For the non-profit sector, advocacy can be a crucial component of trying to influence different levels of government and make lasting change in our society. However, for many non-profit leaders, the political landscape can be complicated, confusing, and inaccessible. That’s why crafting your message to be impactful and targeted is key. Â
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Join Aileen Burke from Alberta Counsel for a three-part course designed for non-profit leaders who want to learn more about effective advocacy. Participants will learn how they can strategically engage various levels of government to effectively elevate issues and make specific requests that impact their organization or the sector as a whole.Â
Curriculum
- Welcome to Advocacy and Government Relations for Non-Profits (1:31)
- How to use teachable to get the most out of your learning
- ECVO's Land Acknowledgement
- Interviews with Non-Profit Sector Leaders - Robyn Blackadar (0:23)
- Interviews with Non-Profit Sector Leaders - Cheryl Whiskeyjack (0:30)
- Interviews with Non-Profit Sector Leaders - Allan Northcott (1:04)
- Definitions and Key Terms
- Module Overview (0:40)
- What is lobbying? (0:36)
- Differences between Canadian and American Lobbying (0:50)
- Canadian Revenue Agency and Alberta Ethics Commission on Lobbying (0:45)
- Test Your Knowledge
- Why Should You Lobby? (1:26)
- Why Should You Lobby? - Allan Northcott's Perspective (1:02)
- Transforming the Non-Profit Community and Lobbying (0:33)
- Transforming the Non-Profit Community and Lobbying - Pt. 2 (0:32)
- Responsibilities of the Three Levels of Government
- Test your knowledge
- Historical Context
- The Impact of Neoliberalism
- Timing a Policy Advocacy (1:26)
- Understanding the Budget Cycle (0:49)
- Putting it all together - An Interview with MLA Gotfried (10:31)
- Putting Your Knowledge into Practice
- Module Overview (0:16)
- Effective Government Relations (0:21)
- The Importance of Relationship Building (0:41)
- The Importance of Relationship Building - Tips from Robyn Blackadar (0:56)
- Advocating Effectively - Policy Conversation (0:47)
- Advocating Effectively - Specificity (0:27)
- Inconsistent Messaging and Undefined Ask (0:36)
- Presenting Unrealistic Asks or Expectations (0:42)
- Escalation (0:32)
- Advocating Effectively - Summary (0:25)
- Test Your Knowledge
- Understanding your Audiences (2:24)
- Understanding your Audiences pt. 2
- Framing your Priorities
- Be Solution Focused
- Test Your Knowledge
- Putting it all together - a case study (0:27)
- Putting Your Knowledge into Practice
- Module Overview (0:26)
- Understanding the need for flexibility (1:01)
- Setting Yourself up for Success - Tip One (0:37)
- Setting Yourself up for Success - Tip Two (0:42)
- Setting Yourself up for Success - Tip Two: Advice from Robyn Blackadar (2:04)
- Setting Yourself Up for Success - Tip Two: Advice from Allan Northcott (0:51)
- Setting Yourself up for Success - Tip Three (0:25)
- Setting Yourself Up for Success - Tip Three: Policy Long Game (1:05)
- Setting Yourself Up for Success - Summary
- Test Your Knowledge
- Evaluating Opportunities (0:19)
- Lobbying and Lobby Firms (10:53)
- Putting it all together - a case study (0:17)
- An Interview with Cheryl Whiskeyjack (6:43)
- Interviews with Allan Northcott (2:23)
- Conclusion
Aileen Burke
Aileen Burke is Alberta Counsel’s non-profit lead. An experienced lobbyist, researcher, facilitator, and communicator, Aileen has more than 15 years of front line and management experience in the non-profit sector combined with years of experience being involved with various boards and community groups. Aileen pursued her master’s degree in political science from the University of Lethbridge where her work focused on public policy and systems integration as it relates to the Housing First philosophy. Aileen has put her expertise in political advocacy into action with a run for office at the municipal, provincial, and federal level.