Get organized
As with an electoral campaign, a good grassroots advocacy effort begins by solidifying and working from the base. In order to excite your base and gain their commitment to act, they need to be given specific tasks. Once your base in on board, expand your grassroots power and by reaching out and bringing new groups into the effort.
It is very important to prepare all of your supporters to be effective advocates and lobbyists. They need good information that is constantly updated, adequate training, knowledge of where the campaign is going and how, a sense of shared community and a place where their input can be heard.
Consider the six steps for effective mobilization of your base and supporters:
- Recruit: Convince grassroots people that they should get involved. Develop a strong organizing message that inspires advocates to commit. Make sure they know why this is so important.
- Record: Put systems in place for tracking activity. Make sure you are always building and updating your list. Get email addresses, phone numbers, advocates' interests. Know who is responsible for what.
- Prepare: Convince volunteer advocates that they can be effective. Give them tools (training, sample messages, roll play exercises, feedback) to be effective.
- Engage: Ask volunteer advocates for action. Be specific. Give them every detail. Be meticulous about every piece of information. Anticipate questions and answer them in advance. Ask for hard commitments. Give deadlines. From the total number of advocates who give you a hard commitment, expect half of them to follow through.
- Remind: Even your most committed grassroots volunteer can forget. Remind everyone the day before an action.
- Report: Let volunteer advocates know the results of your mobilization. Tell them how many people acted with them, how much of an increase that is, how it will build to the future, what the legislator or staff's reaction was, what the legislator's vote was.
