Grassroots Tips

The Fundamentals of Grassroots Lobbying

June 4, 2014 by Drew McKissick in Grassroots Tips | Leave a comment

grassroots lobbyingWhen you are working to try to influence elected officials there is a long list of things that you can do, but there is a shorter list of basic grassroots lobbying principles that you should keep in mind in order to be more effective.

Here’s a checklist…

Identify Your Targets

Before you start storming barricades, find out exactly where elected officials stand on your issue, and then relentlessly focus your time and attention on those who are undecided or persuadable. When you are able to focus on just a few officials who themselves represent a small number of constituents, this gives you tremendous leverage.  (see tips here)

Get to Know Them

Just like every other area in life, personal relationships matter. How well do you know the people that you are trying to influence? The better you know someone, the more likely that you will know how to approach them. What’s important to them, and why? How do they usually come down on most issues?

Get to know them on a personal level if possible, (it’s always harder to say no to someone you know). That’s why being involved in the political process helps.

Finalize Your Message

Before you set out to lobby or campaign on any issue, you need to settle on “what” you want to say. Frame your message in a positive light. Give them the information that they need about your issue. Let them know why it’s important to the people that they represent, which should make it important for them. And make it easy for them to say “yes”.  (See tips here and here)

Play to Your Strengths

Choose the grassroots lobbying methods that make the most of your current and likely resources. Whether its post cards, petitions, email, phone calls, personal visits or all of the above, be sure to choose tactics that best fit your strengths and what you and other supporters are most capable of doing successfully.  (see tips here)

Don’t try to do everything. Focus. It’s better to do a few things really well than to attempt to do a lot and only manage a half-way job. It doesn’t help your case to look ineffective.

Be Personal and Spontaneous

Generally speaking, the more personal and/or spontaneous the contact is, the more effective it will be – but the harder it may be to generate big numbers. For example, a stack of thirty postcards can be viewed as just “pieces of paper’, but thirty personal letters, or thirty people showing up at a meeting, (or at their office), creates a more vivid and lasting impression. It’s easier to get thirty people to sign postcards, but harder to get them to write their own letters or go to a meeting. Don’t just go for “quantity” because it’s easier. Try to focus on “quality”.

Let Them Know What You Will Do

Of course we always want to let politicians know how we “feel” about various issues, and well we should. But it can be even more effective if you let them know what you will do. For example, let them know that you intend to contact every registered voter in your neighborhood; or have ten people write letters to the editor; or have everyone in your church show up and protest outside their office for a week; or that you will contact everyone you know to organize an effort to recruit someone to run against them in the next election if they don’t support your efforts. Also be sure to let them know what you will do to support them if they support your issue.

Be careful not to come across like a hothead and ramp things up too quickly. Depending on where they are on the issue, slowly turn up the heat and build pressure.

Multiply Your Efforts

The more the merrier, so enlist others in the effort, (why should you have all the fun – or do all the work?). The larger your group of fellow malcontents becomes, the more resources (including time, money and extended networks) that you will have to draw from. Actively recruit! Don’t be shy. If you are upset about it, chances are someone else is too.

Build a Team

More people means more (and hopefully better) grassroots organization and a bigger impact. Once you’ve got a group together, organize it – and don’t forget to delegate! The more organized you are, the better that you can leverage the resources that everyone brings to the table.  It also helps build the conservative political farm team.  (see tips here and here)

Say Thank-You

Most people don’t contact a public official unless they are upset about something. If you take the time to thank those who do right – even publicly – they will remember it. It’s a cheap investment that can pay big dividends down the road.

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No matter what grassroots lobbying techniques or tactics that you might decide to use in your efforts, they will all generally revolve around these principles. Think of this as the basic checklist.

Make sure that you’re covering the basics!

How to Get Elected to a Local Political Party Office

March 24, 2014 by Drew McKissick in Grassroots Tips | 1 Comment

Running for leadershipIf you want to have an even greater impact on the things that you care about, serving in a local political party office is another great opportunity to do exactly that.

But you need to keep a few things in mind…

You need to go to the meetings

Begin by showing up for local party meetings and let those who are there know that you are sincere about wanting to get involved. Given the overall level of apathy and how few people actually get involved, they’ll likely be surprised, and they’re sure to appreciate it. Few people are willing to spend the time and energy it takes to rise through the ranks. Those that do are usually successful in the long run.

