PTA Grassroots Advocacy Toolkit

Working effectively ensures that your time and actions result in the maximum possible benefit. PTA members are volunteers with families, jobs, and many other time and energy demands. Therefore, it is critical that each action taken is conceived and executed for maximum affect. National PTA has developed and assembled a variety of useful tools that enables you to quickly access the information needed to help in your advocacy activities on behalf of PTA.

Getting Involved / PTA and Grassroots Advocacy

The national PTA organization has always been actively involved in advocating on behalf of children. The goals of the organization mandate that "every PTA member will be a trained effective advocate for children by 2020." To do this, it is important to begin with a good understanding of advocacy. The following links will help you understand how and why PTAs advocate for children.

Advocacy vs. Lobbying | Setting the Stage for Advocacy
| "Inside" vs. "Outside" Lobbying | Why Lobby? Ten Reasons to Lobby for your Cause
Steps to Effective PTA Advocacy

When starting an advocacy campaign, it's important to address issues systematically. To focus your efforts, use the following four steps. To see more detail about each step, click on the link provided.

Determine the Issue | Check National PTA Positions & Resolutions | Research the Issue | Build your Volunteer Network
Targeting

Once you have defined your issue and identified goals for your advocacy efforts, decide who can help you achieve your goals-people who have the ability to make the changes that you want. These decision makers are the "targets" of your advocacy efforts. For the best results, first determine your targets, outlining the best tactics to help you achieve your objectives.

Primary Targets | Secondary Targets | On-going Targets | State and Local Legislative Targets | Tactics for Influencing Your Targets
Coalitions
Coalitions are formed when individuals and organizations with diverse interests join together to focus on specific, mutual goals. Coalitions are useful for accomplishing a broad range of goals, reaching beyond the capacity of any individual member organization. These goals range from information sharing to coordination of services and from community education to advocacy for major policy changes.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Coalitions | Considerations for Joining/Building Coalitions | Informal Coalitions | Formal Coalitions | Ad Hoc Coalitions
Developing an Appealing Message

Message development and disciplined delivery is key to winning over decision makers. An effective message should be targeted at the people who are undecided about an issue, crafted in a way that persuades members of the community to join with PTA.

Using the Media | Communicating with Decision Makers
Tips for Working with Lawmakers
Working with state and federal legislators often requires special attention to details and protocol. These policy makers are bombarded everyday with demands, requests, and friendly suggestions. With so much information coming at them from various viewpoints, it is often difficult for them to focus specifically on the issues that concern you. Here are some helpful suggestions to increase your visibility and make the most of your contact with state and federal officials.

Six Practical Tips on Lobbying Your Legislator or Elected Official | Dos & Don'ts of Lobbying at a Glance
Putting it All Together / Resources