01/27/2017

Three Steps for Turning One-time Events into Strategic Advocacy Plans

Find out what OSAE Member Amy Showalter recommends

It’s one thing to get members to attend a rally or Congressional fly-in. It’s another to maintain that enthusiasm for your association’s advocacy efforts after the excitement surrounding the event dies down. This is what one grassroots consultant recommends. It started out as a small grassroots movement, but when January 21 arrived the Women’s March on Washington turned into a protest of millions of people in 600 cities on all seven continents—yes, even Antarctica.

Under the leadership of gun-control advocate Tamika Mallory, the Arab American Association of New York Executive Director Linda Sarsour, The Gathering for Justice Executive Director Carmen Perez, and fashion entrepreneur Bob Bland, the march gained support from politicians and celebrities pushing for a range of issues, including women’s rights, immigration, and healthcare reform.

And as associations likewise leverage member support to host fly-ins and push legislative agendas, they too face the challenge of converting that momentum into a sustainable advocacy strategy.

“It’s really easy to go to rallies, and have fun there. … It’s very different to persuade your member of Congress to change their mind on an issue,” said Amy Showalter, a grassroots and political action committee consultant and principal at The Showalter Group, Inc. “And that’s really what you’re charged to do as a grassroots effort; you’re there to change behavior, put that pressure on.” To maintain momentum, she encourages associations to take three steps following an initial event:

Please click here to read the complete article on Associations Now.