What is Effective Advocacy?
Advocacy requires research, public education, organizing, mobilizing, lobbying, and voter education.
Advocacy requires research, public education, organizing, mobilizing, lobbying, and voter education.
Effective advocacy encompasses a broad range of activities including research, budget and legislative analysis, organizing, mobilizing, lobbying, and voter education.
CCC believes that in order for effective advocacy to take place, we must engage New Yorkers and create spaces for the voices of children, youth, and families to inform policy making that impacts their own lives and communities. Their voices alongside research and budget and legislative analysis, allows us to ensure budgets, laws, and services meet the needs of communities and create the conditions that allow for systemic and lasting change so New York’s children, youth, and families can thrive. This is where effective advocacy comes into play.
When done right, advocacy involves engaging government officials, the media, community leaders, constituents (The People), civic groups and others who care about and hope to influence the issue you are advocating for.
While there are many avenues for effective advocacy, here are some that CCC take:
Build Advocacy Skills
Drafting messages, understanding local government structure and function and budget negotiation processes are just a few of the skills you can learn to be an effective advocate and make a difference for the issues and people you care about.
Where to begin:
- Apply or register for one of CCC’s courses and trainings.
- From city council to the presidency, find and contact your elected officials below.
Understand the Issues
Education plays an important role in learning what we need to know about the history, impact, and policies surrounding issues faced by children and families. By educating ourselves, we can leverage this knowledge to create the change needed so children are Healthy, Housed, Educated, and Safe.
Where to begin:
- Attend or request one of CCC’s workshops so you can make a difference.
- Explore our 2024 Keeping Track of New York City’s Children data book.
Center Community Voice
The voices of children, families, and youth play an important role in understanding, pressing, and building long lasting relationships based on trust. Centering the voices and experiences of community members enables us to collaborate equitably so the change created is by and for the people of New York.
Where to begin:
- Read our Families First Toolkit to learn methods and strategies for conducting strength-based assessments of community needs.
Build Relationships & Mobilize Others
Advocacy is a joint venture. You need allies. Our chances for success are much greater when there are large numbers of organizations and people by our side.
Where to begin:
- Join our e-action network to learn about upcoming events and opportunities to be involved.
Take Action:
Informing and educating New Yorkers about the issues children and families face goes nowhere without concrete action to make equitable change a reality. We make sure you know all the ways you can be involved, raise your voice, and create a better city where New York children are Healthy, Housed, Educated, and Safe.
Where to begin:
- Participate in one of CCC’s letter-writing campaigns