It’s a wonderful time here at Phone2Action. And a sad one, too. Phone2Action’s 2019 Civic Tech Fellowship Program, a STEM-based apprenticeship, graduated another class after a summer spent working at the intersection of technology and civic engagement. The program—30 strong this year—draws participants from all over the country who travel to Washington to gain real-world…
Advocacy is a challenge every year, as the noise in Washington and state capitals grows louder and more organizations compete for attention. But it’s never more so than in an election year—and 2020 will be particularly tough. Voters are polarized. There are more than 20 candidates seeking the presidency. And it’s hard to imagine an…
Stop and think about this: regulatory advocacy grew seven-fold between 2016 and 2018, according to Phone2Action’s State of Advocacy 2019 report. The practice of trying to sway the departments and agencies that conduct rulemaking, from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Federal Communications Commission, is literally exploding as a Republican administration shifts policy after eight…
With August upon us, capitol buildings across the nation are starting to empty as lawmakers in Washington and state capitals head back to their districts. Smart advocacy organizations will follow them home. Reaching lawmakers in their district, when they are free of the hustle that comes with a session, is a solid opportunity for organizations…
Take a look at a congressional calendar and you’ll see a funny thing. Eleven months of the year, lawmakers spend significant time in session. Even in December, the House and the Senate get work done before breaking for the holidays. But August is always almost completely blank. The late summer is a political and…
It wasn’t long ago that the quality of a company’s product, its service and its value to the customer were the building blocks of success. Today, consumers demand far more. They increasingly want to know what a company stands for and, often more important, what it stands against. Many companies—including major brands like Patagonia and…
Billions of dollars are spent on advocacy in Washington, state capitals and major cities across America every year. But how effective is all that effort? Phone2Action’s State of Advocacy 2019 report suggests an answer. The report examined advocacy by hundreds of organizations using the Phone2Action platform to gain insight into how they acquire and mobilize…
Advocacy veterans know what moves their audience. Clear messaging. Narrative stories. Powerful calls to action. Yet, even if your organization does everything right, punching that message through to advocates is challenging in an increasingly busy world where people are assaulted by information all day. How do companies, nonprofits and associations cut through the noise? The…
In the world of public affairs, the idea of targeting is two-fold. There’s the efforts of the outreach team in charge of building an engaged audience ready to take action on your cause, and then there’s the act of targeting lawmakers to make sure your bill gets passed. While many organizations excel in the former,…
All advocacy starts with an audience. Your organization’s advocates are the army that gets sent forward, the engaged and passionate people who contact decision makers and carry your message. If you work for a corporation, association or nonprofit trying to impact public policy, your list of advocates dictates the strength of your campaigns. Bigger is…