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NaBloPoMo Day 20: Advocacy Emails

Since I'm covering the Orange County Arts Commission office today to accept Fall Grant Applications, I thought I'd write a little about advocacy.

A lot of people get nervous when they hear the word "advocacy." Maybe it has to do with a fear of public speaking or of being rejected. Maybe it's about being scared of a perceived power imbalance. I think people are scared of "fundraising" for the same reasons.

But no one should be scared of advocacy. The verb "advocate" means simply "to speak or write in favor of." Advocacy isn't rocket science. It's communication.

Here are 3 tips on starting advocacy emails:

1. Know who you're emailing.
The best connection is with your local representative, be that a municipal or county commissioner, or state district legislator. Start your research with where they stand on your particular interest area (the arts, obviously). Then expand to their other special areas. There may be unexpected ways to discussing the arts through education, agriculture, business development, or tourism.

2. Start simple and upbeat.
A handwritten letter to begin is always a good idea, but start with an email if necessary just to get going. Introduce yourself and that you're in their elecorate, state simply that you're an arts supporter, mention one cool recent arts thing that they may be interested in, and that you're looking forward to working with them on this topic.

3. Repeat often.
Schedule an email to them every so often, every couple of months at least. These can riff on "this arts thing happened and thanks for your support" to "this arts thing is going to happen and will draw x number of your constituents." The keys here are brevity, consistency, and connecting the dots on how the arts help the community.

Eventually, the topic will be "we want this arts thing to happen and need your support." When the need for that email arises, it won't feel odd for you to write and it won't be out of the blue for your representative to receive, because they know who you are.

Do you have email tips? If you already advocate for the arts, how often do you write your representative?

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