Advocacy Toolkit€¦ · Web viewLobbying: Finally, lobbying is, for our purposes, even more...

National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials

Advocacy Toolkit

Welcome to the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials’ Effective Advocacy Toolkit. Here you’ll find a wealth of resources designed to help you and your advocates analyze and discuss housing issues with a wide variety of audiences.

Table of Contents

Education vs. Public Relations vs. Advocacy vs. Lobbying..................................................2Why Advocacy at the Local Level is Important...................................................................3What You Need to Know About the Community and How You Serve...............................3What You Need to Know About Decision Makers..............................................................4Crafting Your Message.......................................................................................................6

Overall Messages...........................................................................................................6The Message for YOUR Community...............................................................................7

Building Coalitions........................................................................................................... 10Finding Coalition Partners............................................................................................10Worksheet: Identifying Potential Coalition Partners...................................................11Individual Advocate Intake Form.................................................................................12Coalition Intake Form...................................................................................................14

Delivering Your Message..................................................................................................15Phone Calls...................................................................................................................15Written Communications.............................................................................................16Effective Meetings....................................................................................................... 17Effective Site Visits.......................................................................................................18Site Visit Worksheet.....................................................................................................19

Effective Advocacy Checklist............................................................................................20

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http://www.nahro.org/


Education vs. Public Relations vs. Advocacy vs. Lobbying

Often, the terms “advocacy,” “education,” “public relations,” and “lobbying” are confused. Following are the definitions we’ll be using for purposes of this workbook:

Education : In many cases, a better understanding of what you do to promote decent, safe, affordable housing and economic opportunity in viable, sustainable communities. Education involves providing general information about the services you provide in the community. The goal here is to be sure people know what you do.

Public Relations : Experts look at public relations in a variety of different ways. For our purposes, we’ll consider public relations to be one step beyond education. Instead of simply putting information out there, the goal in a public relations effort is to promote a positive impression. One of the strategies most associated with public relations is media outreach, although testimonials from supporters and engagement of outside groups can be helpful as well.

Advocacy : For our purposes, advocacy is different from public relations in that it is about pleading or arguing for a specific cause. The key here is the term “specific.” Effective advocacy campaigns are oriented around a need, whether it’s funding, policy change or even just attention from a decision maker.

Lobbying : Finally, lobbying is, for our purposes, even more specific than advocacy. In the vast majority of cases, lobbying is usually done by professionals whose role it is to keep track of the many legislative activities happening in a state capitol or Washington DC. They meet individually with key legislators and staff to discuss the merits (or downsides) of minute details of legislation. Lobbyists may often inform advocacy efforts (for example, by providing details on the status of legislation).

Note that while federal law clearly states that no federal funds may be used for lobbying, it does not in any way restrict the PHA’s traditional role of educating and advocating on critical issues. Government officials rely on your expertise and insights as they make decisions about housing policy and funding. Without you, they will have little or no idea how their actions will impact their constituents. See the NAHRO site at www.nahro.org for more on this important issue. State laws differ as to these issues, so be sure to familiarize yourself with them as well.

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Why Advocacy at the Local Level is Important

Studies show that communications from constituents telling their local stories are the number one way to influence decision makers. In the policy arena, citizen voices are far more important than even professional lobbyists. So not only do you have a role in promoting a positive impression, the stories you share within your agency and programs can have a powerful impact as well.

Ready to dig in? Here we go!

What You Need to Know About the Community and How You Serve

To be influential with others, you must know a great deal about your own situation and services. Some of the key things you might want to know about housing in your area include:

How many residents are associated with your agency / program? What properties are you associated with? Where are they? Whose districts are they in? What are some of your “premier” projects? How do those properties specifically benefit the community? How specifically have you used government resources in the past to benefit the

community? Where would people turn if your services were not available? Who funds housing services in your area? Are there multiple sources of funds? (note that most communities have access to local,

regional, state, federal and private funding). If so, what are they? Who makes the decisions about how funds are spent?

o Local legislators such as city council members?o Local agency heads?o State regulators?o Federal regulators / legislators?o A combination?

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What You Need to Know About Decision MakersThis worksheet should be used to capture information about critical policy leaders, such as local city council members, state legislators and regulators or federal policy makers. Create as many copies of this “decision maker intel” worksheet as you think you might need. Then, fill in as much as you can about each.

Decision Maker Intel

Name of Official____________________________________________________________

Name of Relevant Staff: ______________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________

City: ___________________________________, State:_______________, Zip: __________

Phone: ______________________________ E-mail: _______________________________

Website: ____________________________ District / Party: _________________________

Is this a new official (i.e., new to this particular office): Yes No

If known, what are three of his / her top policy interests?

Try www.usa.gov to track down city and county websitesFor state and federal legislators, look at their website as well as bills they’ve introduced. You can get access to state legislative websites at www.ncsl.org and federal at www.congress.gov (for bills introduced) and www.house.gov / www.senate.gov for individual websites

If known, please indicate whether this official supported or opposed housing and redevelopment issues in the past.

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http://www.senate.gov/

http://www.house.gov/

http://www.congress.gov/

http://www.ncsl.org/

http://www.usa.gov/



Does this official have any personal connections to the issues?

If known, please make notes about any previous contact with this official (meetings, phone calls, fundraising, etc.)

Did you support this official when he/she was a candidate? Yes No Did Not Know of Candidate

If yes, did you actively support? (i.e., volunteering on his/her campaign, attending a fundraiser, setting up a meeting) Yes No

Do you know this official personally?: Yes No Somewhat

Please note any personal connections (i.e., “went to school together”, “worked together” etc.)

Please make note of any other relevant information about this official:

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Crafting Your Message

Following are some key overall points to consider when crafting your message. In the next sections, we’ll look at how to customize these messages for your situation. All statistics are from NAHRO’s 2013 Legislative and Regulatory Agenda.

Overall Messages

ABOUT THE PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAM

Nearly 60 percent of Public Housing households live on a fixed income and are elderly and/or disabled.

Public Housing-assisted families have an average income of approximately $13,650. More than 40 percent of Public Housing-assisted families include children. On average, Public Housing residents pay more than $320 a month in rent and utilities.

ABOUT THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM Approximately 60 percent of families served have a head of household who is disabled

and/ or elderly. Over 50 percent of households utilizing a voucher are families with children. The average non-elderly/disabled household without children utilizes a voucher for 3

years. For comparable households with children, the average is 6 years. The average annual gross income of a family utilizing a voucher is $12,783. The average voucher-assisted household’s monthly payment toward rent and utilities is

$298.

OUR NATION’S AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS

Nationwide, there are only 30 affordable rental units available for every 100 extremely low-income renters (at or below 30 percent of area median income), and just 57 affordable and available rental units for every 100 very low income households (at or below 50 percent of area median income). (National Low Income Housing Coalition)

There is not a single state in the country where an individual working full-time at the minimum wage can afford the average fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment for his or her family. (Ibid.)

The total number of units renting for $500 or less fell by one million from 2007 to 2010. (American Community Survey)

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The number of renter households with worst-case housing needs grew from 5 million in 2001 to 8.5 million in 2011.* (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)

How do these statistics play out in your community? Are there other programs that impact you directly (such as the Small Housing Agency Reform Proposal – SHARP – or the Homeless Assistance Grant Programs)?

The Message for YOUR Community

Decision makers will be most interested in how the programs you care about impact their constituents and stake holders. Following are some key elements of a successful message, with details on how they relate to the work we’ve done so far.

Creating Your Story

Any good message starts with your story. Use the following worksheet to develop your story. Then we’ll look at pulling this information into a well-crafted brief but effective communication

Worksheet: Developing Your Story

Here are some questions / ideas to help you develop your personal story:

Why did you become an advocate?

How does housing issues impact you or your community directly? Have you had any personal experiences with low-income housing?

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If you’re comfortable with it, it’s perfectly appropriate to weave your own background and story into the policy message.

Can you share the compelling story of any friends / colleagues / residents? You don’t have to name names. Every day you provide valuable services to individuals. Think about who those individuals are and how their stories may make an impact.

How do these people and others connect to the policymaker?

How do these stories relate to policy issues? For example, if your story is about a family of four trying to live on a minimum wage salary, how does the housing voucher program benefit them?

The SPIT Technique

Next, you’ll want to take everything we’ve talked about and create a very short statement that can be used for a meeting, phone call, e-mail or other communication. Think of it as an advocacy “elevator speech.”

The formula below is based on the SPIT technique. SPIT is an acronym as follows:

S = Specific: Be as specific as possible about what the leader can do. For example, “we would like you to write a supportive letter” or “we would like you to visit one of our projects” is better than “our housing authority provides valuable services”

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P = Personal: Messages that are based on compelling stories have more of an impact. As noted above, think about specific people you have served. How have you helped them keep a roof over their head? How have these programs kept people employed? How many children do you serve? This really helps you focus on the benefits instead of just the fact that you might need funding.

