CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Organizations with a steady drumbeat will be remembered by lawmakers when tough decisions are being made. And organizations that routinely engage their members will help with this process.
You need to consistently engage your members, donors, and supporters throughout the legislative process. Not here, not there; but consistently throughout the process.
It is not uncommon for an organization’s bill to sail through the legislature and get to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. The organization then goes into full-press mode, asking all of their members to contact the governor to urge them to sign the bill.
Then nothing happens. Maybe a handful of folks contact the governor (and this is IF the organization is tracking this data). Why aren’t advocates contacting the governor? Don’t they want this awesome bill to become law? Seriously.
One of the most important aspects of grassroots advocacy is building relationships with your advocates. Your members and supporters want to be kept in the loop, they want to know what is going on. Only then can they be the best advocates for your organization.
This does not mean you should throw targeting out the window, but you should be asking your members to take action on your priority bills throughout the session. They should know what is going on if your bill makes it to the next committee, for a floor vote, and to the governor’s desk.
Further, as you consistently engage your members, that means that lawmakers are being consistently engaged as well. This will serve you well when lawmakers need to make tough decisions throughout the legislative session.
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