Grassroots Organizing: Being an Effective NARFE Advocate

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Grassroots OrganizingBeing an Effective NARFE
Advocate
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Why Grassroots Activism?

• Flex our Individual and Collective Muscle

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Key Grassroots Goals

• Establish Relationships with Elected Officials
  and their Staff
• Through Grassroots Activism we establish
  interpersonal relationships with our elected
  officials so that when the time comes for them to
  act, our interests are at the forefront of their
  decisions because they know who we are and how
  their decisions will impact us.
• Establish an Advocate Infrastructure
• As a leader, when called to act, will your
  advocate infrastructure be in place to
  effectively pressure decision makers?
• Show the Power of Active Retirees
• As an individual, there are many ways to be
  active in politics and all of them will increase
  the power and influence of NARFE

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Grassroots Advocacy You as an Individual

• How you can get involved
• Campaigns
• Organizations (NARFE)
• Political Parties

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Campaigns

• Get involved in a Campaign
• Campaigns are Coalitions of Like-Minded
  individuals and Groups
• It is a Myth that Campaigning is a young persons
  world.
• Retirees are the salvation of campaigns
• You are able to give the most valuable resource
  to a campaign Your Time!
• Everyone gives something different to a campaign,
  help the campaign
• Phone Calls
• Letter Writing
• Letters to the Editor
• Go Door-to-Door
• Donate furniture
• Donate food
• Visibility serve as the backdrop to a media
  event, march in a parade, attend a
  debate/candidate forum

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Campaigns All Politics are Local

• All Elected Officials start in your backyard
• Before they come to Washington, they have to be
  elected. Its too easy to be a cynic and sit
  back and do nothing. Never overestimate
  lobbyists clout. When you do that, you
  underestimate your grassroots power.
• Join a Campaign and get to know the Member of
  Congress or Future Member of Congress.
• Their staffs will likely be a part of the
  campaign. Offer to help the Campaign with their
  policies that affect Seniors You will be
  SHOCKED to find out how hungry they are for YOUR
  perspective.
• Show candidates and elected officials that you
  deal with important issues and are active and
  vote!
• Make it easy for them to support your interests
  by building a relationship not just with the
  member, but with their key staffers. Contact
  with offices personalizes your issue with staff
  members

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Organizations (NARFE)

• Work with Organizations that share NARFEs Goals
• Pool Your Activity with the State and Local
  Chapters of
• Federal-Postal Employee/Retiree Groups
• Senior Citizens Organizations
• State Local Government Employee Unions
• Police and Firefighters Unions
• Teachers Unions
• Some Senior Citizens Associations
• Military Organizations
• These groups are effected by GPO/WEP or would
  benefit from Premium Conversion

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NARFE is Political and Non-Partisan

• NARFE members and political friends are from all
  political stripes

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Political Parties

• Are you a ?
• Republican
• Democrat
• Green
• Libertarian

• No Matter Your Political Persuasion or Beliefs,
  there is a Party out there that needs your help!

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Other Campaign/Election Activities

• Can you drive/walk/escort people to the polls?
• How many people can you help with filling out
  their absentee ballot?
• Each state has different rules for absentee
  voting. Its worth learning what your state
  requires and help your peers with the process.
• Wear your campaign gear and let your peers know
  who you support and why!
• Most important Election Activity? Voting!

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Fundraising/NARFE-PAC

• Good way to get involved
• Small Donations Promote Inclusion of All
• Whos Your NARFE-PAC Coordinator?

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Track NARFE Issues in the Media

• Stay current and up to date on the issues
  through
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Radio
• Television
• Blogs
• Are these information sources accurately
  describing or explaining the issues?
• If not, write or call them and help set the
  record straight. Misinformation that passes as
  the truth makes our efforts all the more
  difficult.
• Was your letter/comment published? If so, share
  it with us! We love to hear about members
  success!!!

