State Training Webinar

Agenda and Presenters Building State Coalitions Edwina Rogers, Executive Director State Website Management Loren Vandergrift, Webmaster Effective Lobbying Kelly Damerow, Director of Federal and State Affairs Media & Communications Lauren Anderson Youngblood, Communications Manager Development & Fundraising Aisha Goss, Deputy Director 7:00 – 7:15pm ET 7:15 – 7:30pm ET 7:30 – 8:00pm ET 8:00 – 8:30pm ET 8:30 – 9:00pm ET 10 minutes presentation 5 minutes Q&A 10 minutes presentation 5 minutes Q&A 20 minutes presentation 10 minutes Q&A 20 minutes presentation 10 minutes Q&A 20 minutes presentation 10 minutes Q&A

Keystone Subject Areas Health & Safety Education Tax Policy Discrimination Government Actions Military

Health and Safety Abortion SmartRecovery Adoption Conscience clause Death with dignity Stem cells research Contraception mandate Medical neglect exemptions Child care center regulation exemptions Child abuse reporting exemption for clergy Vaccination exemptions

Education Vouchers to religious school Secular student groups Religiously motivated bullying Teaching evolution, not creationism Sex education School prayer Pledge of allegiance

Discrimination Same-sex marriage Faith-based initiatives Employment discrimination exemptions Housing discrimination exemptions Grants to religious charities Prisoner discrimination Boy scouts

Tax Policy Religious privileging in the tax code Automatic exemption status Financial disclosures (990’s) Church Audit Procedures Act Politicking from the pulpit Parsonage exemption

Military Chaplain reform Humanist identity Non-proselytism Acceptance of nontheists

Government Actions National day of prayer “In God We Trust” Oaths of office Legislative prayer Prayer caucus Federal funding to build churches

Changing Demographics of Religiously Unaffiliated

Changing Demographics of Nonbelievers

Secular Coalition Services Your Government Watchdogs o Your voice on Capitol Hill – The Secular Coalition is the sole full time 501c4 advocacy organization representing nontheistic Americans at the federal level. o Legislation and Regulation Tracking – Alerts and updates on legislation that attempts to privilege or insert religion into secular laws, at the state and federal level. o State Chapters – The Secular Coalition has functional chapters in 7 states and is in the process of rolling out new chapters in every state across the country. State chapters organize SCA-trained constituent lobbyists to combat troublesome legislation at the state level. o Action Alerts – Calls to action on pertinent pieces of legislation at the state and federal level, allowing supporters to contact their representatives swiftly. o Influencing with Decision Makers– Holding meetings with Capitol Hill and the Administration advocating for our supporters and arranging for constituent lobbying visits for our supporters. Advocacy and Education o Secular Summit and Lobby Day – An opportunity to show lawmakers that nontheistic Americans are part of their constituency and advocate at the federal level for inclusion and secular laws. o Trainings—The SCA offers lobbying and media training to state chapters and provides continuing support as chapters grow. o Summits & Movement Calls – Hosting strategy meetings to discuss issues of concern to the movement. o Research – Bolster your advocacy with our updated website collection of research on secular issues. o Scorecards – Our election scorecards help you quickly identify where candidates rate in their support of a secular government.

Secular Coalition Services Keeping You Updated o Weekly Movement Update Calls & Agenda – Every Thursday at 12:00 pm ET, in depth analysis on secular and related issues, including a rundown of all of SCA’s lobbying efforts and the combined efforts of the entire movement. o Morning Read – A daily synopsis of the secular and related news of the day. o Secular News Daily – Affiliated news website offering secular news and updates from SCA’s member organizations. o Weekly Wrap Up- Weekly newsletter with the most important information of the week in an easy to digest format for the casual supporter. Connecting to You and the Secular Movement o Facilitating Movement Unity – the Secular Coalition plays an integral role in bringing together the most powerful organizations in the secular and nontheistic movements to work on shared goals and toward a common purpose. o Social Media – Connects supporters and movement organizations via social media networks, keeping the community updated. o Communications – The Secular Coalition blogs, press releases and news updates feature movement leaders including Herb Silverman, president emeritus of the Secular Coalition and David Niose, president of the SCA. o Master Calendar—The only calendar featuring movement-wide events, holidays, conferences and other secular events. o Speakers- the Secular Coalition speakers at events, conferences and other movement-related events across the country. o New Exciting Initiatives— There’s always something new brewing at the SCA, such as the Model Secular Policy Guide, written by experts for legislators, providing them with accurate background, research, and model legislative language to use as a resource when legislating on secular issues.

