Successful advocacy at the federal level often requires a strategic mix of “grassroots” and “grasstops” advocacy to get the attention of a Member of Congress. It may take input from thousands of “grassroot” constituents to get a federal lawmaker’s attention, and the chances for success go up when “grasstop” individuals with a personal relationship with the targeted official can also weigh in on policy matters.
At the state level, it may only take a handful of constituent inputs to influence a legislator. As a result, organizations often have a much better chance of persuading elected officials at the state level by mobilizing their stakeholders. Regardless of the institution you want to influence, policymakers at all levels of government want to hear from real people with real stories – especially from those they already know.
Stakeholders may come from different walks of life, but by surveying their backgrounds, you can learn their interests and identify important relationships with lawmakers – at federal, state, and local levels – that may exist in your network.
What We Do
We build and implement a stakeholder engagement strategy involving three key phases:
- Surveying stakeholder relationships and advocacy interests
- Ongoing cultivation and education of your stakeholders
- Deploying your stakeholders around key issues
Phase 1: Stakeholder Mapping
Stakeholder survey mapping will uncover 1) the hidden connections that exist between your advocates and policymakers, 2) the strength of those relationships, and 3) the degree to which your advocates are willing to engage in various advocacy tactics (i.e., make a call, attend a meeting, record a video testimonial, sign a petition, write a letter).
Phase 2: Cultivation and Education of Stakeholders
Once your key stakeholders are identified, engaging them through thoughtful and ongoing communication is essential. For those who are new to political advocacy, the act of writing, calling, or meeting a legislator can be intimidating.
We want to ensure your new advocates are nurtured, educated, and engaged throughout the year. This ensures that when it comes time to ask them to engage with policymakers, it’s not the first time they hear from you.
Phase 3: Deploying Stakeholders Around Key Issues
Now that your stakeholders have been identified, educated on your issues, and trained on how to engage in advocacy, 50 to 1 can help you deploy them when key votes take place. Utilizing the most advanced campaign platforms, we can deploy your stakeholders via custom communications to targeted policymakers and track the interactions (amongst all levels of government) all in one place.
Have Questions? Contact 50 to 1 Today
If you need help building and deploying a stakeholder engagement strategy that works, contact 50 to 1 right away to discuss your options. We provide a customized, modern approach to executing successful campaigns at both state and local levels.