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Grassroots Advocacy You as a Leader

• KEY GOAL Create an infrastructure that will
  increase NARFEs influence and show non-NARFE
  members the importance of membership

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Cultivation

• It is much easier to ask someone to volunteer if
  you have already established a relationship with
  them.
• Identify the active NARFE members, even ones who
  are inactive on legislative matters and invite
  them to work on legislative activities from time
  to time.
• Emphasize that you are not trying to steal them
  from their work in other areas, simply encourage
  them to use their expertise and energy for the
  legislative agenda.
• Explain to them that there are problems that
  affect NARFE members, including you and the
  volunteer, and your working together will go to
  finding a solution.

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Creating your Advocate Infrastructure

• Recruit
• Engage
• Prepare
• Remind
• Record
• Follow-up

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Recruit

• Secure their commitment
• Verbal is good in writing (them signing up) is
  better.
• People who give you a commitment are most likely
  to follow through on the request.
• Give them specifics as to what they will be
  doing. If this is a general request, then give
  them a range of activities.

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Engage

• Learn the Strengths and Weaknesses of your
  volunteers and recruits
• Be aware of people who might be timid or shy
  about legislative activities and let them know
  there are a variety of ways they can be involved.
• Not everyone likes to do the same thing.
• Appreciate a volunteers strengths and encourage
  them to be involved in ways that maximize what
  they enjoy and are good at.

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Engage

• It is also helpful to engage volunteers in
  activities throughout the year. This keeps their
  interest level high and serves as a constant
  reminder that protecting and defending earned
  benefits is ongoing.
• Activity Spotlight
• Keep volunteers engaged by organizing Chapter
  visits to the district office of your
  Representative and Senators. While there, get to
  know the key staffer on issues important to
  NARFE, such as GPO/WEP and Premium Conversion.
  Getting to know the key staff members will help
  personalize contacts with that office.

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Prepare

• Prepare for activities and create roles for your
  volunteers.
• Lack of preparation or poor delegation of
  responsibilities will discourage volunteers and
  lead to them not returning.
• Some people will not want to make phone calls but
  are excellent letter writers and vice versa.
• Give that person the responsibility of making
  sure letters are sent to the proper legislators.
  It is counter productive and will lead to the
  volunteer giving up if you put them in charge of
  phone calls. Maximize STRENGTHS minimize
  weaknesses
• Give the volunteer who enjoys talking on the
  phone the phone tree responsibility and encourage
  them to commit to being part of the rapid
  response squad.

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Prepare Calling Tree

• Spotlight
• Use their strengths to organize your calling
  tree

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Prepare Calling Tree
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Prepare Calling Tree
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Prepare Calling Tree
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Calling Trees Effect

• You called 3 Deputies (3 total)
• Your 3 Deputies each called 3 Legislative
  Activists (9 total)
• 3 Legislative Activists called 3 NARFE Members (9
  total)
• 9 NARFE Members call their US Representative and
  Senators (27 total calls)
• When you, your Deputies and the Legislative
  Activists call your US Representative and
  Senators there are 19 additional calls

• Your 1 phone call meant that Congress heard from
  46 NARFE members.
• Their office sounded like this

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Remind

• It is always helpful to remind volunteers of
  upcoming events.
• A simple phone call a day or two in advance is
  sufficient.

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Record

• Keep a record of who does what and when
• Gives you a clear picture of whos willing to do
  what and whos actually doing whats asked
• Allows you to identify potential leaders
• There are times where people are unwilling to do
  the work but are too afraid to admit it
• Unfortunately, their response is usually to let
  the work go undone
• Let the Legislative Department know what worked
  and what did not work
• Share the name of someone who you think deserves
  recognition for all their hard work

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Follow-up and On-Going Responsibilities

• Volunteers work for the enjoyment of being
  involved in a cause greater than themselves.
• Obviously, they dont do it for money.
• They give their time and energy to make a
  difference.
• REMEMBER TO THANK VOLUNTEERS FOR THEIR
  WORK!!!!!!!!!!

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Follow-up and On-Going Responsibilities

• If you can, follow-up with them via phone or
  letter, telling them what was accomplished and
  how much you appreciate them.
• They will appreciate feeling appreciated and will
  be more likely to volunteer in the future knowing
  they are appreciated.
• Share accomplishment and failures of work.
• Did the bill pass/fail?
• Your volunteer team will constantly change.
• It is important to be constantly cultivating new
  members while encouraging some to take leadership
  roles.

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QUESTIONS???