Rephrase my Advocacy Strategy Tools to Build Your Advocacy Organizationerowe
Mon, 12/11/2023 – 08:00
by
Joe Fuld
(He/Him)
Advocacy Strategy Tools – What Is the Right Tool for Your Advocacy Campaign?
Advocacy strategies can be time-consuming to create and difficult to execute. We have written often about the core elements of an advocacy plan, but taking the time to develop your advocacy strategy is an important step. But where do you begin? Try using strategy tools. Some tools come from the corporate world, while others stem from organizing, politics, and advocacy. With so many strategy tools available, it can be confusing to determine which ones to use and the best way to utilize them. If you are looking for tech-based advocacy campaign tools, you can find our list of tools here. Here is a compilation of our favorite tools for developing advocacy strategies and messaging.
Advocacy Strategy Tools
SWOT Analysis: Conducting a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis is something every advocacy campaign should do. SWOT is a quick way to assess the internal and external factors that can influence your advocacy efforts. This analysis helps identify advocacy and organizational advantages, challenges, potential chances for success, and roadblocks.
Benefits: Clear understanding of where your efforts stand and what the opportunity is can be incredibly powerful.
Weakness: If you don’t have the right people around the table, this can lead to myopic thinking. Ensure you have expanded your coalition enough.
The Midwest Academy Strategy Chart: Direct action organizing is a hallmark of advocacy, and the Midwest Academy has developed a framework to create a strategy around direct organizing. Started by the amazing Heather Booth, the Midwest Academy teaches individuals how to organize around strategic goals.
Benefits: Good way to define goals and desired outcomes, and fosters team and coalition buy-in when used correctly.
Weakness: This tool may require practice in defining tactics and messaging. Should be used in conjunction with other tools.
Vast Power Mapping: This tool helps identify individuals, groups, or organizations that have an interest in or influence over the issue you are advocating for. It helps in understanding different perspectives, build alliances, and tailor you’re messaging accordingly.
Benefits: Great way to define legislative targets and their connections within a community.
Weakness: Not a holistic planning tool; best used with a message box and DAO tool.
Tully Message Box: A message box is a tool that helps structure and refine your advocacy message. It consists of four components: what we say about us, what we say about them, what they say about themselves, and what they say about us. The message box helps you anticipate potential attacks and proactively address them. This tool ensures your message is concise, clear, and resonates with your target audience.
Benefits: It is a great tool to for better SEO.