Advocacy Help Desk

Advocacy is driven by people. But how do you find new advocates? And how are you learning more about what interests your current stakeholders? This week we're joined by Rand Fishkin, Co-founder of SparkToro, an audience discovery platform that helps groups find the websites their audience visit, social accounts they follow, hashtags they use, and more. Listen in as we dive into how through knowing the content our ideal audience is consuming, we can better engage them in the future, driving both advocacy and PAC results.

Our first three-time guest on the show, Kristin Brackemyer, Director, PAC and Government Relations for the Public Affairs Council joins us in our first episode of 2022 to talk about the changing landscape for PACs. Touching on everything from the 147 to the midterms, fundraising strategies to reconnecting with lapsed contributors, Kristin lends her expertise helping you to be prepared for the year to come. There's a lot to cover, and a lot of first-hand insight into how PACs are responding to the challenges that 2022 presents. If you run a lobbying shop, PAC or grassroots effort, it's an episode you won't want to miss.

The keys to effective communication = brevity, passion, a bit of data and the human touch. Communications expert Jean Card, Founder of Jean Card Ink, lays these ingredients out in our latest episode to help you sharpen your advocacy comms. A veteran speechwriter for the White House and Cabinet agencies alike, Jean breaks down for us how to truly engage with your audience while getting your story across. From tips on how to "bring the passion out" to sprinkling in data with a personal story, Jean gives us insight into what it takes to be an effective communicator in today's digital age. This episode will help you take concrete steps to make you a better communicator with your audience, leadership and elected officials to ensure your issues are more likely to be heard and acted upon. 

The Keys to Digital Advocacy Innovation & Growth This great episode focuses on innovative ideas your digital advocacy program can adopt that drive growth and engagement! This week we're joined by Erica Klinger, the Senior Director of Marketing at the Association for Accessible Medicines. An Advocacy Innovation award-winner, Erica is never one to shy away from trying new ways to build her base and get her advocates involved. From cupcakes to Instagram filters, animated rock climbers to a new podcast, her organization is always at the forefront of digital & creative. Join us as we go over their successes, how she got leadership onboard and the one key thread thru it all - finding your voice to tell a plain language, easy to understand version of your organization's goals & story.

Bethany Dame, Assistant Vice President, Political Engagement & Grassroots at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association joins AHD this week to talk advocacy coalitions! From how to form a coalition to the various types, from elevating constituent voices to walking thru a checklist of what to ask members, and from what to look out for to green/yellow/red lights, we hit on all aspects of coalitions giving you the background you need when joining forces with another group. It's a fantastic episode and one you won't want to miss covering all the ins & outs from an expert who's put together dozens of coalitions across the country to push her effort forward.

This week, we're joined by Hannah Wesolowski, Director, Field Advocacy at the National Alliance on Mental Illness. An industry veteran, Hannah leads a team whose mantra is "No Wrong Door," as they prepare and provide content for their state affiliates, the public and legislators to educate, engage and empower them all to act on behalf of Mental Health. It's a fantastic conversation looking at how NAMI steps out of the limelight to provide the tools and resources needed to let others shine and, in the end, affect the change needed to support Mental Health

This week we're joined by 2021 Public Affairs Council Advocacy Award Winner Becca Steele, Director of Emerging Technologies Policy at Toyota. A veteran of Capitol Hill, Becca not only walks us through her journey to her current position, but also the work she's doing to help build a grassroots community at Toyota. Building on the company's ethos of kaizen, or constant improvement, Becca's leveraging a three pronged approach to make sure she's hitting employees at the right time with the right message to build trust, authenticity and action. Through constant improvement, targeted messaging and gamification, Toyota's building a culture of grassroots that helps them address advocacy challenges today and into the future.