Archives for grassroots lobbying

What Effective Lobbying Looks Like

February 4, 2026 by Drew McKissick in Grassroots Tips | Leave a comment

effective lobbyingEver complain about your point of view not being reflected in government?

Before you complain, make sure it’s not your fault.

Our form of government – representative self-government – relies on the feedback and involvement of citizens in order to actually “represent” them.  That means you help government operate more effectively (for you!) by contacting elected officials on a regular basis – whether they like it or not.

But when it comes to contacting elected officials, just remember the old adage that “it’s not what you say, but how you say it”.

How you say something can be just as important as what you say.  As Hubert Humphrey put it, “The right to be speak does not necessarily include the right to be taken seriously”.  If you have something important to say about government, take the time to say it in the most effective way possible.

Effective Lobbying Plays on How They Think

To understand how to lobby effectively it helps to get inside the mind of an elected official, (despite how scary that may seem with some politicians).  Generally they’re overly concerned with their next election, which means they’re constantly trying to get a handle on what voters think.

That’s where effective lobbying – (and YOU) – comes in.

The Tip of the Iceberg

Many legislators get a sense of their district through what could be called the “iceberg phenomenon”.   They represent thousands of people and, since they can’t get to know them all, they tend to look at people they come in contact with as representing “the tip of an iceberg” – and they don’t want to be the Titanic.  For example, if twenty people write their office asking them to vote against a particular bill, they think that there must be hundreds more who feel the same way but just didn’t write.

As a grassroots activist, this gives you a tremendous opportunity.  By joining together with others in a combined effort, you can have an impact that far exceeds your numbers.

Spontaneity Counts

A natural consequence of the iceberg phenomenon is that the more spontaneous the contact, the greater the impact.

If a grassroots campaign looks orchestrated, (such as a petition drive), it may tend to be discounted.  The town hall meeting and the grocery store illustrate the point.  If three people ask a question about tax increases during the open-ended question and answer time at a town hall meeting, a legislator will think that a lot of people are concerned.  But if three people stop them in the grocery store to ask about tax increases, they think “everyone” must be talking about it.

Personal is Better

The more personal the contact is, the more effective it will be.  For example, a stack of thirty postcards can be viewed as just “pieces of paper’, but thirty people at a meeting, (or showing up at their office), creates a more vivid and lasting impression.

Make it personal, but be polite.

Of course this doesn’t mean that if you engage in effective lobbying, then everything government does will suddenly start swinging your way, especially since there are other opinions out there besides yours.  But it does mean that YOURS will at least be heard…and be added to those of people who think like you do.

Don’t make it easy for them to ignore your views.

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Have any thoughts or lobbying experiences of your own to share?  Add them in the comments section below.

Get Leverage with Grasstops Lobbying

October 16, 2025 by Drew McKissick in Grassroots Tips | Leave a comment

It’s one thing to have organized pressure coming from “real” people and having them relay their real concerns and real stories to elected officials. That the essence of “grassroots” lobbying. But it’s even better to pair that with community leaders who matter to the elected officials or other politicos that you’re trying to influence.

That’s where the grasstops lobbying comes in.

It’s lobbying by people who matter to other people who matter, and it can be a force multiplier and add a new dimension to your efforts. It’s not that grassroots pressure doesn’t matter. It does because numbers matter. But if you can match a local organization’s grassroots with a similar network of grasstops leaders, you will see a tremendous leap in the ability to influence legislators.

Grasstops lobbying is effective for many reasons.

It Promotes Accountability

While many legislators may deceive themselves into thinking that they can ignore or fool the average constituent, they don’t usually feel the same about “Mr. Big” – and they don’t want to get on his (or her) bad side. These are people who are thought of as pillars of the local community, organizational leaders or opinion leaders, and they influence other people – which is why politicians usually like to keep happy. They are people who can make life easier for them if they stay on their good side.

It Breaks Through Barriers

Sometimes elected officials can become insulated from grassroots pressure. While many legislators don’t like being bombarded by letters from constituents, they may choose not to read them. But they can’t afford not to take a phone call from the president of the largest employer in the district or the pastor of the largest church.

Similarly, the number of phone calls coming into a legislator’s office eventually becomes irrelevant. All that registers in their mind is that they got a lot of phone calls. However, several calls from key community leaders or even a personal visit will stick out in their minds.

Examples of Potential “Grasstops” Community Leaders:

  • Pastors
  • Large employers
  • Other elected officials
  • Political party leaders
  • Former staffers to other elected officials
  • Major contributors to the elected officials you’re targeting
  • Civic or other advocacy organization leaders
  • Newspaper publishers
  • Opinion leaders
  • People who have credibility with the media
  • Neighbors, relatives or friends (of the elected official)

Think through the list of names that come to mind. Who has the most influence with the officials that you’re trying to influence? Who represent a constituency that your targeted officials can’t afford to ignore? Whose phone calls have to get returned?

The rule of thumb is to identify those who can get directly to your targets, and not just to their staff. Identify those people and approach them about joining your efforts. Some of them might even be classified as “strange bedfellows” politically speaking, but that’s even better as it makes your effort look more diverse.

Keep a running list of the people that you identify, what they care about and who they can potentially influence. It will be a good reference for you when the next issue campaign comes up.

When you get your new contacts involved, make sure that they are informed. They’re probably busy people, so the more that you lay things out and make it simple, the more likely they will be to help. Then incorporate them into your overall lobbying plan.

Grasstops lobbying can be just the leverage you need to make your grassroots efforts pay off.

How to Target Your Grassroots Lobbying Efforts

January 10, 2025 by Drew McKissick in Grassroots Tips | Leave a comment

grassroots lobbyingOne of the most important questions to answer before starting any grassroots lobbying campaign is “who” are you going to lobby?  In pretty much every campaign there is a limited amount of time and resources available, and you want to get the most out them both.  That means targeting them where they can make the most difference.

It all starts with a list.  And that means some research, organization and coordination with your allies.

Use the following guidelines:

Start a Target List

Make a list of every elected official who has any bearing on the success of your effort.  Such as every member of a committee that is dealing with your issue, or every member of a full legislative body (or council) if you’re preparing for a final vote on something.  Make note of whatever you know about their position on the issue.  If necessary, find past votes on similar issues that can help predict their behavior. Add in any general impressions from lobbyists or legislative allies you may be working with.  Lastly, depending on whether legislators are up for reelection, the narrowness of their former election victories may be a factor in how they are likely to vote as well, (they all want to get re-elected!).  Make note of it.

Organize the List

Next up, you need to organize the list according to the initial information that you have on each official.  Some elected officials will definitely be with you, and some will definitely be against you, and – depending on your vote count – it’s not worth spending a lot of time on either group.  Rate them a scale of 1 to 5: (1 = absolutely with you, 2 = leaning with you, 3 = undecided/unknown, 4 = leaning against you, 5 definitely against you). Add the numbers up to gauge how you are doing, (the lower the total the better).

Your job is to focus on the votes in the middle – the potential “swing” votes. That means focusing your lobbying time and resources on the 2’s, 3’s and 4’s.

Update and Work the List

Successful grassroots lobbying on most any issue is a constantly evolving process right up until the final vote is cast. It’s not a one-time thing where you speak up and then go home.  It requires consistent follow up.

As you and your allies lobby the same target list, information will be coming from every direction if everyone is doing their job.  Of course some legislators have been known to tell one thing to one group of people and something different to others, (imagine!), so targets will move up and down the scale depending on the most up-to-date intelligence.  You have to keep things straight in order to gauge where you stand – and whether you might need to consider compromising if you think you will lose, or change direction and fight another day.

Consider using a notebook (or even a spreadsheet if you want to get sophisticated) with one page to keep track of each targeted official.

Key Information for Tracking Officials:

  • Who made each contact with them
  • When it was made
  • What the official said about their position
  • How it rated on the scale of 1 to 5

This will help you keep up with each official’s “evolving” position over time, and if someone needs shoring up.  It will also help you get a feel for which arguments are working and which ones aren’t – and what objections need to be overcome.  Remember, the argument that you might think is the most persuasive may not be the same one that actually works, (and it may be different for every elected official).  Pay attention to what they say actually moves them and adjust accordingly.

Since maintaining multiple lists will only breed confusion, one person should be designated as the “List Coordinator”.  All information should then be passed through them, and they should be touching base with allies on a regular basis to keep it up to date, as well as send out updates and let allies know who needs to be targeted and when.  Since everyone can’t be at city hall or the state capitol all the time, it’s better to pick a list coordinator who is close to the action and who has the time, (even a lobbyist, legislative staffer or friendly legislator if they’re on your team).

As General George Patton once put it, “Information is like eggs; the fresher the better”.  When it comes to lobbying, the information you gather is only as “fresh” as the degree everyone works to keep it up to date; and it’s only as useful as the degree that you actually put it to use.

Make sure that your grassroots lobbying strategy and tactics revolve around it.

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