I = Informative: In addition to that personal story, you’ll want to have some valuable information to back it up. Some of the information you might want to provide includes:

o Number of people servedo Number of people employedo Specifics on programs providedo Types of patrons servedo Special materials / services provided that relate to the community

T = Trustworthy: Finally, your message should suggest that you are trustworthy and the best way to do that is to be clear you’ll follow-up. This says to the person you’re talking to that you are in this discussion for the long haul. Be clear that you’d like to help them learn more about the services offered.

The SPIT Message Formula

Hello my name is [] and I’m from [] (establishes relevance) I’m here to talk to you about [] (the ask) Knowing of your interest in [], I thought you’d be interested as well (connection to

policymaker’s interests) This is important to the people I represent because [] (personal story / relevant local

facts and figures) That’s why we hope you’ll [] (the ask again) I’d like to follow-up by [] (persistence ideas) May I have the contact information for relevant people in your office?

Building Coalitions

One key role advocates can play is to gather a variety of groups to the cause. In other words, you’ll want to think about building a larger coalition in support of housing issues in your community.

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Why have coalitions? Coalitions have a number of uses, including:

They often help you have wider-access to opinion leaders, because you have more people involved representing more communities

You will have an increased ability to frame the message (and hence have it heard). In other words, coalition members with a different area of expertise (for example, the economic or environmental benefits of an issue), can deliver those message with increased credibility.

They can help in spreading the pain and effort of the campaign. If utilized properly, many hands can get the job done faster.

Finding Coalition Partners

People often want to make coalition building a complex process. Really, though, it’s about taking a look around and finding potentially likeminded groups or organizations that might have an interest in supporting housing issues. Some tried and true methods for identifying potential coalition partners include:

Thinking through who benefits from your programs Looking in the local yellow pages Searching on your favorite search engine Networking with a leading organizations in the community, such as the Chamber of

Commerce Asking your colleagues, employees and friends Brainstorming with your volunteers and others

Use the following worksheet to come up with a list. Just put down everyone who you think might be interested. Obviously you’re not going to approach every group you come up with, but now is not the time to dismiss any ideas. Just come up with a long list that you will edit later.

To narrow your list and target your approach you’re going to want to think about a few key questions:

Who have you worked with in the past? Who brings what to the table? Do any of these organizations have a strong

volunteer base? Fundraising prowess?

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Are there any negatives to having a particular group join you? For example, do they have a negative reputation in the community? Or are they at odds with another group that might be more important to your effort?

Is it possible that you will clash with this group in future? Note that this is not necessarily a reason to not approach them – in fact, coalitions with “odd bedfellows” often look very credible – however, you want to think ahead of time about potential future conflicts.

Are there groups that will be easy to get? They might be good to ask first so that you can build up your credibility (and resources)

Worksheet: Identifying Potential Coalition Partners

Brainstorm about potential coalition partners. For the first round, write down anyone you can think of – the crazier the better! You’ll narrow these groups down in the next step:

Now think through each group you’ve written down in light of the questions raised above. You can use a grid like the following to narrow down who you might approach (we’ve provided some samples).

Group Past Work? What do they bring?

Negatives? Clashes? Easy to Get?

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Chamber Yes Business leaders, mailing list

Might clash with other local leaders

Yes

Local PTA No Advocate list, meeting space, stories

Focused on other issues

Unknown

If you have someone who is interested in working with you, take a few moments to collect their information. Following is an “advocate intake form” you can use to help build your database. In addition, we’ve provided a “coalition intake form” if you have groups that want to join your cause!

Individual Advocate Intake FormName:

Address:

City, State, Zip

Telephone: E-mail:

How did you hear about our effort?

What is your connection to our issues?

Have you had any experience with advocacy campaigns in the past? If so, what?

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Do you know any elected officials personally?

Local State Federal

What are you most interested in doing (these are examples)?

Send letters to legislators

Make phone calls

Office work

Participate in events

Host events

Put up signs

Do you have any particular expertise that you might be willing to contribute to the cause? (marketing, legal, accounting, etc.)

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Coalition Intake Form

Organization:

Name:

Address:

City, State, Zip

Telephone: E-mail:

How did you hear about our effort?

What is your organization’s structure (member-based, foundation, single-entity, etc.):

If member-based, how many members do you have and of what type (individuals, businesses, etc.):

What is your organization’s connection to our issues?

Have you had any experience with advocacy campaigns in the past? If so, what?

Does your group have any connections to any elected officials personally?

Does your organization have any particular expertise or resources that you might be willing to utilize for the cause?

