04/14/2022

Grassroots Advocacy Strategies That Move the Needle

ASAE shares its insights

At the beginning of the pandemic, associations quickly encouraged their members to contact Congress to help their respective industries, yielding millions of emails and thousands of phone calls to lawmakers urging emergency funding and legislative assistance. With so many groups still vying for legislative attention, the question remains: How can you and your members stand out from the crowd?

Simply put, advocacy as we know it has shifted and may never return to what it once was. Campaigns focused on volume alone just won’t cut it when it comes to influencing elected officials.  However, by utilizing creative methods to amplify your members’ voices, associations can cut through the noise and impact policy outcomes. The National Apartment Association (NAA) used the following advocacy methods throughout the pandemic to engage members and drive the rental housing policy conversation.

In-district advocacy efforts. With the Capitol closed to the public since early 2020, in-district advocacy has become an even more important way for members to get in front of lawmakers and educate them on the issues that matter to your organization.

Please select this link to read the complete article from ASAE's Center for Association Leadership.