I KNOW! IT’S ONLY MARCH! Most of the country is not even thinking about the elections. But as a nonprofit, election season provides a unique opportunity to elevate, highlight, and educate the public – and candidates - about issues important to your organization. (Hopefully, your organization is already engaged in advocacy and making sure public policy is addressing our most pressing issues. If not, read this first.) In 2020, all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives, 34 of the 100 seats in the US Senate, and, of course, the office of president of the United States will be decided. Also, 11 states will be electing their governor – and there are hundreds of state and local elections. It’s a big year. THE BEST TIME TO EDUCATE A LAWMAKER IS WHEN THEY ARE A CANDIDATE. Does your organization have a plan to take advantage of this unique opportunity? When I ask organizations how they are planning on using the 2020 elections to advance their missions, I usually hear, “Well, we are creating a voter guide for our members.” GREAT! Creating a voter and election guides is a good start. But that is just one activity – and a very passive one, at that. Many organizations are hesitant to do ANYTHING that has to do with elections. Of course, nonprofits must abide by certain rules during election years – especially if you receive public funding. But don’t be scared off by these rules. They are easy to follow. Read this comprehensive guide by Bolder Advocacy and check out their trainings. You can also watch this recent webinar by epolitics.com. HERE ARE 5 WAYS THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION CAN ENSURE CANDIDATES – OR FUTURE LAWMAKERS – UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS IMPORTANT TO YOU. 1. Contact the candidates and ask them to meet with you so you can share information about your organizations and the issues you care about. You might not be able to meet with a Presidential candidate (side-eye to Iowans), but you can certainly meet with candidates running for city council, school board, county commissioner, state office, etc. In fact, they will likely be thrilled to meet with you! Local elected officials often have a lot of discretion and control over programs that may impact your organization – like transportation, housing, education, etc. Invite your local candidates to meet up for coffee to introduce your organization and your work on issues impacting your community. Bring basic information about your organization and share how you can work together to impact local policies. And, you never know, your mayor might be President someday. ;) 2. Educate your donors, members, and supporters about your issues and how they are impacted by public policy. Your supporters - especially donors – may only see themselves as supporting your organization financially. But they may not be aware of how they can help advance your policy priorities! This is where your election or voter guide comes in handy. You may assume that your donors and supporters are crystal clear about your policy priorities – don’t! An election or voter guide will articulate your positions on policy areas important to your organization. It will also help your supporters evaluate the candidates based on your priorities. Additionally, it can serve to outline which offices are having elections, key dates, voting processes, and how to find polling places. Here is an example of an excellent election guide. Also, don’t forget - many of your donors and members already donate to candidates and campaigns and may have relationships with candidates you can leverage. Arm them with information to help shape your lawmakers’ and candidates’ perspectives on issues important to your organization. 3. Use the election as an opportunity to raise awareness around your issue. At a town hall forum this winter, someone asked Presidential candidate former South Bend Mayor, Pete Buttigieg, about his record on housing and homelessness. As he gave his answer, I wondered how many housing organizations would use this opportunity to share their solutions to this complex issue. During 2020, this situation will happen over and over again. Is your organization following the conversations? Are you ready to jump in and leverage the opportunity? You can create a communications plan – RIGHT NOW - that outlines your key messages, preps your key spokespeople, and identifies your key communication channels. Like a crisis communications plan, this document will help ensure you are ready when these opportunities arise. 4. Encourage your donors, members, and supporters to be engaged in the election and VOTE. Nonprofit voter registration is pretty standard. But are you doing it? Make sure you have information on your website about how to register to vote, key deadlines, and the proper process in your state. You may even want to list the offices up for election this year. Then remind your supporters to vote when the time comes. 5. Plan a candidate forum or town hall meeting. Obviously, this takes a bit more energy and time. But you can join forces with your coalition partners, or your local League of Women Voters, to host a candidate forum focused on a particular issue or sector. This is an extremely effective way to educate candidates, get them on the record, and engage the media and your community. Now, get out there and make sure to educate your candidates so they can be true allies when they are elected officials. MORE HELPFUL RESOURCES Nonprofits In An Election Year: What Can You Do? [Video] Bolder Advocacy Alliance for Justice League of Women Voters U.S. Election Assistance Commission Nonprofit Vote

GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNS WIN. Organizations that build their campaigns from the ground up – placing their members and supporters at the CENTER of their campaigns – will be on stronger ground. Sure, you can probably get a few legislative wins with your contract lobbyist. But often – and this is becoming more common – you will need more than just a lobbyist to achieve your policy goals. Especially if you are a nonprofit, membership, or social justice organization, you MUST engage your supporters and members. You can do this by equipping your supporters and members with the tools and resources they need to share your message. Not only is it the only way you can compete with big-money campaigns, but placing your members and supporters at the center of your campaigns will strengthen your organization for years to come. ADVOCATES ARE 7 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DONATE TO YOUR ORGANIZATION THAN NON-ADVOCATES. Here are a few examples of what it looks like when organizations put their members at the center of their campaigns: Your key members are involved in the development of your legislative agenda and know your key priorities You use data to understand your advocates’ actions and know who is ripe to move up the “advocate ladder” and engage further Your advocate universe is growing beyond your traditional audiences – your staff, leaders, and members share your legislative priorities with others and encourage them to get involved You communicate and celebrate your big and small wins with your advocates – and their contributions Are your members and donors at the CENTER of your advocacy campaigns?

What does love have to do with advocacy? Recognizing, thanking, and showering your advocates and supporters with love is a key part of any advocacy plan. Celebrating and recognizing advocates is one of the easiest, yet most often forgotten, tools of the advocacy world. However, taking time to celebrate wins and acknowledge those who contributed to your success, will strengthen your future advocacy efforts and campaigns. Celebration and recognition can take many forms. It can be as easy as sending out a thank you note to advocates who took action and informing them of the outcome of a hearing or vote. Or more sophisticated, like developing an advocate recognition program. Either way, organizations with a strong culture of advocacy take care to recognize and acknowledge their advocates who significantly contribute to their advocacy efforts (including staff) each year. I work with my clients to help them develop advocate recognition programs that reflect their culture, values, and community. P.S. Be the first to get advocacy tricks and tips by signing up for my email list. I send 1-2 emails per month.

To most of the country, the 2020 election season is just beginning. But here in Iowa – where I moved back to this summer – we are knee-deep in rallies, email appeals, door-knockers, and TV ads. And after February 3 (the Iowa Caucuses), this excitement is coming to a town near you. Being in Iowa during this historical event – something surprised me. The level of anxiety my friends, family, and neighbors are feeling. Instead of excitement and a sense of service- they are anxious about choosing the right candidate, about making the right choice for the rest of the country. AND I LOVE THAT. THEY TAKE THEIR ROLE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS SERIOUSLY. THEY REALLY THINK DEEPLY ABOUT THE ISSUES AND HOW FUTURE POLICY DECISIONS COULD IMPACT THEM, THEIR FAMILIES, AND THEIR COMMUNITIES. I LOVE IT. But I am also noticing a ton of anxiety. With so many candidates – whose policy proposals are more alike than different – how do we choose the right one? Who do I support during a long, cold evening in a school gym? AND IT GOT ME THINKING – THE ELECTION IS ONE DAY IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. IF WE WANT TO SEE THE POLICY CHANGES WE NEED TO BETTER OUR COMMUNITIES – WE NEED TO BE ENGAGED ALL YEAR ROUND. Even if my candidate wins the Iowa Caucuses on Monday, they will not be able to change policy – WITHOUT MY HELP! And this eases my anxiety. Regardless of who the Democratic nominee is, my engagement will determine if we move forward with bold, inspirational ideas or incremental change. It is MY involvement that will determine if we see the change we want – and need. And this keeps me grounded.

NONPROFIT VISION PODCAST FT. BETHANY SNYDER: BUILDING BLOCKS OF EFFECTIVE NONPROFIT ADVOCACY I was thrilled to be interviewed by Gregory Nielsen for his Nonprofit Vision podcast. I hope you’ll take a listen. Listen Here Description: Highly effective nonprofits understand that engaging in advocacy is vital in fulfilling their mission and translating their vision into reality. Bethany Snyder, an experienced advocacy strategist, joins Greg to discuss tips for developing effective grassroots and grasstops programs to demonstrate your people power and leverage the expertise of your supporters.