Secular Policy Guide With Co-Chairs Jacques Berlinerblau and Wendy Kaminer Working with Academics, Policymakers, and Advocates Providing Guidance to Policymakers On: o Constitutional Framework o Health and Safety o Education o Discrimination o Military Discrimination o Tax Policy o International Policy

National Secular Movement Call White House & Congress Secular Events Secular News United Nations Students Thursdays at Noon ET Phone: Code: Thursdays at Noon ET Phone: Code: Judicial Update State Chapters New Research Coalition Expansion Charity Work

SCA Coalitions CARD – Coalition Against Religious Discrimination NCPE – National Coalition for Public Education Coalition for Responsible Sex Education National Advisory Board – Watching religious hospital mergers International Family Planning Coalition LCCR – Leadership Council on Civil and Human Rights IRF – International Religious Freedom Roundtable

State Coalitions Benefits to Coalition Work Increased credibility Maximized resources Shared ideas Mutual support Strength in numbers

Types of Coalitions Common cause o Developing and implementing a shared policy agenda around a common cause o Ex: respect for nonthesists, child welfare, human services, the arts, etc. Specific Issue o Coordinating efforts on a specific issue campaign o Ex: contraception mandate, blasphemy laws, etc.

Working in Coalitions Clear purpose/mission o To increase the visibility of and respect for nontheistic viewpoints in the United States, and to protect and strengthen the secular character of our government as the best guarantee of freedom for all. Include all stakeholders o All groups that can endorse our mission o Be sure to think beyond the “usual suspects.” Understand limits o Not all coalition members will agree on everything all the time, and that’s okay! Communicate o Clear communication avoids missteps o Conference calls

Building a Coalition Identify groups that support our mission Attend/speak at their meetings Get permission to list them on the website Partner with organizations, even only on a single issue Bigger the coalition the better

Q & A Q & A Please type your questions in the chat box

NEW State Website Management

Secular State Purpose Built for state chapters to share and promote state activities with supporters, press, & local government. As a community tool where supporters can share and discuss updates, strategy, lobbying efforts in a single place.

State Sites Overview o About o News o Resources State and National Training Guides and Videos o Key Issues o Supporting Groups o Events Physical and online Attendee Registration and communication Recordings of past calls o Legislative Reports o Community

Secular Community Tools for the a state chapter o Posts o Polls o Documents o Questions o Wikis o Supporting Groups Threaded conversation on all content Following and Notification Natural Promotion of Content. Future integrations with Secular.org This is just the beginning

Leadership Roles State leadership has the ability to add events, pages, news and more. Further customization abilities coming with time To apply for leadership access you may do so at leadership-application (must be logged in) leadership-application

Getting Started Getting started guide will be available on all state resource pages along with the posting of this recording

Q & A Q & A Please type your questions in the chat box

Effective Lobbying State lobbying Strategy o Preparation o Lobbying in Action- Legislation o Lobbying in Action- Regulation The Lobby Visit o Preparation o Requesting a Meeting o Day of the Meeting o The Meeting o Follow up Contacting your legislator o Phone o Letter o Presenting Testimony

State Lobbying Strategy Preparation Build a coalition Grow your list of supporters Gather and prepare resources Build relationships with lawmakers Fundraising Monitor legislation and regulation Opposition research

State Lobbying Strategy Lobbying in Action Coordinate with your organization or coalition Opposition research on this bill/amendment Meet with legislators Educate Call to Action

The Lobby Visit

Lobby Visit Preparation Know the facts Know the history Know the legislator Prepare material

Lobby Visit Requesting a Meeting or call the office o Scheduler is the gate keeper! Have several dates and times ready to offer Provide them with: o Your name and contact info o Your organization o If you are a constituent o Specific bill or issue you want to discuss

Day of the Meeting Dress Timing Demeanor Greeting Information presentation Decide who will be the primary speaker Know with whom you are meeting o Meetings with staffers are just as important!

