By Molly Horan
Bostonians have many spring rituals— packing away winter coats and hoping not to jinx a flurry, celebrating Opening Day with a Fenway Frank and a Sam Adams, and transitioning to iced coffee season (unless you’re like me and drink iced year-round). On Beacon Hill, springtime means hearings, and hearings means advocacy days.
Lots of clients ask for help with advocacy days. Done right, they are a powerful testament to the human impact of policy and the power of grassroots democracy. Done poorly, they are a massive logistical investment with minimal return.
I’m a sucker for an advocacy day; the Leslie Knope in me is excited to see ordinary people speaking passionately to their elected officials.
Having taken part in an advocacy day as a staffer and now as a consultant, here are some tips to consider to ensure that yours is a success— leaving an impression on legislators and your supporters energized.
Have a Clear, Actionable Ask
Support what? Support it how? What is the reach of the program/policy? How does it impact constituents? Have a leave behind that reiterates all the critical info (bill numbers, line items, amendment numbers, impact).
Establish an HQ Inside or in Proximity to the State House
It is critical to gather beforehand, provide some materials and snacks, and to prep with your advocates. If you’re assembling inside the building, you need A LOT of lead time to reserve space given competing events.
There are some great meeting spaces adjacent to the State House (Church on the Hill works beautifully). And of course, there’s always opportunity to use IMG’s Boston office! We are a three-minute walk up Park Street to the State House.
Make a List, Check It Twice
Identify who your most important targets are for meetings and build participants toward those targets. There are 200 legislators, so know who you need to meet with and why. Remember to never skip leadership!
Organization is important; have a master schedule and detailed schedules ready for each group with all the important information (names, room numbers, meeting times). Be realistic about how many meetings a group can handle and the time to move between offices. Factor in a break for lunch!
Certain times of the year are busy with hearings and advocacy days, so don’t forget to factor in time to get through security to enter the building.
How To Pick a Day…
Advanced planning is key both for reserving space, but also for leaving time for logistical steps to secure key meetings with legislative offices. We recommend requesting meetings rather than drop-ins. Is there a specific month that makes the most sense given your ask (budget or a hearing or a legislative deadline)? If you’re hoping to get a lot of face time with legislators, avoid Mondays and Fridays.
Create teams and a team captain
Don’t assume that anyone has done this before. Hold a quick Advocacy 101 before you bring folks into the building. Talk to them about how these meetings can go, why their perspective is important, and how meeting with staffers is just as valuable. Prepare briefings for each team on the offices that they are meeting with to help them feel prepared (relevant committees, key talking points, etc.)
Divide up into small groups (3-4 is ideal) for meetings. Try to ensure that each group has a person willing to be the leader. Selecting a team captain ensures there is a designated individual to kick off the meetings while encouraging other members to share their perspective. It also means there is a point person to making sure the “ask” is relayed to the office and any information requested by a legislator is captured for follow ups.
Providemaps of the building just in case. Even the best of us can get turned around in that beautiful building.
Constituents, Constituents, Constituents!
Legislators hear from professional advocates, aka lobbyists, often. They deeply value getting to hear from constituents. When you are requesting meetings, if you can relay that you have a group of their constituents, you will have greater success securing the meetings.
Legislators are much more likely to remember a constituent’s personal story and how it made them feel over a specific data point (but data points are great for one-pagers).
Amplify Your Reach
State House News Advances are your friend! Get your event listed there to increase awareness.
Take lots of pictures to post online, share with offices, and use in future advocacy trainings. Leverage social media and tag legislators and partners to thank them for participating.
Consider a media strategy (press conference, press release, pitch, op-ed submission) to amplify the opportunity and/or need for action. As an integrated firm, we can help you overlay a thoughtful media strategy into your plan.
Follow Up
Send a thank you note to each office that met with your groups. If they asked for any information that you owe them, you can also use this communication to share those items.
Share a picture with their constituents. Don’t skip thanking the staffers! They work hard and brief their bosses on these issues.
Wear Comfortable Shoes!
Traversing the State House is not the day to break in a new pair or to test the traction of a new sole on the marble staircases. Feeling good will support good work.
Advocacy days present wonderful opportunities for direct engagement and passionate, articulate support for important causes that may not be in the limelight. By following these steps, you can ensure your advocacy day is smooth and impactful. Of course, if more guidance or strategy is desired, the IMG Public Affairs team is happy to chat!