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.

LOBBYISTS, THIS MESSAGE IS FOR YOU. I feel your pain. I see you walking the hallways, taking a million calls a day – from clients, legislative staff, and your bosses. It is rough out there. I see you. You have a ton to juggle – relationships with your clients, lawmakers, and their staff drafting language, fact sheets, talking points, and emails committee schedules, votes, and meetings negotiating policy needs and coalition dynamics connecting key stakeholders to their lawmakers building public support to pass your bills As you analyze how your bills are going to move through the process, you are evaluating each legislator: you know which ones you can move, which ones need a higher touch, and those who are set in their corner. Wouldn’t you love to work with a grassroots strategist who can help you strategically engage advocates to move your bills forward? I DO THIS! I work with lobbyists (in-house and contract) to strategically engage advocates to achieve your policy goals; to connect your key stakeholders to their lawmakers; to BUILD POWER FOR THE FUTURE! However, when I reach out to organizations’ government relations or advocacy leaders, I hear, “We don’t need your services. We already have a lobbyist.” Oy vey. And I respond, THAT’S GREAT! I AM NOT A LOBBYIST! But I can be their best friend. Lobbyists, I will make you look amazing – to your clients, bosses, and lawmakers! While also strengthening your power in the Capitol. INTRIGUED? LET’S CHAT!

I refer to big political years like 2020 as the “Super Bowl of our industry.” This is our time to shine. All the time, effort, engagement, plans, talking points, strategy, and tweets we have poured our energy into will (hopefully) pay off in 2020. But it can seem totally overwhelming. There are thousands of elections in 2020 – from city, state, and federal; to county, school boards, and park boards; to PRESIDENT! AHHHH! How can your organization break through these big-money competitions? How can you get your issues front and center? How do you get your members to step-up and get engaged in your advocacy efforts? As 2020 approaches, organizations that take note of these advocacy trends will successfully engage their supporters, capture lawmakers’ attention, and have big policy wins. Advocate-centered campaigns Big and small data Captivating storytelling Broad coalitions Innovation ADVOCATE-CENTERED CAMPAIGNS Organizations that listen to how their members and supporters want to be engaged will have winning campaigns. Advocate-centered campaigns will capture the attention of lawmakers – and strengthen your organization for years to come. But the first step is to understand who your audience is. I work with many health care organizations and begin by asking, “who are your advocates? Who is your target audience?” Most of the time, they start rattling off large groups of people: providers, staff, patients, their families, the community, lawmakers, oh my! Yes, they may ALL be your target audiences at some point, but who is your audience for this campaign? Who do you NEED to engage to be successful? Who is at the center of your campaign? Once you properly identify your advocate audiences, pay attention to how they want to be engaged. And then develop advocate ladders so you can grow and increase their engagement over time. Some advocates will jump at the chance to participate in a lobby day. But most will start by signing a petition or writing their lawmakers an email. How are you moving your advocates up the engagement ladder? This relies on collecting data on your advocates – and using it. BIG AND SMALL DATA Effectively using data has been trending for many years now. Organizations that track their advocates’ activity – and know how to use this information - will have a leg-up on their campaigns. Not only will these organizations thoroughly understand their advocates’ strengths and weaknesses (“we don’t have much ground cover in district 18 so we need to build it” and “let’s turn our grassroots on in district 18 to switch that vote”), they will be able to use this information to fundraise. According to Classy (a fundraising platform), “Many nonprofits saw a surge in recurring subscription initiations following the 2016 election, particularly civil rights, social action, and advocacy organizations.” Further, as they analyzed their fundraising data, Classy noted that donors who first gave during an election cycle were 50% more likely to give again. If you are not collecting, tracking, and leveraging your advocate’s data, you won’t be able to ask them to donate to support your critical mission. CAPTIVATING STORYTELLING Storytelling has been gaining the attention of many industries recently – business, retail, nonprofit, etc. And while many advocacy and policy organizations focus on creating white papers, policy papers, fact sheets, and other information to make their case - compelling storytelling can inspire people to take action and join your cause. Connecting your policy priorities to how they impact people’s lives can not only help you grow your influence, it will also help lawmakers remember why your policy advocacy is important. Cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner suggests that people are 22 times more likely to remember facts when presented in a story than when presented alone. And this makes sense. Lawmakers hear facts and figures every day. They are presented with charts, graphs, and one-pages all day long. But when it comes time to make a decision about a piece of legislation, your advocates’ stories will be what they remember. These stories can move them to vote with you – and may even inspire them to become a champion for your issue. BROAD COALITIONS I predict we will see bigger and stronger coalitions as organizations and sectors tackle our most challenging social problems. As I reflect, I cannot think of a recent winning campaign that did not engage a broad coalition of organizations and interests. Organizations that partner with other organizations that share a common goal are more likely to win. A broad coalition demonstrates that your issue is important to a broad constituency. A great example is the restriction on smoking in public places over the past decade. Had only the American Cancer Society championed this issue, it might not have been as successful. A broad coalition of public health, patients, disease-specific organizations, health care providers, business owners, and bar/restaurant employees banned together to demonstrate that smoking bans are good for our health – and business. When it comes to legislative change, organizations that try to stand on their own are waging a tough battle - and risk being seen as a single-issue campaign with only a few people’s interests in mind. INNOVATION Innovation continues to be on-trend. Organizations that develop creative, innovative campaigns that push the envelope will see more policy success in 2020 than those tired, predictable campaigns. By now, lawmakers and their staff have seen it all. You need to do something to stand out and get your message heard. Don’t take this as doing something gimmicky – although that may work too. But tap into the emotion of WHY this work is so important. Why is access to mental health care services critical for young people? What happens when LGBTQ kids are subjected to conversion therapy? To be innovative, you also need to be flexible and be able to try new things. They may not all succeed, but you’ll find the gems that will and build off of those. 2020 is going to be NOISY! I can barely hear anything already. Organizations that are able to get their message heard will be the most successful. This means building innovative campaigns that create strong advocates, who are equipt with the tools to share your message, and have a consistent drumbeat so your message is remembered when it matters.

