TheCapitol.Net > Custom, On-Site Training > Advocacy Campaigns in Washington

Advocacy Campaigns in Washington
Using Grassroots, Coalitions, and the Media to Get Your Message Heard

Your staff will learn how to build a solid communications plan into an advocacy campaign that will motivate your constituents to act and get heard in Washington. They will learn how to recruit and motivate your stakeholders into a winning advocacy campaign, how to organize a Capitol Hill Lobbying Day, form coalitions and use the media to advance your organization's advocacy goals, and track the success of your advocacy campaign.

A 1-page overview of this custom program is available (pdf)

Custom Training Information
Sample Agenda	8:30 a.m. Welcome and Introduction Advocacy Campaigns · Overview of advocacy and educational campaigns, types, purposes and tactics · Examples of successful advocacy and educational campaigns · Traits of a successful campaign · Overview of legislative and regulatory limits that may effect these activities (i.e., Hatch Act and PAC contribution limits) Doing the Homework · What motivates your constituents to act · Techniques to find out what motivates you constituents · What are your constituents' resources and capabilities · Finding out what other similar organizations they belong to (information for possible coalition building) · What motivates a Member of Congress or their staff · Now you know your constituents-what tactics are right for you (PAC, Capitol Hill Day, media campaign) 10:00 Break 10:15 The Issue, Message, and Strategy · Developing a coherent action strategy (emphasize specific methods to reach government and regulatory officials, Members of Congress, and motivate PAC committee members, and other targeted audiences) · Creating a message for the issue · Capitalizing on your organization's issues by branding those issues · Remember that no matter what happens in the up-coming election, it's a new Congress · Identifying key Members of Congress based on their committee assignments · Tracking and rating members based on your organization's issues -developing a score card · Defining the benchmarks and measures of success for your advocacy Organizing a Capitol Hill Day · Planning cycle · Budgeting for the event · Speakers and training · First timers · Training your members so the know what to expect, say, and do 12:00 Networking Lunch 1:00 Communications Tools to Motivate and Educate · Using your research results to motivate · Writing for a newsletter and the web · Using the internet and email in your advocacy campaign · Developing new, additional, and one-time communication vehicles · Placing your message and messengers into 24-hour news media 2:30 Break 2:45 Building and Using Coalitions · Benefits of building a coalition · Finding natural and unnatural allies · Pros and cons of coalitions · Overcoming obstacles that may effect the coalition's goals · Branding the coalition's message 3:45 Break 4:00 Tracking and Evaluating What Happened and Lessons Learned · Why tracking is important · Tips on ways to track Hill and media reaction · How to gauge if your campaign was a success · Following up campaign with wrap-up report 4:30 Program concludes and complete evaluations All custom training is tailored for each organization and audience. Topics from this program can be combined with topics from our other programs and with topics from your existing training programs.
Sample Agendas in pdf format	A sample agenda is available as a pdf. See our Sample Agendas page for agendas from our other custom training. back to top
Audience Level	Attendees should have some knowledge of, or a minimum of one year's experience working with, the media, or completion of one of our Media Training courses is recommended. back to top
Audience Size	This program is most effective for between 15 and 35 attendees. Not enough staff for a custom, on-site program? You can still train your staff at our public courses.
Previous Clients	Our selected client list includes clients who have purchased custom training, sent staff to our public programs and who have purchased our publications.
Faculty	Our faculty for this program all have more than 10 years' experience working with the media, on grassroots or national education/advocacy campaigns. back to top
Rave Reviews	See what some of the attendees at our custom programs say about our custom training.
Course Materials	Materials can include a personal copy of Media Relations Handbook by Brad Fitch or Common Sense Rules of Advocacy by Keith Evans for each attendee. back to top
Length and Location	Usually requires 1 or 2 days. This program is usually held in Washington, DC. It can be presented anywhere in the world.
Internal Marketing	To help you publicize and market a custom program to your organization's audience, we can provide printed materials and language for your own internal promotion and publicity.
Fee	The fee for this program depends on the location, number of attendees, length, and training materials. Call us for details, or complete our custom program information request for more information. If you don't have enough people for a custom, on-site program, you can still train your staff at our public course. back to top
What is included in the fee?	TheCapitol.Net tailors each program to meet your training and educational objectives. Before we issue a cost proposal, we will work with you to tailor a program to meet your training objectives. We provide all course materials and faculty chosen for your topic and your audience at the time and location you choose. Our custom program clients provide the classroom/meeting space, all audio visual equipment, any food and beverages, all registration functions, and travel arrangements for attendees. When the program is held outside the Washington, DC metro area, travel arrangements for faculty can be made by the client or by us. We can also provide meeting space, audio visual equipment, food and beverage, registration, and travel arrangements, though this affects cost.
FAQs	See FAQs About Our Custom On-Site Training. back to top
Payment	TheCapitol.Net accepts all forms of payment for its custom training, including credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, Discover, American Express), government procurement cards, checks, Form 1556, EFT, and purchase orders.
About Us	TheCapitol.Net, Inc., is a non-partisan small business and a Virginia corporation. We are registered with CCR. See our About Us page for more details. FEIN: 54-1917701 DUNS: 04-273-5071 CAGE: 1K5S4
Related Information	Congressional Deskbook Congressional Directory Congressional Documents Online Congressional Leadership and Committees (listing) Congress - Published Schedules Essential Hill and Political Washington Web Sites Essential PAC Web Sites How to Contact Congress Legislation and Legislatures, including national, state and local links Lobbying and Advocacy links Pay and Perquisites of Members of Congress Politics and Political News Selected Media Web Sites - from the Congressional Deskbook
Related Custom Training	Strategies for Working with Congress and Congressional Staff Grassroots Advocacy on the New Capitol Hill How to Research and Compile Legislative Histories How to Work With the Media Tracking and Monitoring Legislation back to top
Need more information?	Phone: 703-739-3790 Email: custom -at- TheCapitol.Net Complete our online custom program information request. back to top
Non-Partisan	TheCapitol.Net is a non-partisan firm, and the opinions of its faculty, authors, clients and the owners and operators of its vendors are their own and do not represent those of TheCapitol.Net.

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Last updated: April 04, 2008