The Meeting Open with a thank you Introduce the Secular Coalition and its mission Ask if they are familiar with terms like “humanist,” “atheist,” or “secular” The reason why I wanted to meet with you today… Share personal experiences Ask if they have any questions Thank them again Be professional and courteous The mission of the Secular Coalition for America is to increase the visibility of and respect for nontheistic viewpoints in the United States, and to protect and strengthen the secular character of our government as the best guarantee of freedom for all.

Follow Up Thank you note o Nor more than two days later o is acceptable Update if there is movement on your bill or issue Keep up the relationship o Send any information you come across that they might find relevant their way o Become a resource they can rely on

Contacting Your Legislator Phone Call Know what you want to say before you call Write down a few talking points If possible, know the number and name of the bill before you call Mention that you are a constituent State your opinion clearly and quickly. Be courteous; Thank the staff member for his or her time

Contacting Your Legislator Letter Show a connection Make it personal Keep it brief Include a call to action Be respectful Be accurate and timely Thank you Give the Facts

Contacting Your Legislator Similar to letter, but keep it short! Subject line should include the word “constituent” If no response, follow up a week later

Presenting Testimony Format Presentation Committee Preparation Hostile questions

Q & A Q & A Please type your questions in the chat box

Media & Communications Press Releases Media Alerts Press Interviews o Terms to Know o Preparation o What to Say o How to Say It o Tips Letters to the Editor Social Media

Media Press Releases The best way to get out an important announcement. Is this newsworthy? How will people relate and connect?

Media Press Releases Relevance Timing Attention-getting

Media Media Alerts When you need to get the word out about an event but a Press Release is too much Description of Event Time, place, location Contact Info

Press Interviews Terms to Know “On-the-Record Interviews” “Backgrounders” “Off the record”

Press Interviews Preparation Know the official position Impact on the organization Stay away from attacking one group Always be professional 7-10 second responses Make up an agenda

Press Interviews What To Say Share Website or contact information Stay on message Don’t get backed into a corner If you do not like a question, reframe it If you don’t know the answer to a question, be upfront Once you have said what you want to say, stop talking

Press Interviews How To Say It Speak in positive terms Do not repeat your opponent’s terminology/phrasing Speak in terms of your values first and then your positions

Press Interviews Tips Practice End on a strong note Thank interviewer for the opportunity Ask for other’s contact information Find out when and where interview will be published Offer to give them more information when needed

Letters to the Editor Know the policy Be timely Stay on message Get local & personal Use your credentials Follow up

Social Media Wikis (Wikipedia and Philosopedia), Blogs (Huffington Post, Friendly Atheist) Micro blogs (Twitter) Social networks (Facebook and MySpace) Forums (Yahoo groups) Review sites (where users write reviews, including Amazon and the Internet Movie Database) Video and photo-sharing sites (You Tube and Webshots) Social bookmarking or news sharing sites (del.icio.us).

Social Media How does my target community receive or consume news? Go where your audience is Use the 1/3 rule.

Social Media Top 10 Conversations to Listen in On Influencer Point of Need Complaint Compliment Problem Question or Inquiry Crisis Campaign Effect Competitor The Crowd

Q & A Q & A Please type your questions in the chat box

Fundraising Chapter fundraising model Finding Donors Asking for Donations

Fundraising Without the support of our donors, it would be impossible for the Secular Coalition for America to exist! A robust base of support is critical to our lobbying efforts

Fundraising Chapter Model Resources to help Growing the chapters across the country Benefits: o Helping them helps you o Federal members of Congress start in the states o 501(c)(4) advantages o Experts on the fundraising rules. Logistics: o All collected donations directed to the Secular Coalition for America, or being entered on secular.org. o List your state chapter in memo section of checks or comments section on the webpage

Fundraising Finding Donors Reminders Encouraging supporters to become donors Materials on hand o Return envelopes o Cash box o Pledge Cards

Fundraising Asking for Donations It’s ok to ASK! o Some people can donate time and energy, others can donate money o People give because it feels good o "Can you support the Secular Coalition for America by giving $100?" After you ask, stop talking Peer-to-peer ask o "I gave $500 to the SCA this year. That is a big commitment for me. I don't know what a comparable gift would be for you, but I hope you can support our work in that way." Concrete and thematic examples Always say thank you

Q & A Q & A Please type your questions in the chat box

Thank you! Copies of this power point and the accompanying guides can be found at secular.org/statechaptertraining or in the “resources” section of any state chapter page Images courtesy of shutterstock