You can use the outline below to help you craft an advocacy plan. Additional information about advocacy planning and strategies is available in the Advocacy section of our website.
Step 1: Identify and understand your topic
| What does the problem look like? |
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| What is your topic? | |
| Whom does this topic affect? | |
| What’s the scale of this topic (national, local, community)? | |
Step 2: Identify specific problems to address
| Where is there still work to be done on this topic? |
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Step 3: Identify a point of action
Now that you’ve brainstormed some ideas about the kinds of changes you’d like to see around this topic, have your group vote to narrow down your suggestions to just one or two ideas.
Step 4: Identifying your advocacy target
Which agency or governing body has the authority to make the change and/or provide the funding you are seeking?
Step 5: Gathering background information
What are the facts, statistics, anecdotes, and stories that demonstrate the need for this work?
Step 6: Identifying your personal strengths
What unique skills, insights, connections, or resources can you contribute to your team’s goals?
Step 7: Developing an advocacy plan
Tip: Consider whether this change needs to take place on an administrative or legislative level.
What are your advocacy goals?
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What are the steps you need to accomplish to meet these goals?
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What organizations or individuals could act as partners with you to accomplish these goals?
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Step 8: Tracking and accounting for outcomes
| What is your timeline for accomplishing your goals? | ||
| Goal | Assigned to | Estimated completion date |
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What are the metrics or qualitative outcomes you are looking to achieve by the end of your advocacy plan?