Sure, meetings can be boring sometimes. But it’s hard to have an organization without meetings. And it’s harder to get people to eventually elect you to something if you’re not “at” the meetings.

Don’t hesitate to pay your dues

In pretty much any type of organization that elects leadership, the best way to move up the ranks is by “paying your dues”. Political parties are no different.

Whether you want to run for local precinct president, or serve on your county or district committee as a committeeman, be a delegate or anything else, it helps if the people who will be voting know that you have paid your dues. That means getting involved and volunteering for whatever is going on that you’re interested in.

Remember, it’s always easier to “lead” (and ask people to let you lead) if you’ve been willing to “serve”.

Parties tend to promote from within

It’s just a simple fact that people tend to support other people that they are familiar with. While it’s true that some people manage to “leap-frog” ahead of others in the political process without paying any dues, it’s not usually the case. And if you’re too ambitious too soon, you can spook long-time members unnecessarily, get isolated and work yourself out of some potential friends and allies.

Take your time. Don’t make enemies if you don’t have to. Study the structure and procedures of the group and look for partners, not opponents.

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Of course, none of this is to say that you can’t “storm the castle” if it’s absolutely necessary, but that requires a lot of work and organization – plus a lot of friends who are willing to work with you. And after it’s over, if you win, you’ll probably have to continually deal with the people that you took the castle “from”. Just keep that in mind.

But the bottom line to remember is that so few people get involved at all that if you’re willing to serve you’ll be in rare company and probably move up the ranks quicker than you think.

Tips For Better Political Activism

February 14, 2014 by Drew McKissick in Grassroots Tips | Leave a comment

politics2So you’re all excited or worked up about some issue, campaign or candidate and you decide it’s time to volunteer and try to make a difference.  That’s great.  But there’s always a risk that you’ll be overzealous, jump in to anything and everything with both feet and soon get burned out.  When that happens, you won’t have much of an impact on anything.

Here are some political activism tips that will help you stick with it and make a difference for the things you care about.

Know why you’re involved

Knowing “why” you’re involved in something goes a long way towards keeping you involved. It’s that thing that will keep you motivated over the long haul. What’s motivating you? What impact do you want to have? How involved do you want to get? Just be a volunteer or become a leader? What skills do you want to learn or what issue do you want to learn more about? Who do you want to get to know?

If the “why” isn’t enough to make you want to “do”, then “don’t. If you don’t know “why”, you either need to figure it out or do something else.

Make reasonable commitments

It’s much better for you and any cause that you’re volunteering for that you be realistic about what you can do. Think about how you can achieve a happy medium between the time you’re really able to contribute and the needs of the cause or campaign that you’re getting involved with.

Don’t over-commit. In the end, it’s your dependability that’s most important.

Get to know everyone involved

Since politics is about people, personal relationships are the glue that holds everything together. So be sure to attend regular meetings and events as often as possible and get to know everyone involved.

Knowing and networking with other likeminded activists will help you be more effective both now and in the future.

Keep a good attitude

Sometimes “somebody” has to do the tedious, menial, “un-fun” work…like delivering literature all over creation, or calling voters you don’t know. But since it has to be done, attitude is everything. This is why you should be careful about “what” you volunteer to do. Make sure it’s the kind of thing that you can do and still keep a good attitude. As a result you’ll be more productive for the things you care about.

If you don’t stay positive about what you’re doing, you won’t last long.

Go the extra mile

People who are willing to give an extra effort and “fill in the gaps” when necessary are essential to making any cause or campaign a success, not to mention sustaining it. If you know why you’re involved and aren’t over-committed, it’s easier to do more when necessary.

People who go the extra mile stand out…and they go farther.

Recruit others

Any group or cause can never have too many volunteers, (and they never do). Share the vision with your friends, family, and others. Invite them to meetings. Send them updates. The more manpower, the better your group or cause will do.

The more conservatives that get involved in our political system, the better off the conservative movement will be as a whole. The more who get involved at the grassroots level, the more who will eventually be in positions of leadership at higher levels.

Be patient and persistent

If you’re not patient, you’ll probably get a bad attitude, won’t last long and won’t be able to keep at it long enough to make a difference. Remember, things don’t always run on your schedule, especially in politics. Also, persistence is the key to long-term political success. Other people quit. Don’t be one of them.

If you’re patient and persistent you’re more likely to make a difference.

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The purpose of this is not to discourage you from getting involved, but to get you to make sure that you volunteer in a way that you’re more likely to enjoy – and that will keep you involved in the long run.

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