When influencing the halls of power, whether those halls are in your town hall, your state capitol, or Washington, DC, advocacy makes a difference. In this free webinar series, you’ll learn skills to be an effective advocate for issues that you care about to help you play a meaningful role as a coalition member, grassroots organizer, and leader. From strategies for organizing like-minded people to methods for communicating messages to a variety of issue stakeholders, this series will teach you everything you need to start making an impact on matters most important to you. Join us today and become a voice for your community’s tomorrow.
All webinars are one hour long and have live Spanish translation and closed captioning available.
This series is being facilitated by Catriona Macdonald, MPP, President, Linchpin Strategies, LLC
Episode I: The Nuts and Bolts of Advocacy
Tuesday, October 11, 2022, at 12 PM EST / 9 AM PST
This webinar begins with an overview of why advocacy matters and how it makes a big difference for infants, children, and families and the professionals who care for them. Over the course of the hour, you will learn the nuts and bolts of advocacy, including:
- Information that policymakers need to make decisions, including how an issue impacts their constituents and supporters
- The helpful facts, figures, and personal stories that narrate and frame an issue, so it is easily understood and relatable
- How visible an issue is in the community and among constituents and supporters, and the range of opinions about it
- How to contact and learn more about your elected officials and those working on your issues, as well as advocacy and community coalitions
- Ways to have your voice heard by identifying and volunteering with (or creating!) advocacy and community coalitions engaged in your issues
- Strategies and methods for connecting to officials when you find them, and how to keep your issue front and center
In small breakout groups, you’ll share your issue areas with fellow participants, and research how to contact your elected officials, like-minded advocacy groups, and community coalitions. A resource list and tip sheet will be provided to all participants as a desktop reference guide for your advocacy efforts.
Episode II: Telling Your Story for Impact
Tuesday, October 25, 2022, at 12 PM EST / 9 AM PST
In this webinar, you’ll learn how to frame your issues and ideas to point toward solutions and tell your story for maximum impact on decision-makers and the policies they create. Specifically, we’ll discuss in depth how to:
- Share your expertise, know your audience, and identify your partners
- Craft messages that resonate and paint a picture through details
- Create assets for your issue by building connections
In small groups, you’ll work on storytelling about an issue and identifying the partners you may want to include in telling that story. This webinar closes with a focus on making an actionable advocacy plan for your issue.
Episode III: It Takes a Village
Tuesday, November 15, 2022, at 12 PM EST / 9 AM PST
This webinar explores the strategies and methods for implementing an advocacy plan and being the most effective advocate you can be. In this webinar, you’ll learn:
- Strategies for finding and recruiting others in your community to join you as advocates
- Ways to spread your message through social media channels and the press
- How to understand the influence and impact of unexpected advocates
- The roles of community leaders and influencers
- Ways to leverage voting cycles and elections to deepen your impact