Policy Development and Advocacy Promising Practices

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• Foster an active conversation among your Board and leadership team about the role advocacy plays in supporting your organization’s mission. 

• Discuss the ways your organization’s advocacy can advance its value of equity.

• Question how positions you advocate on will affect your direct constituents and the broader community through an equity lens.

• Give employees paid time off to vote.

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• Affirm the role of the equity lens throughout your organization’s process of establishing policy positions. The process of taking a policy position should be clear and well understood.

• Take steps to ensure the people participating in its policy formation process are representative of the community it serves.

• Share information with employees about local, state and federal policy proposals (PCHTF Undesign the Redline), elections, etc.

• Share stories (real or hypothetical) with policy makers about employees’ needs.

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• Question your organization’s role in the larger power and influence systems operating in your community.

• Consider your organization’s policy positions in light of whether they will lead to equitable outcomes for disadvantaged communities.

• Ask whether your policy platform seeks to tweak the system - or make it work for people.