___ Marketing ___ Financial Contribution ___ Mailing list___ Fundraising ___ Large Meeting Space ___ Event___ Media Relations ___ Website ___ Newsletter

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Other:

What activities might you be willing to undertake for the effort?

___ Mailing to our members ___ Posting in our newsletter___ Writing letters to the editor or press releases ___ Providing information at events___ Posting information on our website___ Raising funds___ Identifying other potential allies

Other:

Delivering Your Message

There are many options for delivering your message. In this section we’ll focus on strategies for meetings, letters and phone calls, remembering that the specific messages should be developed in concert with other interests. In addition, remember that part of your role is to help OTHERS create these messages. So take the techniques we outline here and share them with those who might also support housing issues.

Phone Calls

Phone calls are a convenient way to communicate with decision makers. As a leader in the advocacy effort, you may find yourself asking your network and/or coalition members to make calls. Advocates should follow these helpful tips when calling a policy makers office:

Tips for Advocate Phone Calls

Have the Basic Facts in Hand. When calling about a particular issue, always be ready to provide basic information, such as a bill number and title, if you are asking your local leader to support a specific bill. Also be prepared to explain your position in your own words. It is

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always clear when constituents call as part of a coordinated campaign and aren’t really sure what they are talking about. Remember to ensure the message you are delivering is your own, not anyone else’s.

Keep Your Call Brief and to the Point.

Identify Yourself as a Constituent and the Issue about Which You are Calling.

Express Your Opinion and the Reasons You Feel the Way You Do.

Be Specific About What You Wish the Official to Do.

Be Courteous and Understanding of Reasonable Differences of Opinion.

Always Ask for a Response.

Written Communications

In addition to phone calls and meetings, you may find yourself in a position to help advocates send letters. To be most successful, the letter should be persuasive and to the point. The letter should always include a request for action, such as supporting a particular bill or allocating funds for a specific project. State the message clearly at the start of the letter and then provide details of your personal story. Personal letters rather than form letters receive the most attention.

Format for Advocate Letters

The following format is recommended to ensure that advocate letters effectively communicate your message.

First Paragraph

Identify yourself as someone who either is a constituent or who provides services to the official’s constituents.

Identify the reason for writing and the issue(s) you wish to address.

Highlight any relevant expertise you have on housing issues.

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Include information about your organization (i.e., size, number of people served, mission).

Second Paragraph

State your views on the issue in your own words. Include a statement about the impact specific government policies, such as funding or

policy changes, have on your work.

Third Paragraph

Clearly state what you would like the official to do.

Closing Paragraph

Thank the official for his or her attention to this matter and offer to be available for any questions.

Effective Meetings

Use the following checklist to make your meetings as effective as possible!

Be cognizant of the decision maker’s time limitations. Don’t ask for more than one or two meetings per year. Sometimes your message is best delivered by phone or through a staff person.

Decide where you want to meet, i.e., in the Capitol or a home office. Decide who should deliver your message. While those who run the program should always

be involved in meetings with Congressional offices, some members may respond better to powerful figures in the community who support you. Above all, a real live constituent is absolutely critical.

About one month before the proposed meeting time, contact the scheduler with a meeting request, including a brief description of what you want to discuss and attendees. Meeting requests should always be made in writing (often through e-mail), as the scheduler will have to pass the request along to several people before a decision is made. Simply call the office of the person you’d like to meet with and ask how to submit a meeting request.

Follow-up with a phone call to the scheduler about one-week after sending a written request

Send a “one-pager” about your program before the meeting, nothing more. Most staff and Members do not review materials before meetings – they expect YOU to brief them.

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Be very flexible – your meeting may take place standing up in the hallway, on the run to a vote, or may be cancelled with no warning. Members have to deal with sudden and dramatic shifts in their schedules on a daily basis. Unfortunately, this can affect the people they are planning to meet with.

Make sure you know “who’s who” in the meeting, and take down the names of any staff people you may need to deal with in the future.

Leave behind short, concise, and consistent information. Leave your information in a file folder with your organization’s name on the label. Follow up after the meeting on any requests you made.

Effective Site Visits

Site visits are essential to delivering your message. Policy makers and their staff need to see how their decisions will positively (or negatively) impact their constituents. Here’s how:

Figure Out What you Want to Show: Be sure to consider how what you're showing a policy maker connects to the issue you want them to think about. For example, if you are trying to make the case for why you need more funding for a program, it’s a good idea to show them the need, as well as how you have usefully (and frugally) spent money in the past.

