has passed over the President’s veto. It is a permanentmeasure and has the force of law until repealed,

AdvocacyThe act of arguing in the favor of something, such as a cause, idea or policy,

AmendmentA proposal to alter the language, provisions or stipulations in a bill or inanother amendment. An amendment is usually printed, debated, and votedupon in the same manner as a bill.

AppointeeaAt all different levels, these individuals are not elected and serve at thewill of the executive who appointed them or for a set term. Some appoin-tees (usually at the top level of the bureaucracy) undergo screening andapproval by the legislature.

AppropriationsActs by a legislative body that provide funding for programs within limitsestablished by authorizations.

Appropriation8 Committee8Individuals who consider the actual spending for federal agencies and pro-grams.

IGcamerallUnicameralRefers to the structure of the policymaking body. Unicameral describes onelegislative body, bicameral, two.

MlThe term applied to most legislative measures. A number is assigned in theorder of introduction during the two-year period of a congressional term.

Rill MarkupThe process of reviewing and amending the contents of a piece of legisla-tion in subcommittee or committee.

Block GrantsA grant-in-aid awarded by the federal government to a state for a generalarea of governmental activity such as crime control, job training, or com-munity development.

MODULE 2 n Communicating with Policy Makers 1 6 5

GLOSSARY

Budget ProcessA cyclical process which begins early each year, when the President sendsbudget proposals to Capitol Hill.

Budget Committee8Committees which oversee the legislative and appropriations committeesand prepare a congressional budget resolution setting out goals for spend-ing and revenues for the next fiscal year. They are also charged with moni-toring the revenue and spending actions of the House and Senate.

Categorical GrantsA federal grant-in-aid awarded to a state and certain localities for a specificpurpose, normally requiring matching funds and adherence to federal guide-lines in spending the funds.

CaucusAn organization of members of the House or Senate that may be officiallyrecognized (i.e. Majority and Minority Caucuses), or may be unofficial groupsof members who share the same legislative interests.

Caucus Committee8Committees which are developed to make up for weak party systems at thestate level and to coordinate strategy and campaign fundraising.

ClotureA process used in the Senate to limit debate on a bill. A cloture vote isgenerally taken to end a filibuster. Sixty votes are required to get cloture.

Coalition8Diverse groups that combine their resources to create change.

Committee Staff8Congressional committees that have two staffs: one professional and oneclerical.

Committee8A subdivision of the House or Senate which prepares legislation for actionby that house. Committees also undertake investigations as directed bythat house. Most committees are divided into specialized subcommittees.Committees and subcommittees hold hearings and debate legislation. Mostamendments to legislation occur at this level.

Concurrent RecrohtionMust be adopted by both Houses and is used to amend rules relative to bothchambers or to express the sense of the Congress on a matter of principle.It does not require the President’s signature and does not have the force oflaw.


GLOSSARY

CongressThe body of individuals which makes up the legislative branch of the gov-ernment which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Congressional StaffAn aide or staff specialist who is up to date on committee hearings, floorvotes, issues and caucuses. Staff members often brief members of Congresson how to vote on particular issues.

ConstituentA voting member in an elected official’s district,

Continuing ReeolutionAn emergency measure passed in the absence of a regular appropriationsbill to continue the operation of existing programs at their current fundinglevels until a regular appropriations bill can be passed.

Council Manager PlanIn this system a small council, elected at large, hires a manager to run thecity. The duties of most managers include preparing the city budget, super-vising the hiring and firing of city personnel, and negotiating with laborunions. This system is designed to divorce politics from civic operations.

Discretionary Program8Programs that are subjected to annual appropriations.

Editorial BoardA board usually made up of the publisher, editor-in-chief, the managingeditor, the editorial page editor, and the paper’s editorial writer of a news-paper. Newspapers often take editorial positions on local, state, and na-tional policy issues that interest them and their readers.

Entitlement Program8Programs that guarantee benefits to eligible beneficiaries (i.e. Social Secu-rity, AFDC, Food Stamps, Medicare, Medicaid) and are not subject to an-nual appropriations.

EnvisioningDeveloping a shared vision for your organization.

FilibusterA time-delaying tactic that is used in the Senate by a minority in an effortto prevent a vote on a bill or an amendment that would probably pass ifvoted upon directly. To end a filibuster, cloture is sought. Sixty votes areneeded to end a filibuster.

Fiscal YearAn accounting period that differs from the calendar year. The federal gov-ernment operates on a fiscal year beginning October 1 and ending Septem-ber 30 of the following year.


I GLOSSARY

Individuals or society at a local level, rather than at the center of a politicalorganization.

Houcre ofRepreeentative8The lower house in a bicameral legislature, such as the U.S. Congress.

Incremental BudgetingThe traditional system of going from year to year without much innovationor change in the programs.

InitiativeA mechanism which lets citizens bypass legislatures and propose new stat-utes or changes in government charters, The proposals for change are thenplaced on the ballot for voter approval.

Joint ResolutionA joint resolution is quite similar to a bill, It requires the approval of bothHouses as well as the President’s signature and has the force of law. How-ever, it is usually a temporary measure, expiring when its subject matter iscompleted. A joint resolution is also used to propose amendments to theConstitution which requires ratification of two-thirds of the States. The’proposal to add a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitutionfalls into this group,

LegislationThe act or process of lawmaking. A proposed or enacted law or group oflaws.

Legislative Committee8Committees which handle bills authorizing funds.

LegislatorAn elected official empowered to make laws. Legislators consider the CN-cial policy issues of the day such as drug-law reform, capitol punishmentand education reform.

LegislatureA body of individuals empowered to make laws.

LobbyingThe act of influencing federal, state or local public officials for or against aspecific cause.

MissionThe translation of beliefs and values into action.

New FederalismAnother incarnation of a simple idea: that Washington ought to govern lessand the states ought to govern more.


GLOSSARY

NonpartisanUnbiased as to political party, cause, faction, person or idea.

Ordinance8Laws that affect the general population.

PAC8These are organizations that raise and distribute campaign contributionsto candidates seeking public of&e.

Personal StaffThe makeup of a senator or representative’s staff, that emphasizes eitherconstituent service or legislation,

PolicyA plan or course of action intended to influence and determine decisions,actions and other matters.

Press ConferenceAn interview held for news reporters, usually with a political figure or fa-mous person.

Public Service Announcement8Short messages broadcast by television and radio stations at no charge fornon-profit organizations.

RecallA procedure in which voters circulate petitions calling for the removal of apublic official.

Referend urnThe opportunity for voters to approve or reject statutes or constitutionalchanges that have been proposed by the legislature.

ResolutionMatters entirely within the prerogatives and jurisdiction of one house orthe other. Most resolutions address the rules or procedures of the House’schamber. Resolutions are also used to express the sentiments of one House(i.e. to comment on foreign policy or on the need for greater investments inchildren’s programs). It does not require the President’s signature nor doesit have the force of law.

SenateThe upper house in a bicameral legislature, such as the U.S. Congress.

SpokespersonAn individual who has the authority to speak for an organization and isgenerally responsible for press interviews.


GLOSSARY

Strong Mayor SyetemA system in which the mayor controls the budget and has broad power toappoint and remove city officials. The city council confirms the appoint-ments and usually controls the appropriations process.

Term limit8Laws that limit the number of terms that governors, legislators and localelected officials can serve.

Weak Mayor SystemlCommi88ion SystemA system in which the city council is both a legislative and an executivebody. Council members appoint administrative officials, make policy andprepare the budget.

Zero-based BudgetingA budgeting process whereby departments provide and are judged by theirstated objectives.
