8/3/12

39 Ways to Help Your Electeds Help You Keep Your Government $

Hint: It has something to do with communication.




Face to face
Present your case
To incumbents and candidates
At forums and debates.
At conventions and caucuses; to committees and commissions,
To councils, congresses, and coalitions


Benefit invitations
Requests for donations
Town hall meetings
Holiday greetings
Regular tweetings


Your annual report, your monthly newsletter
Constituent calls: 10 are good; 100 are better.
Regular updates - hard copy and online
Remember: Out of sight is out of mind.


Hard to get your elected's attention?
The indirect message can trump direct mention:
Call a call-in radio show
("We're still waiting for the mayor's answer - just a simple yes or no.")
Send a letter to the editor, submit an op-ed ...
Opinion sections are usually well-read.
You can use [nonviolent] protests, pickets, marches, sit-ins
Squatting, street theatre, sign-waving, and knit-ins


When your elected helps bring your mission to fruition,
Send lots of thank yous; give public recognition.


Finally ...
Get the most from your communications work - anything less is a tragedy!
Embed your messages in a messaging strategy.*




* In other words, it's best to have a communications plan/strategy before you choose specific communications action steps (tactics).  The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has developed a helpful guide to communications planning.