Decide Who to Invite: There are a number of factors involved in this decision. Is this a visit for staff or officials or a combination? We strongly recommend that you do not ignore the staff. Likewise, be cognizant of the political situation in your community. You want to be sure to invite the people and not step on any toes.

Draft the Invitation: Your one-page letter of invitation should be directed to the official's scheduler or executive assistant, usually in the district office. Call about one week after sending the first request to ensure it has been received and to answer any questions. If you are inviting a staff person, scheduling the visit is usually just a phone call away.

Dealing with Logistics: For any site visit you will need to worry about pretty much everything, including:

o Transportation: How will your guests get to and from the event? o Time: How much time can the official commit to the event? Do not try to cram

too much into a short visit. Make sure you hit the highlights.

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o Food: If this visit is going to occur during a regular mealtime, you should consider setting up a discussion over an informal buffet or box lunch.

o Weather: Obviously, you can't control the weather, but you can be prepared for all possibilities. Make sure you have enough umbrellas, bug spray, or whatever you'll need to make the visit pleasant for everyone.

Making the Case: Think carefully about who you want from your program to help you make the case, while keeping the total number of people to no more than five. Following are some types to consider:

o Practitioners: Officials enjoy speaking with the people who perform the day-to-day tasks of the program or project.

o Beneficiaries: "Real people" who already benefit from your work or will in the future can speak with conviction and enthusiasm about your services will always impress visitors.

o Funders/Supporters: Having those who have invested in your good works or who are leaders in the community present at the visit demonstrates support you enjoy.

Recording The Event & When To Bring In The Media: You want to be sure to capture this auspicious occasion. Some aspects to consider include:

o Photographer: Consider hiring a photographer or have someone on your staff designated to take pictures for use in a newsletter or on a website.

o Note taker: Although you don't want someone writing down every word out of the official's mouth, do assign someone the task of preparing a written report after the visit.

o Consider inviting the media - but only after warning the official!

Site Visit Worksheet

Take a few minutes to sketch out some ideas:

What Will You Show?

Who Will You Invite?

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What is Your Timeline for Issuing the Invitation? Who Will You Write To and How Will You Follow-Up?

Are There Logistical Issues You Need to Deal With? If so, What?

Who Will Help You Make the Case?

What Are Your Plans for Recording the Event?

Effective Advocacy Checklist

The following advocacy checklist is intended as a guide to help you and your advocates pull together all the elements of this workbook. Remember, your voice is incredibly valuable – use it wisely and well!

Background ResearchThink about the following questions:

_ Who are the relevant decision makers?

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_ What is their legislative record and general philosophy?_ What issues are they passionate about?_ Why am I relevant to them? _ What committees are my representative or senators on?_ Is my representative or senator newly elected, or more senior?_ What party does my representative or senator belong to?

Message Development

_ Tell a compelling story -- you have something of value to contribute!_ Know your facts_ Make your message your own_ Be positive

General Message Delivery These tips apply to all communications -- letters, phone calls, and meetings.

_ Decide which method of communication suits you and your purpose_ Develop a thoughtful, well-argued message_ Ask the decision maker to take a specific action _ Ask the decision maker to respond to the request_ Make it clear what your priorities are_ Tell the office how you can be an ongoing resource_ Make your message targeted and forceful without being rude or threatening_ Tell the truth_ Be reasonable about opposing points of view_ Be prepared to answer questions about opposing arguments

Effective Meetings

_ Determine whether a meeting is needed to deliver the message_ Decide where you want to meet, _ Decide who you want to deliver your message (preferably someone from the district)_ Send a written request to the scheduler, including a list of issues and attendees_ Follow-up with a phone call to the scheduler after sending a written request_ Schedule carefully to assure you will be on time, but not too early, for each meeting

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_ Be prepared to meet anywhere -- standing up in the hallway or on the run to a vote_ Be prepared to deliver your message in five minutes (use the SPIT technique and the message formula to develop a winning message)_ Make sure you have short, concise, and consistent information to leave behind_ Leave your information in a file folder with your organization’s name on the label

Effective Written Communications

_ Make your communication stand out by making it personal, thoughtful, and accurate_ Ask for a response_ Confine each written communication to one topic_ Double check office numbers, fax numbers, and e-mail addresses

Effective Phone Calls

_ If you want someone to think about what you’re saying, ask for a response_ Have the basic facts about the issue on hand

Following Up

_ Send a thank you note to the staff and the member soon after a meeting_ Wait at least three weeks for a response before checking back_ Report on your meeting in a non-threatening way

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