WASHINGTON–Several-thousand credit union representatives will be in Washington this week for CUNA’s GAC, and will spend one day hiking the Hill to lobby on behalf of the CU community.
Credit unions won’t be alone, not just this week but every week as various interests come to Washington to lobby for their causes.
Below are four books on the lobbying and advocacy process for those who want to learn more about the process and perhaps become more effective as a result.
Lobbying and Advocacy: Winning Strategies, Resources, Recommendations, Ethics and Ongoing Compliance
Author: Deanna Gelak
Amazon description: Lobbying and Advocacy is the comprehensive guide for lobbyists and Washington advocates.
* Top strategies for winning as an effective lobbyist or Washington advocate.
* Practical resources and methods for maintaining compliance and staying abreast of ethical and legal requirements.
* Practical tips, research based methods, and step-by-step guides for communicating with policymakers in every venue most effectively, including telephone calls, emails, Congressional meetings, testifying before Congress, building coalitions, and working with the press.
The Lobbying and Advocacy Handbook for Nonprofit Organizations, Second Edition: Shaping Public Policy at the State and Local Level
Author: Marcia Avner
Amazon description: Your "How-To" Guide to State and Local Lobbying This guide is your complete road map to shaping public policy at the state and local level. It gives detailed, step-by-step instructions for developing an effective plan and putting it into action. With this handbook, you will discover how lobbying can help fulfill your mission; learn how to initiate, support, or defeat bills; develop effective lobbying skills; gather and mobilize support for your positions, and more.
Nonprofit Board Member's Guide to Lobbying and Advocacy
Author: Marcia Avner
Amazon description: Nonprofit lobbying is exciting, rewarding, honorable work. Lobbying is a proven way to advance issues, support good ideas, respond to crises, avert disasters, and ensure that an organization's work is adequately supported. Through lobbying, specific laws and regulations that will further an organization's mission can be identified and pressed for adoption. Public policies can be shaped and sustained to reflect an organization's values and priorities. The Nonprofit Board Member's Guide to Lobbying and Advocacy shows board members how to use their power and privilege to move their organization's work forward.
Hardball Lobbying for Nonprofits: Real Advocacy for Nonprofits in the New Century
Author: Barry Hessenius
Amazon Description: This is a no-holds-barred, comprehensive, real-world guide to building political power and successfully lobbying for nonprofits in the 21st century, written by an insider who has been in the trenches as both a lobbyist and a government official.