Advocacy, Everywhere

Since the week before the Congressional vote for the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill (CARES Act), we have seen record-setting levels of grassroots advocacy. 

Millions of people have engaged with lawmakers in the last month, with more than 1.5 million people using Phone2Action to share their views with lawmakers, generating more than 2.4 million messages to the House and Senate. As a company that offers advocacy software, our entire staff is on overdrive as we have seen people from every walk of life mobilize in ways and numbers never before seen in recent times. 

 The American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Nurses Association rushed to secure better protective gear for doctors and nurses. The National Restaurant Association mobilized servers, bartenders and cooks to represent the restaurant profession. The U.S. Travel Association led the charge for its industry. Members of the gig and sharing economies successfully engaged their stakeholders to create new opportunities in the stimulus, too.

Their efforts made a huge difference in helping those hurt most by the effects of the COVID-19 crisis—and the work is not done. To make it possible for most people to get back their normal lives, the government will continue to provide funding and assistance. The industries that secure that help will be those that effectively communicate their needs, even as digital communication replaces traditional lobbying in a world of social distance.

In a political and policy landscape shaped by COVID-19, advocacy is everything. 

Associations saw nearly a 1000% increase in new advocate engagement in the period from March 13th to April 10.

The Next Round

The next round of government help may include direct and indirect economic assistance and will almost certainly include items relating to health and safety, such as readily available testing, research into coronavirus and accessible protective equipment for those who need it most. First responders, medical professionals and those working in fields like sanitation will be seen as the first line of defense—the true heroes—and their needs will take priority. Continued support for small businesses across the country will also be a key area of focus, as will programs to help support nonprofits whose fundraising efforts have been severely restricted. 

When the immediate health crisis is over, advocacy will move to programs that help those overlooked by the initial stimulus bills. The arts, entertainment and hospitality are likely on that list, with an emphasis on smaller organizations that were not included in the early rounds. 

Most segments of the economy still need help. The nonprofit sector has been hit extremely hard, with the virus cutting deeply into fundraising, and they will need funding to continue to deliver on their missions. Schools will be forever changed, and remote and distance learning will draw more funding and focus. 

Healthcare advocacy will continue, though attention is likely to shift beyond hospitals and clinics. Healthcare impacts dozens of industries, from insurance to prisons, and many will want a say in how the system evolves. Emerging fields such as telemedicine are also likely to see vocal advocates emerge as a regulatory regime is created to set rules and standards.

Long-Term Impact

The economy that emerges from the COVID-19 crisis in coming months will also be shaped through the prism of advocacy as companies, nonprofits and trade associations communicate their needs to government at all levels. 

Organizations will continue to lobby Congress as their priorities become more clear, pushing for provisions that address everything from workforce issues to international trade. However, those efforts will quickly extend to regulatory agencies, where companies and their trade associations will seek everything from deadline extensions and penalty waivers to outright regulatory relief. For example, companies in heavily-regulated industries like oil, natural gas and utilities are likely to need changes to the regulatory landscape in order to adapt.  

The advocacy efforts will extend outside Washington, too. Organizations will be active before state lawmakers and regulators, who have a huge role to play in shaping the economic environment moving forward. Issues ranging from taxation to licensure will likely be addressed. Local officials such as city and county council members will also see more advocacy. Dozens of industries are regulated locally, including retailers, construction firms and, perhaps most visibly, those that operate in the sharing economy, such as Uber, Lime, and Airbnb.

We will also almost certainly see more organizations take up advocacy, particularly those that are smaller. There will also be new organizations, groups and coalitions created solely to address the economy that emerges from the COVID-19 crisis. All of this advocacy will play a major role in what comes next. 

Your Public Affairs Program

 If your organization has needs, it’s up to you to communicate that story. Here are some ideas to discuss with your team. 

• Activate Your Grassroots. Whether you run a company, a nonprofit or a trade association, the voice of your stakeholders matters a lot. They are the best messenger to communicate your situation and your needs to elected officials. Invest in efforts that help your audience speak to their representatives, telling their own authentic stories.
• Keep it Digital. Fly-ins and in-person lobbying are off the table for the foreseeable future. That means organizations need to get more serious about digital communication. Most organizations have mastered digital conferencing. But there is more work ahead. Faced with declining email performance, for example, many are turning to text messaging programs that cut through the noise and get people engaged. BIO, for example, is re-envisioning their entire annual conference - which has 15,000 attendees - as a digital event.
• Develop Relationships. This is the time to develop real relationships with the elected officials who impact your business, from members of Congress in Washington to state and local representatives. They are at home right now, too, and eager to hear about constituent needs. Governors, lawmakers, mayors and school board members all want to solve problems. You can provide the information and the anecdotes they need. You can use our stakeholder management tools to keep track of the interactions and relationships - which will probably be over the phone or computer!
• Don’t Forget the Election. The general election in November will determine who controls the White House, both chambers of Congress and thousands of state-level offices. For many organizations, it is the single largest opportunity to increase your audience and get people active. November’s election will put our recovery government in place. Your organization can have a voice in what that government looks like. Explore GOTV tools if you haven't before - and engage your stakeholders in this critical event with our Civic Action Center.

Advocacy has always been a long game, and that is true now more than ever. The organizations that are successful are those that cultivate an audience, keep them engaged and build relationships with decision makers over time. As we all know, there are many decisions ahead. When it comes to shaping those decisions, advocacy is everything.