Including members in your advocacy efforts is critical, not only for advancing your mission, but for keeping members engaged with your organization. And, due to the rapid innovation in technology, it is easier than ever to include members. That’s why we invited John Torres, CAE, the Executive Director at Maryland Farm Bureau, to share his expertise with us.
He shared best practices on ways to effectively include members in your organization’s advocacy efforts as part of our Conversation Series, a live webinar series where we gather insights from industry experts and thought leaders. You can get free access to watch the full replay of our conversation with John Torres on-demand here.
Here are a few actionable insights from the conversation:
John Torres learned a lot from growing up in the Farm Bureau community. He was taught early that the role of an association lobbyist is not to carry the story for the member, but to make sure the door is open so members can tell their story and express their thoughts, opinions, and concerns themselves. John Torres shares why it’s important that both your staff and members know what their roles are:
There’s no surprise that COVID-19 changed the way we do things, advocacy being one of them. Prior to 2020, everyone was used to flying into their State Capitals and meeting with their local legislators for that “15 minute meeting” to give their presentations. But now with video conferencing making everything more time efficient, John Torres said legislators are willing to listen longer:
Advocacy is all about communicating your story in an effective way to those who can help you and your organization. It’s important to gather all of the details that make your story whole before you share it with someone else. Listen to John Torres explain what you need to tell a great story with real life examples:
