Ready to implement an A+ Advocacy Program?
Our system will help you build an advocacy program, engage members who never attend your events and create new revenue streams.
Did you know that top level investors in Chambers of Commerce will contribute more when the Chamber is active in Advocacy?
12 months from today, you could…
>> Be the voice for business
>> Have a member-driven legislative agenda
>> Increase revenue through mission focused programs
Wouldn’t your Chamber be stronger if it not only connected members, but advocated for them so government policies met their needs?
Are you ready to be the voice for business in your community?
This 12 month course will provide step-by-step instructions on how to create an advocacy committee, identify your guiding principles, build a legislative agenda, report back to your membership and engage your top investors. You’ll receive:
- A customized path through our program
- More than 20 individual video lessons
- Templates, agendas and scripts to run your program
- Twice monthly group coaching sessions
WANT TO BE SURE ADVOCACY FRAMEWORK IS THE RIGHT FIT FOR YOUR CHAMBER?
What's Included In The Advocacy Framework....
Module 1
Advocacy Launch
Are you not sure where to get started? The Advocacy Launch module will guide you through the start up process.
- Building a public policy committee
- Identifying your guiding principles
- Creating a legislative agenda
Module 2
Policy Education
First, we’ll help you educate your members on the policies you’ll be advocating, then we’ll teach you how to educate policy makers on your policy preferences.
- Educating your policy committee and members
- Communicating with policy makers
- Planning a Capitol visit
Module 3
Monitoring Legislative Activity
Each state is governed differently. In this module, we look at your specific state and how to follow what is going on in your legislature.
- Your state’s legislative calendar and process
- How to navigate your state’s legislative website
- How to read legislation and follow your legislature’s daily work
Module 4
Public Policy Events
A robust advocacy program yields mission-focused events that will engage members you are not currently reaching. We’ll teach you how to structure these events to make them “must attend” for your members.
- Signature summits and policy focused forums
- Connecting your members to policy makers (Without being labeled “political!”)
- Casual conversations
Want to test drive Advocacy Framework?
Click the button below to get free access to our lesson on forming a public policy committee. Instructional video and downloads included!
Advocacy Framework Is For You If...
“My board loves our advocacy program. Both large investors and general members feel more connected to the Chamber because we are the voice for business.”
- Barbi Jones
The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus
“Using the Advocacy Framework, we built a legislative agenda from scratch in just 6 weeks and we’ve built a complete public policy program around it.”
- Pat Kahle
Union County Chamber
“We’ve taken our advocacy program from a C+ to an A in just over a year. We have added 5 new public policy sponsors thanks to the process outlined in the Advocacy Framework.”
The Chamber of Catawba County
Need help convincing your board on Advocacy?
Click the button below to send us a request for our customizable presentation (with script) for you to use at your next board meeting or executive committee meeting.
Strengthen your Mission and Grow Your Revenue in 12 months
- Inform your members on government action impacting their business
- Create mission-focused events that engage your biggest contributors
- Sell high dollar sponsorships to members who want to get something done
NICE TO MEET YOU
Who are we?
Advocacy Framework is a program of Lumin Strategies.
I’m Brian Francis, founder of Lumin Strategies, and I’ve been working in public policy for 25 years. I’ve worked for elected officials, walked the halls of the legislature as a lobbyist, and served as a VP of Public Policy programs for the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce.
Since forming Lumin Strategies 7 years ago, I’ve helped Chambers of Commerce create advocacy programs that engage their members, grow their revenue, and advance policy that improves the business climate for their communities.
I’m joined by Sarah Prencipe, a veteran of local government, registered lobbyist and advocacy strategist. She's an expert in understanding the political process, speaking to policy makers in their language and navigating online resources to quickly find legislative information.
Together, we’ll be your instructors and your coaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much time should I expect to spend on this course?
This course is designed specifically for Chamber executives who don’t have enough time. Our instructional videos are typically less than 5 minutes long, and we provide sample emails, scripts and agendas to save you time and guesswork. Some lessons will create actions for you to take, but we anticipate that you can take the class and execute what you learn in 1-2 hours/week on average.
How does the group coaching component work?
Twice each month we will host a zoom call for our participants. Prior to the call, participants can submit questions that they would like answered. During the call, we will answer those questions, share suggestions and success stories from other participants and, time permitting, answer any additional questions that come up during the call. Each call will be scheduled for 60 minutes and we will have two different time slots each month to try to avoid recurring conflicts.
(For instance, if one call is at 10am EST on Tuesday, the other will be at 1pm EST on Wednesday).
Do Chambers typically see a ROI from Advocacy?
Yes! Advocacy programs are both mission focused and revenue producing. How many chamber programs do both? When we talk to Chamber executives, we often hear they spend most of their time doing two things: working on fundraising events that raise resources, but aren’t mission focused OR working on mission focused activities that don’t bring in revenue. Every chamber we have worked with has found that when they focus on being the voice for business, their biggest investors want to invest more. Think about your largest investors. Most are not part of your chamber because they want to get something. Most are part of your chamber because they want to get something done. AND they will invest more, sponsor more and engage more if you serve as their voice in the public policy arena, the voice for business.
Can I share the class with my coworkers or colleagues at another Chamber?
Our participation agreement is by organization, which means your whole team can participate in the training. However, we do not allow multiple organizations to share login codes or our course materials.