1. Stephanie Smith Lee (c) Copyright 2015 Stephanie Smith Lee
Strategies for Successful Public Policy Advocacy   43rd Annual National Down Syndrome Congress Convention June 25-28, 2015 Phoenix, Arizona
Stephanie Smith Lee (c) Copyright 2015 Stephanie Smith Lee

2. Getting Started Work with a non-profit, non-partisan group
Agree on leadership
Take a “big tent” approach
Individuals with Ds of all abilities and their families (All means all)
Professionals, friends, members of various organizations
Parents of both children and adults
Families of diverse racial, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds
Those who can play a major role and those who have limited availability
Challenges to building and run

3. Form or Join Coalitions
Benefits of Coalitions:
Policy makers require broad, diverse organizational support for particular policy initiatives
Policy makers want to see support in large numbers
Challenges of coalitions:
Groups differ on goals and priorities, battles over control, credit & who speaks for coalition
May be on a single topic (research, education, postsecondary education, ABLE Act, etc.) or broader
May be local, state or national

4. Successful Coalitions
Convene stakeholders
Define membership
Select leadership
Set up method(s) of communication
Identify mission and/or goals, areas of agreement and priorities for action
Agree on process for approving policy positions and statements
Determine who will represent the coalition under what circumstances
Act with transparency: Develop a Strategic Plan

5. What is an “Ask”?
The “Ask” is what you want to ask a policy maker to do and must be clear, specific and timely
Introduce or vote a certain way on a bill, policy, or amendment
Support a policy by contacting other policy makers, making a public statement, requesting appropriations, etc.
Include your recommendations in a regulation
Fund specific research or a program

6. Developing an “Ask”
Carefully research the issue and learn the policy process
Identify and have a clear understanding of major issues and political landscape
Identify constraints (costs, complexity of issues, apathy, difficulty of mobilizing advocates).
Identify who is opposed to your goals.
Use factually accurate info from reliable sources
Clearly identify specific needed action
Frame the debate in positive terms
Identify key policy makers and “champions”

7. From “Ask” to Alert
Prepare clear, concise action alerts, post on website and distribute
Inspire advocates to act by saying why the issue and “Ask” is important to them
Make it as easy as possible for advocates to act on alert
Share what to do, how to do it and by when, sample wording, encourage personalizing
Way to find out if advocates take action

8. From Alert to Action Keep advocates informed
The “Ask” will change as the policy progresses through the process so update action alerts and share
Identify key policy makers and “champions”
Build relationships with policymakers
Engage the media and use social media

9. Building Relationships with Policy Makers on an Ongoing Basis
Divide and conquer – divide up who will be key contact for each policy maker
Get to know individual policymakers in both parties
Invite them to “walks” or other fundraisers, picnics, events – ask them to speak, say a few words, or at least recognize their attendance
Take their photo with your group and share the photos with them, include in your newsletters and social media, and share with the media
Speak with them at community events
Get to know staff as well
Become a resource and recognized expert

10. Taking Action: Making Contact
Involve and mobilize self-advocates, parents, family members, professionals
Contact policy makers (visits, letters, calls, testimony, social media)
Tie personal stories to the policy objective
Testify at hearings, request additional hearings, speak at committee meetings, town hall meetings

11. Meeting with Policy Makers
Personal contact is key!
Find out who schedules appointments and request in writing
Include who will attend and topic
If you can’t get an appointment, drop by
Plan ahead
Agenda, talking points, who will cover what, leave behind material

12. Meeting with Policy Makers
Be aware of time
Staff are important too
Be polite, frame debate in positive terms, be clear about what you are asking, why
Tie your personal stories to policy goal
Offer to be a resource
Take a photo and post/share
Follow up: thanks, report back on advocacy

13. Traditional Media Coverage
Newspapers, radio & TV still important
Personal contacts with media – become a source and build relationships
Use , phone calls, personal contacts and social media to connect with traditional media
Press releases, requests for media coverage of events, share after-event info
Letters to the editor, op-ed pieces, online versions of newspapers, TV and radio coverage
Share photos, testimony, letters to policymakers, and info about your policy efforts with media

14. Social Media Advocacy
Create a media strategy using traditional and social media as part of a larger strategic plan
How is your target audience most likely to engage? , Facebook, Twitter, blogs?
Use a website for alerts, etc. and linking to Facebook and twitter posts
Top 3 advocacy tools with most users: Facebook (including Fan Page), Twitter, You Tube
Others: Blog, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn

15. Using Social Media for Advocacy
Encourage advocates to:
Identify and post messages on policy makers Facebook pages
Follow elected officials and their staffers on Social Media and “Like” their Facebook pages.
Follow media on Twitter and post to news outlet’s Facebook pages.
Directly communicate with policy makers and media on Twitter by tagging them before the username

16. Twitter Tips Tweets are the “new” press releases
Use Twitter hashtags like #downsyndrome to flag your tweet for people looking for your subject and to find and follow important topics
Be consistent and do it everyday, but don't do it so much that you become an irritant.
Sending the same message repeatedly to the same person is not effective. People will block you or report you as spam.
It is better to tweet at more media than one many times.
Avoid Rants.

17. Social Media Online Resources
How to Use Social Media for Advocacy, AAUW:
Using Social Media for Digital Advocacy:
Using Social Networking for Advocacy NAMI:
The Whys and How of Twitter:
Tips for Effectively Using Social Media and Other Media in Advocacy Efforts by Jawanda Mast:

18. Follow-up Sometimes success is incremental – keep at it!
When a law is passed, that’s just the first step – next are regulations, policy guidance, implementation
Say thank you with a press release, letters to the editor, letters to policymakers, social media, personal contacts—be creative!