Moving Forward

:State

Advocacy made easy

ADVOCACY COURTS CHANGE

THERE’S GREAT ADVOCACY OUT THERE!

Alabama Arkansas Florida Georgia Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee

Minnesota Iowa Wisconsin Illinois Missouri Ohio And more!

Southern Reach states: Others

? Nonprofits can’t

lobby.

Nonprofits can’t get involved in the elections

Nonprofits CAN lobby – within certain limits.

Nonprofits CAN get involved in elections – within certain limits.

FICTION FACT

FACT or FICTION

ADVOCACY VS LOBBYING

Issue education (general public or legislators)

Research and analysis Educational reports and fact

sheets Strategies that define problems

and solutions Convening/engaging

stakeholders Polling Non-partisan voter education Building relationships with

legislators Building advocacy capacity

Communication that: Expresses a view about specific

legislation, and Includes a call to action (i.e.,

vote this way; call a lawmakers)

Types of Lobbying: Direct Lobbying: Targets

lawmakers directly Grassroots Lobbying:

Encourages general public to lobby

ADVOCACY (Unlimited) LOBBYING (Limited)

PUBLIC NON-PROFITS & FOUNDATIONS MUST ABIDE BY

SAME RESTRICTIONSLobbying Election-Related

May lobby (within limit) No partisan activities allowedLimits established by:-- insubstantial-part test, or-- 501(h) expenditure test

May educate candidates and voters on issues, political process, and voter registration

No limit on non-lobbying advocacy

May host debates and forums

May conduct non-partisan get-out-the-vote drives

37 Governors, statewide offices

37 U.S. Senators All U.S. House seats, lots of

close races State Rep & Senate County & other local offices

ELECTION ENGAGEMENT

Encourage voter registration at support groups

When a client changes their address, mail them a voter registration form

Always have forms in your lobby or other busy area

Early voting*: encourage support group members to vote as a group

Encourage vote-by-mail* Ask if clients need rides on

election day and connect them with organizations doing turn-out

Voter Registration Get out the vote

*not available everywhere

• Voting by mail is now allowed for everyone.

• Request a form at VoteNakedIllinois.org.

• Take advantage of it, and spread the word!

Published a candidate questionnaire before the primary (77 responses).

Collecting and publishing statements statements from statewide candidates, and asking them to comment on the NHAS.

Conducting candidate education. Registered 75 voters at AIDS Run &

Walk Chicago. Promoting “Vote Naked”. Holding GOTV webinars for HIV service

providers and individuals. Warm-up for Chicago Mayoral elections.

THROUGH A VARIETY OF STRATEGIES, ADVOCACY

STRIVES TO CHANGE:

Public opinion

Community and institutional no

Government policies & funding

Outcomes

Why should we advocate at the state level?

EXAMPLE: SYRINGE PURCHASING CAMPAIGN

From 1999 to 2003, AFC led an intensive four-year campaign to change the state’s syringe purchasing law

Legislation drafted with AFC’s input passed the Illinois House and Senate and Governor Blagojevich signed it into law in 2003

From 2003 to the present, AFC has focused on implementation

IDU-related HIV diagnoses in Illinois dropped 65% between 2001 and 2008

ILLINOIS ADAP

No waiting list* Eligibility holding at

500% FPL* No major cost

containment * Gov. Quinn added

$7-$10 in new state funding during the year

(*for now)

$7 million cut to state-funded HIV prevention, care and housing programs

Some successes The cost

Build the capacity of your core

constituents to engage

in public policy

advocacy

Step One: Engage

JOIN AN ADVOCAC

Y NETWORK

, TAKE ACTION, AND GET OTHERS

INVOLVED!

Engagement tipsLet someone else do the hard

work:AIDS Action www.aidsaction.org

Southern AIDS Coalition www.southernaidscoalition.orgCommunity HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project:www.champnetwork.org

aidschicago.org/action

HELP CONSTITUENTS IDENTIFY THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS

Educate stakeholders to:

Enter a home or work zip code at www.votesmart.org to access a list of public officials, and print it out!

Contact your state and federal representatives on issues that matter

Keep contact info in your cell phone, by computer, and/or fax

Forward advocacy emails to staff, board, consumers and ask them to take action

Pass petitions to staff and consumers (and make sure they’re personalized!)

Participate in statehouse & Washington advocacy trips

Sign on to letters Invite organizations to do

presentations to staff or clients

TAP PEOPLE WITH HIV TO HELP PLAN AND IMPLEMENT ADVOCACY

CAMPAIGNS

Identify issuesHelp set priorities

Organize rallies/events

Collect petitionsGet the word outTell their stories

Strategize

150-person statewide coalition People with HIV are on the

steering committee and involved in every decision

Piggyback on statewide planning body meetings

Holds an annual statewide lobby day

People with HIV participate in lobby day

Obtained an increase in state HIV funding, but they were unable to hold off a waiting list

Educate individuals about policy and build their skills

Topics may include:

•How government decisions are made •AIDS policy updates•History of AIDS advocacy•Key components of advocacy•Local impact of state or federal policy•Telling your story to lawmakers•Effective legislative visits•Voter registration—election day reminder

POTENTIAL ADVOCACY ISSUES

STATE

Medicaid policy Healthcare reform implementation Housing, prevention, corrections,

human services expansion/reform State HIV/AIDS investment Coordinated services Responsive, rational and

science-based AIDS policy and law

Anti-discrimination measures

FEDERAL

Medicaid and Medicare National healthcare reform

Housing, prevention, corrections, human services expansion/reform

Increased appropriations

Coordinated services Global AIDS investment National AIDS Strategy

ASSESS YOUR ORGANIZATION’S ADVOCACY CAPACITY

Planning

o Is the Board involved in setting institutional policy positions?

o Does the organization have a process for setting policy positions? Formal or informal?

o How does the organization gather stakeholder input on policy?

o How are policy priorities set/established within the organization?

o Who conducts advocacy for the organization?o Is there a culture of advocacy within the

organization?o How are advocacy issues communicated to clients,

staff, board, donors, and others?

PREPARE YOUR AGENCYPlanning

o Create an environment that promotes advocacy involvement

o Look to your mission and programs for priority issues

o Form a policy committeeo Learn the IRS rules and educate otherso Make policy/advocacy a standing topic of

regular client, staff, board, and community meetings

How do we implement

the National HIV/AIDS

Strategy?

All states can and should use

NHAS to organize!

Ask governor candidates for statements on how they’ll implement the NHAS. Commitment must be from the top!

Organize a community forum Put together a workgroup

starting to look at data, process for community input, etc.

There’s lots of HIV planning now. How is this different?

KEEP MOVING FORWARD: PUTTING YOUR POLICY AGENDA IN

MOTIONTHANK YOU!!

John PellerDirector of Government

RelationsAIDS Foundation of Chicago

jpeller@aidschicago.org312-334-0921