Steps for Successful Advocacy
1. Join MAASH.
2. Build your network.
3. Designate a board liaison.
4. Build new coalitions.
5. Meet with local leaders.
6. Communicate with legislators.
7. Thank your legislators.
8. Communicate with the public.
9. Keep MAASH informed.
10. Let us know how MAASH can help.
1. Join MAASH.
Help us create a unified voice for the arts, sciences and humanities
by becoming an active
member of the Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences
and Humanities (MAASH).
2.
Build your network.
Organize your local network of cultural organizations, artists,
friends, supporters and co-workers. Through this network, you can
organize legislative meetings, letter writing campaigns and telephone/e-mail
trees for effective local action.
3. Designate
a board liaison.
The members of your board of directors are people of influence.
Make
advocacy a part of their mission, asking them to meet with legislators,
talk to state leaders and make public statements.
4.
Build new coalitions.
Identify new allies to assist in your advocacy, such as nearby restaurants,
hotels and motels that depend on the traffic generated by cultural
activity.
5. Meet
with local leaders.
Meet with local business, civic and political leaders to discuss
the local impact of state cultural funding.
6.
Communicate with legislators.
Communicate with legislators regularly. Meet with them in the district.
Invite them to board meetings, forums, performances and events.
Keep telling the story over and over again how state cultural funding
affects their district. Write letters and postcards. Keep legislators
informed about your events, your payroll, your challenges and your
successes. Show them how you are working to build a better community.
Let them know repeatedly that your political choices - voting and
making political contributions - depend on public support for cultural
funding. List of state legislative leaders.
7. Thank your legislators.
Thank your legislators for their time and consideration. Give them
the opportunity to look good by helping the cultural community.
Introduce your legislator - friend or perceived foe - at all events.
We want legislators to see that supporting cultural funding is not
only good for the community, but good politics as well.
8.
Communicate with the public.
We need to build support with voters. Tell your story to the public
emphasizing the need for state funding. Write letters to the editor
and participate in forums. Invite the MAASH
director to speak to the local rotary club, chamber of commerce,
board meeting, editorial board or any other audience.
9.
Keep MAASH informed.
Keep us informed on your advocacy efforts. Let us know when you
meet with your legislators - what she or he says. Let us know about
support from local leaders and successful alliances across fields.
10.
Let us know how MAASH can help.
Successful advocacy depends on persistence, unity, repetition and
how many people speak out. We are working to build a statewide network
so that we can harness the thousands of cultural voices into one
effective voice.