Advocacy 101 Getting Your Message Heard Mary Hastler February 4, 2010.

Advocacy 101

Getting Your Message Heard

Mary Hastler

February 4, 2010

Stephanie Vance, The Advocacy Guruwww.advocacyassociates.com

Libraries Prosper with Passion, Purpose and Persuasion!A PLA Toolkit for SuccessThe Public Library Association a division of the AmericanLibrary Association2007

ALA Advocacy UniversityAmerican Library Associationhttp://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/advocacyuniversity/index.cfm

Pop Goes the Library. Using Pop Culture to Connect with your Whole Community.

Sophie Brookover and Elizabeth Burns

2008

What is Advocacy?

Creating an argument in support of a specific proposal and getting your audience to say “yes.”

Advocacy is…

Advocacy is the pursuit of influencing outcomes –

including public-policy and resource allocation

decisions within political, economic, and social

systems and institutions – that directly affect

people’s current lives.

Continued

- Advocacy is performed mainly to make policy makers sensitive for effective and efficient use of budget as per needs and concerns of people.

Key Components

Developing a goal Identifying desired outcome(s) Develop strategies Implement Evaluate

Ask these questions

What do you hope to accomplish

Can you identify a desired outcome or outcomes?

Know what you want

Knowing what you want helps define every aspect of your advocacy effort (Vance).

Identify your objective or objectives.

Identify the issues, concern, or problem Identify your audience (who do you need to

talk to?)

Develop a clear message

What you want What is the issue, problem or concern

What do you want the person to do? What action do you want them to take?

Do not overwhelm with paper. Keep handouts to a minimum.

Communication Plan

Social networking

Website

Advocacy is year round, 24/7

Need to maintain and nourish Follow up on your invitation to visit the library

after the legislative and/or budget session is over.

Mary Hastler

Associate Director

Harford County Public Library

[email protected]

www.hcplonline.info