Issue Advocacy Best Practices

Effective Advocacy Campaign Tips

Jan 04, 2021 by Joe Fuld

Running an effective advocacy campaign takes skill and planning. No matter how big or how small your effort is, having some basic structure can make a huge difference in your assets and results. Here are fifteen tips to run a winning advocacy campaign:

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Lobby Visits For Nonprofits: Planning a Virtual Lobby Day

Dec 07, 2020 by Joe Fuld and Martín Diego Garcia

Here Are Some Tips for How to Make Your Virtual Lobby Day Impactful

How can you get the most out of your Virtual lobby day?

Every year groups go to Washington, D.C. or their state Capitol to try and impact legislation. At the same time, they are there with a dozen other groups doing lobby visits and it’s even hard to get nonprofit lobby days on the calendar. Lobby days can be a complicated business, but we’re here to help.

Bottom line: If you want to make virtual lobby visit count, you need to think ahead and have a real plan.

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Tips Issue Advocacy Campaigns Can Use to Grow Their Base

Dec 26, 2019 by Sophie Thurber

At The Campaign Workshop, we love issue advocacy campaigns. As consultants, we get to work on a wide variety of campaigns and with a wide variety of clients. While we could never pick a favorite, working with a group of passionate people to make a substantive change on an issue they care about is our jam. People working on advocacy campaigns are the experts in their issues and are a true resource when we are working hand in hand on crafting a campaign to reach a wider audience

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Advocacy Campaign Testing for Nonprofits

Dec 16, 2019 by Claire Regan

Why and How to Always Do Advocacy Campaign Testing

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Which Came First, the Chicken or the Advocacy Budget?

Dec 12, 2019 by Sophie Thurber

Advocacy Budget: Defining Your Bottom Line Will Save You Time and Money

Get ready, I’m about to crack advocacy budgets wide open (pun intended, and it won’t be the last). I know you’re on the edge of your seats, but this is really no chicken and the egg conundrum I’m about to solve for you. When you’re looking to develop an advocacy program, your budget should always come first. This may seem counterintuitive when you begin talking to consultants (like you’re tipping your hand and about to get taken for a ride), but it’s really important for a few reasons:

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Can I Afford an Effective Digital Advocacy Campaign?

Dec 09, 2019 by Elena Veatch

A lot of groups and organizations come to us for advice on building an effective digital advocacy campaign on a limited budget. Our clients are tackling the issues that matter, from addressing our climate crisis to protecting women’s reproductive rights to advancing paid family leave polices. That said, dollars for digital advocacy don’t grow on trees. Our number one piece of advice for any organization that wants to make headway in engaging folks online is to prioritize your goals to set yourself up for success.

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Print Ads for Advocacy Campaigns - Do They Still Work?

Dec 13, 2018 by Sophie Thurber

Print Ads for Advocacy Campaigns - Do They Still Work? 

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Effective Advocacy Campaign Tips

Nov 24, 2016 by The Campaign Workshop

5 Advocacy Campaign Tips to Run an Effective Effort

Running an effective advocacy campaign takes skill and planning here are five tips to run a winning advocacy campaign:

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Legislative Advocacy 101

Nov 14, 2016 by Ben Holse

Legislative Advocacy 101, It's Time to Take a Stand

Legislative Advocacy 101: Legislative Advocacy is important because there comes a time in everyone’s life when they have to take a stand. While this moment is always more dramatic in the movies, it’s possible that you’ve come to this realization regarding a particular policy or issue in your locality. And if you’ve decided that you want to make a change in policy and advocate for your issue in your local legislature, it’s time for a little Legislative Advocacy 101. While the list below is far from comprehensive, it’s a general outline of the process to help get you started with legislative advocacy.

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Political Direct Mail Part 2: Size Matters

Jun 30, 2016

When it comes to political direct mail...size matters

With regards to mailing for direct mail, we have discussed the weight of paper and the two general measures used, U.S. Basis Weight and GSM. So onto thickness and size. Both of these are characteristics of printing papers that can affect mailing costs and mail-ability.

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Member Public Affairs Strategies to Remember

May 16, 2016 by Joe Fuld

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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Digital Campaigns and the Googlization of American Politics

May 02, 2016 by Joe Fuld

Digital Campaigns and the Googlization of American Politics

Searching for answers on the web has become a fixture in our lives. Want to go to a movie? Search the time and showings. Buying a house? Search for listings. Interested in a candidate or a local issue? Ask Google.

But when it comes to political and advocacy digital campaigns, why do many folks ignore tactics that drive search results for digital campaigns?  Why is the web relegated to an intern or volunteer instead of seen as a strategic tool?

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