TEN NO-BRAINER STEPS TO BECOMING A DAILY ARTS ADVOCATE

(From A Bunch of Arts Workers Just Sitting Around Brainstorming)

1. Go to www.congress.org and type in your zip code.  Get the names and addresses of your representatives and put them on your mailing list. Make sure they get your flyers, postcards and requests for annual donor support.

2. When you learn about an issue or a piece of legislative action, put it in your programs, your newsletter, on your website and/or on handouts in your lobby.

3. Tell your board of directors, your favorite donors and your artists what you think about any issue you become aware of. (This is conversation, not lobbying.)

4. Add as a final item to every meeting agenda, “Does anyone know anything that’s going on in the legislature/city council/school board that we should be aware of?”

5. Steal or adapt information from other organizations’ materials if they are a few steps ahead of you on the information ladder.

6. Coordinate advocacy with other groups. Build a coalition of arts advocates.  (This one speaks for itself.)

7. If you can’t make it to local political events or hearings, get a report about what happened.

8. If you make a curtain pitch or other live pitch for donations, mention any action you might be taking and let your audience know how they can take action. If you want them to make phone calls or write letters, have the numbers available.

9. Provide sample letters or emails or talking points for people you are asking to do something specific.

10. Remember that every conversation about your work is an opportunity to change the way your work is perceived. Be passionate, be informed and be unapologetic.