Best Advocacy Practices

Did My Program Work? Try These Tips for Program Evaluation

Nov 21, 2022 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

Program Evaluation- Don't Skip It!

It is time to look at program evaluation for 2022 and planning for 2023. Whether you are a non-profit, labor union, independent expenditure organization, issue group, or political campaign, taking the time to evaluate the success of your program is a necessary step to future success. Win or lose, understanding what worked and what did not is important, and it can be the beginning of real future improvements.

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Advocacy Strategies for Lame Duck Sessions

Nov 07, 2022 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

Lame Duck Sessions: Achieve Your Advocacy Goals

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Coalition Building Guide

Apr 18, 2022 by Martín Diego Garcia (he/him)

How to Use Coalition Building to Make an Impact

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Advocacy Strategies for Lame Duck Sessions

Dec 10, 2020 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

Lame Duck Sessions: Achieve Advocacy Goals With Strategy

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Coalition Building Guide

Jan 23, 2020 by Claire Regan and Martín Diego Garcia (he/him)

If you’re a member of an organization that has spotted a need for change but doesn’t know how to make a meaningful impact alone, coalition building may be the answer for you. Though you may know the change you want to make, the hardest part is figuring out how to get started. Do you have enough resources, money and otherwise, to make this happen? Are there people out there who also care about the cause, and is there anyone who might be inclined to work against you? How will you reach all the right people within a given timeline? These things can be difficult to tackle alone, and that’s why coalition building can be extremely helpful.

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Non-Political Books for Politicos

May 10, 2018 by Elena Veatch

10 Non-Political Books Every Politico Should Read

*Originally written by Joe Fuld and updated by Elena Veatch 4/3/18

When you get into politics, it’s hard to resist the all too common tunnel vision of focusing only on politics. But be careful – binge watching Veep or The West Wing is not going to help you run a better campaign or organization; nor will reading solely political books.

The fact is, you are running a business. And while we like to think of politics and business as totally separate realms, it’s tough to run any political operation without a Business 101 crash course. So, take a break from the latest Clinton campaign staffer or Obama aide memoir you are probably reading, and check out some of our non-political book recommendations. Below are ten non-political books that will be helpful to any politico running a campaign, a non-profit, or really any operation.

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Digital Advocacy: Advertising Campaign Goal Setting Part II

Jan 30, 2017 by Sophie Thurber (she/her)

Digital Advocacy Advertising: Making the Most of My Campaign.

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Get Out the Vote with Social Media: Digital GOTV

Oct 06, 2016

How to Use Social Media for Get Out the Vote

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Advocacy Email Campaigns: Don't Ignore Email For Advocacy

Jun 06, 2016

Put advocacy email strategy to work for your advocacy campaign

Advocacy email is a powerful tool. For many groups and organizations advocacy email can amplify their message in a positive way. As you are probably well aware, these days everyone uses email for both work and personal use, so communicating with your supporters this way is a logical choice. Email is fast, efficient and relatively cheap. You are also able to link your supporters to their legislators and other influential people as well as provide them with an easy way to take action and donate.

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Member Public Affairs Strategies to Remember

May 16, 2016 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

Member Public Affairs Strategies to Remember

Member public affairs strategies can be an amazing way to move your issue forward. Membership organizations should have a head start when it comes to public affairs strategies, but that head start is often complicated. Membership organizations tend to have bureaucratic structures that make it difficult to work nimbly, especially when it comes to public affairs. Because of this, some member organizations have avoided using member-based public affairs strategies and they are missing out.

Here are some ways to use your membership to enhance public affairs strategies by turning them into member public affairs strategies.

Membership Storytelling

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Content Marketing For Politics

Feb 08, 2016 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

Content Marketing in the World of Politics

In my 20 years working in politics, I have seen a lot of things change. Technology in particular has done a lot to change the way that we communicate with voters. Yet somehow, we in politics have access to more information about our audience than ever before, but our audience engagement is at an all time low.

That’s because politics relies on the same tools we always have: TV, radio, door-to-door, mail and now digital ads. Campaigns are missing an important piece of the puzzle: content marketing.

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Four Tips for Nonprofit Facebook Ads

Dec 14, 2015

Four Tips for Nonprofit Facebook Ads

Choose the Right Image for Your Ad

Your nonprofit facebook ad will need an image to display on users newsfeeds or right-hand rails. In a platform like Facebook, where viewers are accustomed to scrolling continuously, you’re going to need an image that is arresting enough to stop the scroll. Make sure the photo or illustration you use has a clear focal point that is either intriguing or easily recognizable and relevant to a viewer’s interests. If you sell shoes, pick your snazziest pair, put them on a clean background that shows them off. If you’re running for office, you could use an image of a local landmark or a picture of a well-known person who is endorsing you. Whatever image you choose, make sure it is arresting, and communicates something important about you, your cause, or your business.

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