The Basics of Budget Advocacy: Keeping Kids First

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The Basics of Budget Advocacy Keeping Kids First

• Calling All Advocates
• A Conference Call Series by
• Voices for Americas Children

Joanna ShoffnerMay 31, 2007
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Why Budget Advocacy?
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State Budgets Advocacy

• Budgets are policy priorities documents
• Indication of promises
• Funding source for state services

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Why is the Federal Budget Important?
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The State-Federal Connection

• Determines the availability of funds for state
  services
• Indicates policy direction

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Important source of revenue in state budgets

• Figure 1. Sources of State General fund
  Revenue-2004.

Source State Local Government Finance Data
Query System. The Urban Institute-Brookings
Institution Tax Policy Center.
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State Budgets Have Two Sides
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The Spending-Revenue Connection

• Two-sides to one (very large) coin
• Operating and capital budgets
• Revenue
• Keeping these items married is critical
• Increases your credibility
• Strengthens your case

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Strategies for Successful Budget Advocacy
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Strength is Key!

• Know your areas of strength
• Policy areas
• Capacity
• Area of interest
• High demand for state-level budget analysis

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Know What Others Are Doing

• Coalitions are vital
• Reach out to organizations beyond the usual
  suspects
• Network with other analysts
• Create anticipation
• Research is useless without demand
• Direct research toward hot interests
• Select emerging issues

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Obtain Good Data

• Numbers, numbers, numbers
• State breakdowns of statistics in your subject
  area
• Regional comparisons
• Academic research
• Studies can be used to bolster your case, if
  translated
• Analyst-to-analyst relationships

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Package and Sell Your Product

• Give your analysis legs
• Work with coalition partnerships
• Engage the media
• Identify reporters with interests in your area
• Keep them in the loop of new releases

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Questions?

• Contact Joanna Shoffner
• 202-289-0777, ext. 217
• shoffner_at_voices.org