Welcome to Grassroots Networks 101

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Welcome to Grassroots Networks 101!

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Topics

• About the Advocacy Roundtable and this webinar
• Defining Terms
• Components of an Effective Grassroots Network
• Motivating and Activating the Grassroots

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About This Webinar

• Muting
• QA
• Post Webinar Materials
• Recording

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About the Advocacy Roundtable

• What is it? What have you gotten yourself into?
• What are the main benefits?
• Webinar subscription
• Online social network
• Discounts on services

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Defining Terms

• Grassroots
• Grasstops
• Coalitions
• Lobbyist
• The multi-tier approach

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Building an Effective Network

• Key Components
• Criteria for Choosing a Network Structure
• The Who
• The What
• The How

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But first

• Where are we starting from?

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Criteria to consider when building network
structure

• Mission
• Public Perception
• Policy Environment
• Interest Level
• Message Complexity
• Budget
• Capacity
• Structure

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The WhoAdvocates Identifying Individuals

• Who are the advocates?
• Different pools
• What do you need to know about them?
• How do you find that out?
• Zoomerang Survey Sample
• District zipcode matching tools

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The WhoAdvocates Identifying Individuals,
Tracking the Low Tech Way
NAPTA Membership Database
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The WhatIssues Identifying

• How do YOU identify the key issues?
• What is the legislature considering?
• What is the Executive Branch considering?
• What do your members think?

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The WhatIssues Developing Positions

• Do you want to be Proactive or Reactive (or
  both)?
• What do your members think? How can you gather
  that information?
• How do you express those positions?
• What resources are available?

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The WhatIssues Defending Positions

• What materials will you need to back up your
  position?
• Who might challenge it? Why?
• Who will support you? Why?

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The How Activating Your Network and Integration

• Activating Advocates
• Basics
• Letters
• Phone calls
• Meetings
• Integration
• Making the grassroots network part of your
  day-to-day work

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The How Activating Advocates

• Key Questions
• Who should communicate with who? The activation
  tree and targeting
• What is the Message?
• How to Deliver the Message to both advocates and
  members
• When will you get the most impact?

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How to Reach Out to Advocates

• Old-Fashioned Techniques
• Mailings
• Phone trees, Phone banks
• Web 2.0 Techniques
• Blogs / Podcasts
• Texting
• Social Networks
• Webinars

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The HowEffective Letters

• Which written form is best?
• What do advocates need?
• Draft letter that includes specific ask,
  request for response
• Incentive to personalize
• To CapWiz or not to CapWiz
• Templeton Clinic

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The HowEffective Phone Calls

• What do advocates need?
• Phone script that includes ask, request for
  response
• Instructions (who to talk to, phone number, what
  to say if asked a question they dont know the
  answer to)
• Do you need a phone appointment?

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The HowEffective Meetings

• Who should attend?
• Ask for a meeting
• Attending the meeting
• Delivering your message
• What to leave behind
• Effective Meeting checklist and article

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The HowMaking Grassroots Part of Your
Organization

• Institutionalizing
• Planning
• Implementation

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The HowMaking Grassroots Part of Your
Organization

• Institutionalizing
• Everyone should be thinking about advocacy
• Creating a job description
• Creating a policy committee
• Top down support
• Creating a name and brand

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The HowMaking Grassroots Part of Your
Organization

• Planning
• Building a calendar
• Monthly advocacy to-do
• Bi-weekly update

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The HowMaking Grassroots Part of Your
Organization

• Implementation and Follow-Up
• Assigning responsibility
• Establishing a system
• Tracking the results
• Creating rewards

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Applying the Lessons at Home!

• What will you do?

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Go Forth and Advocate!

• Persistence is Key
• To help you go forth!, check out the following
  resources
• www.advocacyguru.com/resources.htm
• Or e-mail me at info_at_advocacyguru.com