LEVERAGE YOUR KNOWLEDGE. Legislators need – and want – to hear from their constituents. Especially constituents who understand big, complex policy areas (like health and human services, education, the environment, etc.). Over the past decade, legislator and legislative staff tenure are shrinking – due to retirements, a push into the private sector, and a volatile electoral map. This has resulted in less knowledge and understanding of complex budgeting and legislative environments in legislatures across the country. Organizations that have members and supporters with subject matter expertise are invaluable to legislators and their staff. “Direct constituent interactions have more influence on lawmakers’ decisions than other advocacy strategies.” 2017 Congressional Management Foundation survey But your supporters’ expertise is not only valuable during the legislative session. It is particularly valuable during election years. Leverage this moment in time- the best time to educate a lawmaker is when they are a candidate. When they are candidates, you have your future lawmakers’ attention. They WANT to learn from you. They have the time and attention to listen to your concerns as they are forming their policy platforms. Leverage this moment to ensure your policy solutions are front and center. And then, after the election, make sure your advocates reconnect with their lawmakers to remind them of your policy goals.

START 2020 OFF RIGHT! If you don’t have staff managing your advocacy efforts – or even if you do – you might be doing one of these advocacy no-nos. Don’t be ashamed. These are common advocacy mistakes that organizations make every day – that you should stop today. Click here to get your free download There is a lot at stake right now. Is your grassroots program as strong as it could be? After you are sure you aren't making any of these mistakes, take a minute to think about if you are leveraging your peaple power. If you would like a thought-partner or strategic advisor to ensure your grassroots program is as strong as it should be -- drop me a note. I'd love to chat with you about how to make sure your organization isn't ignored by lawmakers this year. LET'S DO THIS!

GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY. Have I scared you off yet? These can be frightening words for some nonprofits — but they shouldn’t be. Most nonprofits, from community groups to social justice organizations, are focused on providing resources and solutions to some of our toughest issues. You’re housing the homeless, feeding the hungry, saving animals, children, babies, and families — helping people meet their basic needs. This is important work — extremely important. But it doesn’t afford you the you the time or space or energy that is needed to focus on how to solve these issues. However, you have the knowledge, expertise, and real life experience to help solve these tough problems. You see the solutions, you see the possibilities, but you need space and guidance to get this info to the right people — the people who make decisions about laws and policies. ADVOCACY AFFORDS YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE YOUR EXPERTISE TO HELP SOLVE BIG PROBLEMS. By engaging in advocacy, even in small ways, you can help find solutions to the toughest issues our society faces. And the best part? You can even use this strategy to raise more money! Want to find out how, and what you can do to help? In this post published by Wild Apricot, I’ve detailed what exactly advocacy is (and isn’t) and six easy steps you can start following today to get more involved in making change happen.

Originally published by Harbage Consulting (July 7, 2018) On July 1, 2018, the California Medicaid program launched its Health Homes Program, which provides a new set of health care services at no cost to beneficiaries with certain chronic health conditions and/or a serious mental illness. San Francisco County is the first county to roll-out the program, with 28 other counties implementing in two phases over the next year. California joins 22 states and the District of Columbia in operating health home initiatives – in total there are 34 initiatives underway, as some states have designed health homes for more than one target population. The goal of the California Health Homes Program is to coordinate and promote access to the full range of physical health, behavioral health, and social services for Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid program) beneficiaries with complex needs and empower them to play an active role in their own care. Medi-Cal managed care plans are leading the development and implementation of the Health Homes Program. The plans contract with community health care providers, known as Community Based Care Management Entities (CB-CMEs), to engage eligible Medi-Cal patients and provide health homes services. Target Populations To qualify for the Health Homes Program, Medi-Cal beneficiaries must: Be enrolled in a Medi-Cal managed care plan; Have certain chronic health conditions (e.g. asthma, diabetes, kidney or liver disease, heart failure, etc.); and Meet certain acuity criteria (e.g. have had emergency room visits, hospital stays, or be chronically homeless). In January 2019, the program will expand to include Medi-Cal beneficiaries with a serious mental illness. Medi-Cal health plans contact the members who qualify for the Health Homes Program and connect them with a community provider to deliver the services. Health care providers can also refer patients to the health plan to see if they qualify. Joining the program does not take away or change any of the person’s Medi-Cal benefits. Core Services People who join the Health Homes Program are assigned a care team – including a care coordinator – that works together to help them get the health care and social services they need. The care team is composed of the person’s current and new health care providers, as well as case managers or others from community organization that serve the patient. A key focus of the HHP is connecting people who are experiencing homelessness with housing supports. The Health Homes Program provides access to six core services: Develop and maintain a Health Action Plan to help them meet their health care goals and stay healthy; Keep all providers coordinated and up-to-date about members’ health care needs and the services they receive; Provide information and tools to inform people and their family members on the best ways to manage health conditions; Help people move safely and easily between different care settings, such as entering or leaving a hospital or nursing facility and returning to their own home; Include family or friends on the care team if the person chooses, so they have up-to-date information on their conditions and ways to support them; and Help people find and apply for needed community and social services, including housing. My Role On behalf of Harbage Consulting, Bethany Snyder worked with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to design and execute a comprehensive engagement, education, and communications strategy to support implementation of the HHP. Bethany led the Harbage Health Homes team as they developed strategies, materials, and messages for a range of stakeholders including managed care plans, health care providers, Medi-Cal beneficiaries, and community-based organizations. These materials include a Member Toolkit, a Provider Guide, and a fact sheet for health plans to use to educate their members and community providers on the program. We also have outreach staff on the ground in the counties that are connecting directly with participating providers, beneficiaries, and community-based organizations. Additionally, we supported the development of a Program Guide, which identifies the HHP requirements. I will continue to follow DHCS' implementation of the Health Homes Program and its transformation of how medical and social service providers work together to ensure that the most vulnerable Medicaid beneficiaries have access to the care and support they need.