Nonpartisan Hacks

Pulling Every Lever: Advocacy from the Local Level Up

Listen Later
What does it actually take to get something into a government budget?

In this episode of Nonpartisan Hacks, Joel Grenz and Sean Wood go behind the scenes on Sean’s multi-year advocacy journey to increase the Volunteer First Responder Tax Credit — first at the federal level, then provincially in British Columbia. From jogging past the fire hall in Parksville to sitting in the legislature on budget day, it’s a story about persistence, relationships, and pulling every lever you can find.

Plus: it's the show's first-ever video episode and there's a new way to pitch in. Joel's agency built GiverLever, a WordPress donation plugin for nonprofits, campaigns, and creators, and you can take it for a spin by supporting the podcast, or back a specific episode you think deserves more listeners by contributing directly on that episodes page on the website.

Listen in for:

  • How Sean took an idea from a failed federal campaign to two government budgets
  • What budget day actually looks like inside the BC legislature, including the media “lockup”
  • Why advocating from multiple channels at once is the key to getting things done
  • The real cost difference between volunteer and paid fire departments — and why it matters for your property taxes
  • How a casual conversation with the Minister of Finance at a UBCM reception fits into the bigger advocacy picture

    • 👉 Subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform.

    Wanna watch?

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store
    Nonpartisan HacksBy Joel Grenz and Sean Wood