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Welcome from YWCA CEO Lorraine Cole

Persimmon Power: Principles for Influencing Policy Makers

Who’s Speaking?

Where are we starting from? Let’s go to the poll!

Topics About the Webinar Factors that Influence Elected Officials Four Tips for Breaking Through the Chaos The Top Ten List of Things Elected Officials and Staff Hate to Hear The One Thing That ALWAYS Works!

About the webinar What’s happening here? Muting Questions Post session materials Recording

Factors of Influence What factors do you think influence elected officials? Let’s go the poll…

Factors of Influence Personal Relationships Most Important? Friends Family Staff Their own principles and passions The message The media Most Important? Their Constituents! Note: That’s why our meeting scheduling is based on constituency

What’s Missing?

Four Tips for Breaking Through the Chaos What do you want? Who should you ask? How should you ask? How should you follow-up?

What Do You Want? You must “Make the Ask”

Key YWCA Asks Fully fund the Violence Against Women Act at $320 million Support $175 million in the Labor, HHS budget for the FVPSA/Battered Women’s Shelter program Support $683 million in the Commerce Justice and Science (CJS) budget for programs aimed at preventing and ending violence against women Protect Appropriations for the Crime Victims Fund (VOCA) and raise the cap to $770 million

Relationship Building Asks Visit a program Put a statement in the Congressional Record Write an article for your newsletter Hold a townhall meeting on YWCA issues

Does this work? Casey visits local women's center Senator Casey visited the Centre County Women’s Resource Center yesterday to speak of funding cuts. By Margaret Miceli Collegian Staff Writer http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2008/03/27/casey_visits_local_womens_cent.aspx Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., toured the Centre County Women's Resource Center yesterday, speaking to the workers about a funding cut that could limit their services to the community. The center, located at 140 Nittany Ave., could lose as much as $300,000 in federal funding under the proposed elimination of the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) fund, the center's executive director said in a press conference with Casey yesterday. "The thought of that money going away [is] pretty scary," Executive Director Anne Ard said. "That's a pretty significant hit for us." President George W. Bush's proposed budget for 2009 eliminates the fund, a $2 billion loss of VOCA programs. That includes those offered by the Women's Resource Center. The funding helps pay for staff members who respond to sexual assaults, go to the courthouse with crime victims and other victim-witness assistance programs, Ard said. Casey said that he thinks the president's proposed funding cuts are "outrageous." "In a time where millionaires and billionaires are getting tax cuts, we should not be cutting services for domestic violence programs," Casey said. The funding cut could affect as many as 61 facilities similar to Centre County's across Pennsylvania, Casey said. In addition to talk of funding concerns, Centre County Judge Thomas Kistler also spoke to Casey about the planned child exchange center in Centre County. The center will be a place where estranged or divorced parents can meet to exchange their children safely, he said. It will also offer "supervised visits in a neutral territory with people around," Kistler said. The idea for the center stemmed in part from an incident on Easter Sunday of 2007, when Williamsport resident Ben Barone shot and killed his estranged wife, Jodi, before killing himself. The shooting occurred while the two were exchanging custody of their 3-year-old daughter in the parking lot of a Sheetz convenience store in Mill Hall.

What Will YOU Ask for? Let’s go to the poll!

Who Should You Ask? Who do they care about? Why are you relevant? Constituency How to look up What does the elected official care about? Congress.gov How can you frame the message?

Tips on Dealing With Staff What Are They Looking For? Remember, Your Issue Is One of Many Staff Contact Has Advantages Over Member Contact Institutional Memory in an Elected Official’s Office Can Be Short Expect (and Appreciate) Youth

How Should You Ask? Developing your Message Know Your Facts Make it Your Own Message Be Positive Be Specific The Five Minute Rule

The Top Ten List: What Staff & Elected Officials Hate to Hear 10. But I thought my appointment was with the Senator! 9. Here’s some reading material for you – our 300 page annual report 8. How much of a campaign contribution did your boss get to vote against (or for) this bill? 7. I assume you know all about bill number 1234

The Top Ten List, Continued 6. No, I don’t have an appointment but I promise I’ll only take ½ hour of your time. 5. No, I don’t really need anything specific. 4. What you’re telling me can’t be right. I heard Jon Stewart from the Daily Show say otherwise. 3. We have ten (or more) people in our group. 2. What do you mean we have to stand in the hall?

… And the number one item? No, I don’t represent anyone from your district. I just thought you’d be interested in what I have to say.

What steps will you take next? You guessed it, it’s poll time!

Questions?