Arts advocacy training developed by the

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• Arts advocacy training developed by the
• Illinois Arts Alliance Foundation
• Alene Valkanas, executive director
• www.artsalliance.org
• TAP handbook by Alton Miller

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Who should participate?

• staff
• board
• individual artists (students too!)
• parents teachers
• arts management students

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The basic set-up

• Training time 3 hours
• Participants 6-60
• Room set-up tables of 5 or 6

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Participant materials

• Agenda
• Copy of power point presentation
• Advocacy handbook
• (www.artsalliance.org/adv_TAP.shtml)
• Advocacy alerts membership info

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Presenter props and materials

• Two telephones
• Scripts scenarios
• Other handouts
• Flip-chart markers
• Projections

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Keys to advocacy training

• Keep it simple
• teach things they already know
• Make it interactive
• Hear from actual legislators

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• The training session
• OUTLINE

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Part 1 Welcome, congratulate, inspire

• Welcome by a legislator
• What are we here to talk about?
• Advocacy and democracy

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Lobbying

• vi (1837) To conduct activities aimed at
  influencing public officials and esp. members of
  a legislative body on legislation vt 1 to
  promote (as a project) or secure the passage of
  (as legislation) by influencing public officials
  2 to attempt to influence or sway (as a public
  official) toward a desired action.

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Part 2 Lobbying by charities is legal and
alright with the IRS

• Dont spend more than 15 minutes!
• Have handouts
• NPOs cannot endorse candidates!

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A word from a legislator

• Lobbyists are indispensable, worth their weight
  in gold to the organizations that are smart
  enough to use them wisely.
• State Representative David Leitch, (R-93,
  Peoria)

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Part 3 The wide world of advocacy

• What issues might you lobby for?
• Who will you lobby about these issues?
• Whats in it for me?
• It will help you personally
• It will help you on the job
• It will help your organization

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Part 4 Goals, process, justification

• Training goals
• Understand the importance of lobbying for the
  arts
• Use skills you already have for effective lobbying

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Part 4 Goals, process, justification

• Focus on 3 lobbying activities
• Phone call
• Letter
• Visit to a legislator

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Part 4 Goals, process, justification

• Where did we learn how to lobby?
• Workshops in nonprofit lobbying
• The Nonprofit Lobbying Guide by Bob Smucker
• The League of Women Voters
• National Rifle Association
• The Donors Forum
• Experience of committee members

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Part 4 Goals, process, justification

• How do we know this works?
• Advocacy successes in your state
• Examples from other fields
• Local examples
• Examples from other states

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A word from a legislator

• Effective communication with legislators is
  important when promoting any issues. However, it
  is even more crucial in an area such as arts
  education and public support of cultural
  activities, where our opponents are intent on
  distorting or dismissing the impressive
  contributions and achievements of these
  programs.
• US Representative Luis Gutierrez, (D-4, Chicago)

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Part 5 The four principles

• Lobbying
• is Democracy in Action
• is All About Relationships
• is a Discipline
• Requires Teamwork

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Part 5 The four principles

• Lobbying works because
• Politics in finite
• Lawmakers need help making decisions
• Because what if all they know about the
  nonprofit arts is what they hear on the evening
  news?
• Elected officials like to say Yes
• Volunteers are our most effective lobbyists

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Part 5 The four principles

• Lobbying works best if the lawmaker
• Has a relationship with you your organization
• Has reason to trust the information you present
• Knows who you speak for
• Knows how you relate to the community
• Sees that you can get media attention

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Part 5 The four principles

• Building the relationship
• Share what you know briefly
• Link your issues to the legislators interests
• Tell your story
• Help legislators look smart
• Keep legislators informed
• Keep your issue visible
• Help legislators make broader connections

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Part 6 Lobbying skills

• The lobbying phone call
• 2 volunteers for the congratulations call
• 2 volunteers for the issue call

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Part 6 Lobbying skills

• The lobbying letter
• Outline in the TAP handbook, page 20

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Part 6 Lobbying skills

• Meeting with your legislator
• 4 volunteers!
• What could they have done better?
• Break-out groups of 5 for low-pressure role
  playing
• Reporting back from each group What did your
  group do well?

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A word from a legislator

• Get to know your legislator. Establish a
  relationship. Try to talk to them before you
  need money. Remember, if you dont lobby there
  will be someone else whos opposed to you who
  will.
• State Representative Gwenn Klingler, (R-100,
  Springfield)

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Thank you! Illinois Arts Alliance
Foundationwww.artsalliance.org