PREPARE FIRST DEVELOPING YOUR ADVOCACY PLAN
• Is there an elected official who has engaged on this issue in the past? Keep a list of these individuals. As you move forward with your advocacy efforts, you will know who to contact at the appropriate time.
Your legislative advocacy plan is your road map to the end goal. This guide will focus on the impacts of your advocacy efforts within the legislative process and on Capitol Hill. Once you have mastered that process, you can apply those skills to other types of advocacy, such as in the regulatory setting or within your local government. Your legislative advocacy plan (also referred to as legislative priorities) should align with the overall mission of your organization. Your plan should highlight priorities to be addressed in legislation, and should outline the ways your organization plans to work with elected officials to ensure these issues are addressed. Setting Goals & Priorities You or your organization may have different priorities that you hope to achieve. Aim high! Create goals that might take time to achieve, as long as you can clearly identify your goal and your plans to achieve it. In addition to long-term goals, set short-term goals – goals that you can achieve within a year or two. Your goal might be to simply increase awareness about an issue, or secure increased funding for a cause. It’s important to have your legislative priorities set before you begin to engage others, because your goals will influence the ways in which you advocate. Once you have established your legislative priorities, research which elected officials — either in your local government, state legislature, or in Congress — might help you champion your cause. When identifying which elected officials to engage, consider the following questions: • Is there an elected official who has a personal connection to your issue? • Is there an elected official you can influence?
REGULATORY: The rules of how a law is enforced through a government agency.
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