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Building Relationships with
Stakeholders Jennifer Bevan-Dangel
Executive Director, Advocates for Children and Youth
www.acy.org l @MarylandACY
Overview
This session will focus on successful grass roots advocacy that rests on fostering relationships and helping constituents tell their story in a compelling way.
What is a constituent?
Cycle of accountability
Connecting… and maintaining the connection
Telling the story
Putting it in action
Every conversation is an opportunity to engage a new constituent towards a common goal.
What is a “constituent”?
Community members
Impacted constituencies
Donors
Members
Subscribers
Activists
Business owners
Constituents
Organizations
Educational establishments
PTAs
Little leagues
School clubs
Religious entities and observers
Everyone you interact with is a
potential constituent!
Cycle of Accountability
Build public
awareness and
engage partners
Educate and put
pressure on
elected officials
Elected officials
take action
Hold elected
officials
accountable
Cycle of Accountability -
not just advocacy!
Build public
awareness and
engage partners
Raise funds for
capital project
Project
implementation
Announce results
and progress
Cycle of Relationship Building
Meet or connect
with a constituent
Ask for
assistance
Engage in mutual
project for shared
goal
Acknowledge
assistance and
show appreciation
Remember:
relationship
building must flow
both ways!
Why relationships?
Credibility
Access
Influence
Accountability
Forbearance
Build public awareness
and engage partners
Educate and put pressure on elected
officials
Elected officials take
action
Hold elected officials
accountable
Finding constituents
Work backwards
Power map your targets
Identify key stakeholder groups
Build out
Power map current supporters
Engage similar groups/people
Constant vigilance
Build public
awareness and
engage partners
Pyramids
Giving… engaging… acting
Everyone enters at a different level
Everyone caps out at a different level
“Relationship” has a different meaning
at different levels
What you do to foster relationship must increase –
what you can ask of them increases too
Low engagement,
distant relationship
High
engagement,
close relationship
When is a “Friend” a Friend?
Social media has a role in relationships, especially with constituents!
Make the conscious decision to use Facebook, Twitter, etc as a socializing
tool; understand limitations that creates
For organizations, manage social media as consistently as you do email
Golden rule: 1 hour per platform per day
Only engage on platforms you can maintain
Hidden uses for social media:
Biographical info, common interests, conversation starters
Who does your constituent know? Who can connect you to your constituent?
Levels of Engagement
Stock/duplicative action alerts
Consistent,
in-person meetings
Phone call
Personalized email
Hand-written letter
Lobby day
Strategic social media engagement
Strategic media engagement
Personal meeting
Donors Volunteers
Activists
Educate and put
pressure on targets
Barriers to
engagement
“Won’t be heard”
“Won’t make a
difference”
“Don’t engage in
lobbying”
“My legislator knows
how I feel”
“I don’t vote”
Educate, engage, or
change the ask
Crafting a compelling story: what YOU
can do
Frame and build your message towards a targeted
audience
Who are you talking to? WHY?
What is your goal? (Win a policy, build your volunteer base, get
funding)
Who do you ultimately need to achieve that – legislator, county commissioner, civic association?
Who can get you to that target?
What is your ask? Be specific!
Elements of a Successful Message
Get their attention
Get them involved
Work from their self interest
Engage them in a specific action
Sticky Ideas
Simple
Unexpected
Concrete
Credible
Emotions
Stories
There are only 60,600
wild orangutans left.
Will you stand with
them?
We're collecting
60,600 names to send
to 20 snack food
companies using
"Conflict Palm Oil" in
their products, one for
every known wild
orangutan remaining.
Tell the Snack Food 20
you don't want
Conflict Palm Oil in
your food!
Message Box
problem
so
lutio
n
action
vis
ion
Stop snack food companies
from using palm oil in their
food.
20 snack food companies are
using "Conflict Palm Oil" in
their products.
Orangutans
living in peace
with people
Power is in your palm.
• Collecting 60,600 names to send to
the 20 companies
• Tell the Snack Food 20 you don't
want Conflict Palm Oil in your food!
Orangutans are going
extinct
Only 60,600 left in the wild
Use Your Message Box – and Adjust
Keep volunteers, board, staff, partners all on the same talking points
Copy and paste for quotes, press releases, fact sheets, etc
Pull from each of the four quadrants, especially vision!
Keep on message. Repeat, repeat, and repeat again.
You know you are doing it right when you are sick of hearing it!
Encourage constituents to tell their own personal story within the framework
of the overall message
Follow Through
Thank/express disappointment directly
Hand written thank you note
Personal call
Thank/express disappointment publicly
Social media
Traditional or online press
Electoral accountability
Make a plan: how will you use this cycle to engage your constituents into
the next campaign?
Hold
accountable/
thank
Putting Ideas Into Action
Pick a campaign/goal you are working towards
What are the steps in the cycle of accountability? Know the full cycle to ensure
follow through!
Identify key constituents
Working backwards, building out
Determine your levels of engagement
Quick message box.
Who is your target audience? What do you want them to do?
How would you deploy your constituents and your story?
Parting Thoughts
Every conversation is an opportunity to engage a new constituent towards a
common goal.
Every campaign is an opportunity to build your networks to make your next
campaign more successful.
A good relationship flows both ways – give as much as you get
@MarylandACY
www.acy.org
