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Advocacy Capacity Assessment
Advocacy Capacity Assessment

Activity/Resource

Yes/No

Does your organization have an advocacy committee?

 

Does your organization put advocacy on the agenda of every board meeting?

 

Does your organization train board members in advocacy?

 

Does your organization prepare board members to articulate the public benefit of the programs offered by the organization?

 

Board Members

Corporate leaders with political contacts who are active in the cultural projects

 

Trustees and heads of influential organizations working in your areas of interest

 

Influencers Network

Experts on cultural policy and budget

 

Policy activists, opinion leaders

 

Members of special interest groups where the cultural policy intersects with other policy issues

 

Does your organization consult friends in the legislature for advice and help with strategy?

 

Does your organization engage lobbyists to assist in developing important political relationships?

 

Public Events and Visibility

Does your organization invite influencers, their staff and family members to attend?

 

Does your organization connect influencers with board members who are their friends?

 

Does your organization produce a public annual report, a guide to programs and a calendar of events?

 

Does your organization provide influencers and politicians with information about its events to be distributed to visitors at their offices?

 

Does your organization organize cultural events and presentations for allied organizations for special occasions?

 

Elections and Politician Outreach

Does your organization inform candidates equally of your position on culture policy issues?

 

Does your organization invite all candidates equally to attend your meetings and speak on policy issues?

 

Does your organization conduct research and studies on policy issues available equally to political candidates?

 

Building and Retaining Advocacy Networks

Does your organization build alliances and coalitions to advance public support for cultural diplomacy?

 

Does your organization communicate with a network of advocates to keep up-to-date with relevant developments?

 

Does your organization credit its major supporters and donors in all advertising, news releases, printed programs, posters and calendars of events to raise the visibility of cultural funding and to let audiences know the value of public support for the culture?

 

Does your organization's newsletter include a regular column on cultural policy issues?

 

Does your organization send out advocacy information to its members, with alerts and reminders to participate in advocacy activities?

 

Does your organization expand its advocacy possibilities by linking its cause to other issues like education, social concerns and economic and commercial development?

 

Does your organization offer educational programs to the public as a big part of the cultural events it presents as a way of making its initiatives more accessible and meaningful to a larger audience?

 

Does your organization convene joint conferences and workshops to discuss issues of common interest?

 

Cooperation with Niche Constituencies and Institutions

Does your organization help similar entities to rally their members and audiences as advocates for funding of the arts programs they present?

 

Does your organization promote advocacy alliances between culture advocates and non-arts advocacy groups with common interests?

 

 

 

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