Building public support for your cause can dramatically increase your lobbying effectiveness. Numbers do make a difference, and legislators will be more inclined to vote your way if they feel there is a groundswell of support for a particular measure or issue. You can create that groundswell through community education.
Hold a House Party
House parties are good opportunities to educate people who are interested but lack information about an issue. Invite friends, co-workers, members of local organizations, and anyone else who might be interested. Show an educational video or have a guest speaker, and then hold a discussion afterwards. Consider organizing a house party around a theme or holiday, such as Mother's Day or Human Rights Day (December 10). Provide snacks or plan to have a potluck.
Have an action for people to take afterwards, such as writing a letter to legislators. Also, get the names and contact information of people who want to get more involved. Send FCNL the contact information of those who would like to receive e-mail alerts or a free trial newsletter subscription.
Set up a table
Table at concerts, rallies, festivals, holiday picnics, election events, and other high traffic areas. A bright sign and friendly people can often generate new interest for a particular issue or organization. Greet your visitors and let them know what you have available. Avoid the temptation to chat with friends behind the table. Consider using an ironing board for portability.
Your table should include something eye-catching, a sign-up sheet to receive more information, handouts, and some quick on-the-spot action like a petition to sign or a postcard. Some groups have successfully attracted attention with signs like "Save the world on your coffee break" and coffee provided to all action-takers. Other groups have urged people to "Become an armchair activist" by having a comfy chair available to people who write letters.
Network with other organizations
Expand your group’s reach by contacting other community organizations. However, don't expect everyone to be interested in your issue. Look for both natural connections and unexpected partnerships. Coalitions of unlikely allies can be powerful, especially in convincing legislators that a wide variety of constituents support a particular issue. Attend a meeting of the group you are interested in, explain your common interest, and suggest a joint activity. Don't be discouraged if one group is not interested — maybe an individual will, or members will have suggestions of other partners. Keep the focus on working together. Relationship building takes time, but can pay off well.
Work with college students and faculty
Colleges and universities are good places to gather resources and support. Work with faculty and student organizations to create an educational event. Most schools have funds to pay for speakers. School papers cover campus events and campus organizations. Some professors are willing to creatively involve their classes in grassroots actions or will to open their class up to an outside speaker.
When working with student organizations, show respect for their leadership and experience. Build partnerships with them. Offer to table with them on campus, to find them speakers for events, or to pass along FCNL materials and email list information. Bring students with your lobbying group when you meet with legislators.
Check with our young adult program for ideas or contacts: youngadult@fcnl.org.
Reach out to high school students
High school students are often concerned about the world in which they live, but feel they have no control over events. Reach out to church and community groups where there are natural connections. For example, international student groups and model United Nations clubs might do street theater on supporting the U.N. A church youth group which has volunteered at a soup kitchen might write letters to the editor or to their legislators on better-funded social services. Certain issues may be compatible with social studies classes, and some high schools actively seek opportunities for students to be involved in community projects. You will not only help build support for your issue, you will help build students’ skills for long-term change.
Use libraries and community facilities
Most people use their community facilities at least once a month, and many of these facilities have display cases or bulletin boards. While you probably will not be able to put up information about a particular piece of legislation, you may be able to educate people about the issues. Make a display about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Human Rights Day, December 10. Put up a display about the history of nuclear weapons and the international treaties to limit their use for Hiroshima Day, August 6. Have a hook like these theme days or a local resident having made a trip to a war torn country. Include your group's name and contact information so people can get more information and get involved.
Get creative
Eye-catching displays and imaginative events catch people's attention. Hands-on activities and those that involve diverse groups of people are good. Get children to help bag food to be donated to families in need. Invite church groups to construct prayer chains to decorate public spaces. Attend a town meeting or hearing to address an issue dressed in an appropriate costume. Banners, costumes, props, puppets, and street theater are all good starting points. This type of action is sure to attract attention.
Reviewed:
09/26/2006
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