The Advocacy Institute works to level the playing field for Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) communities, immigrants, low-income people, and other leaders who have been historically excluded and underrepresented. We believe that legislative advocacy is knowable and navigable, and we have developed a core curriculum to provide advocates with the foundational tools they need to build – and win – powerful campaigns. Our intimate trainings foster connections between social justice movement organizations, build relationships across issue areas, and demystify advocacy work for people who are too often denied a seat at the table.
Leadership Development
All trainings are led by AI staff with a strong commitment to social and racial justice and years of experience in government work, direct service provision, policy advocacy, and organizing. We work closely with trusted government insiders, seasoned advocates, and experienced organizers to create training spaces where participants can gain an inside perspective on legislative and budget advocacy and strategize next steps in their campaigns. Participants leave trainings with concrete skills and customized tools to support their advocacy going forward.
Advocacy Leadership Accelerator
APPLICATIONS FOR OUR ADVOCACY LEADERSHIP ACCELERATOR ARE NOW CLOSED.
Learn more about our 2022-2023 cohort here!
The Advocacy Institute is excited to host the first ever Advocacy Leadership Accelerator that seeks to create skills, capacity, networks, and support for advocates working across New York State. This 10-month program, held from September through June, is an opportunity for 15-20 advocates with some experience in legislative and budget advocacy to deepen their skills and build their leadership. This program will build on Advocacy Institute’s proven Legislative Campaign Assessment and Tracking Tool (LCATT) curriculum while digging deeper into campaign strategy.
This program will center an intersectional and racial equity lens to examine how multiple forms of oppression combine to impact advocates’ ability to affect policy change. The Advocacy Leadership Accelerator will be grounded in the work of participants, and our sessions will allow advocates to reflect on the challenges they are facing and strategies to address those challenges, in community with their peers. Applications for this program are now closed, please subscribe to our email list to keep updated on our other upcoming programs.
Join the Advocacy Institute on Thursday, April 20th from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM for a breakdown of how a bill (really) becomes a law in New York State. Effective and efficient advocacy begins with understanding the legislative process, starting from drafting and selecting sponsors up until your bill lands on the Governor’s desk. In this session we’ll cover:
- important considerations when developing a bill;
- different pathways to pass legislation; and
- strategies to maneuver Albany politics and move your bill through committees to a vote.
AI trainings are open to policy advocates, organizers, community members, volunteers, and others working toward a more just and equitable New York. Trainings are free for AI member organizations and $15 per person for non-members.
The deadline to register for this training is Tuesday, April 18th. Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive a calendar invitation, which will be updated with the Zoom link prior to the training, and – if you’re a non-member – a payment link. Payments are due by Wednesday, April 19th for non-members to receive the event log-in details. We are not able to provide refunds, but you are welcome to transfer your event registration to a colleague or apply the fee to a future training if you’re unable to make it or pay after the deadline.
If you are interested in being a member or have questions about membership, please email membership@advocacy-institute.org.
AI hosts at least one training every month that’s open to anyone who wants to join us. These trainings are free for AI members and low-cost for all others. Details are added to the Upcoming Events tab closer to each training date.
2023 Calendar
- Thursday, January 19 at 2:00-3:30pm: The 2023 Real State of the State
- Thursday, February 16 at 2:00-3:30pm: Ins and Outs of the NYC Budget Process
- Thursday, March 16 at 2:00-3:30pm: Who’s Who in Albany in 2023
- Thursday, April 20 at 2:00-3:30pm: I’m just a NYS Bill: the Bill to Law Process
- Thursday, May 18 at 2:00-3:30pm: Implementation: Begin with the End in Mind
- Tuesdays & Thursdays, July 11-27 at 2:00-3:30pm: 2023 NYS Virtual Summer Camp (6 Sessions)
- Thursday, September 21 at 2:00-3:30pm: Setting the Stage for Your Campaign
- Thursday, October 19 at 2:00-3:30pm: NYS State Budget: Insights and Strategies
- Thursday, November 16 at 2:00-3:30pm: Relationship Building for the Upcoming Session
- Thursday, December 7 at 2:00-3:30pm: NYC Council Election Update
Core Trainings
The AI team has developed a core curriculum that provides the foundational tools advocates need to effectively craft campaigns and navigate the halls of power. Interactive exercises, small group discussions, real-world case studies, and strategies to support member-driven advocacy are woven into all of our trainings. We also work closely with movement groups to tailor and create trainings responsive to current campaign needs and strategic opportunities. Our current core trainings are:
- Introduction to Advocacy – define and differentiate advocacy, legislative advocacy, and lobbying.
- Local & State Landscape – explore the different powers of local and state governments and the importance of choosing the right forum for your advocacy.
- New York State Bill to Law – learn how a bill (really) becomes law at the state level, including how to select sponsors, strategies for moving bills through committees, and routes to get to a floor vote.
- New York State Who’s Who – get familiar with key players in the state legislative and budget processes.
- Who’s Who Buffalo, Hudson Valley, Long Island, and NYC – discover key players in your community and the roles they have in local and state politics.
- New York City Bill to Law – learn how to move a bill through the New York City Council and win over the Mayor.
- New York City Budget – explore the in’s and out’s of the budgeting process, including tips on how to impact the big picture of revenue and spending, and different types of funding you can secure to support your work.
- Developing a Strong Bill Package – understand how to develop the specifics of a bill, collect info to back up your proposal, and effectively message around your ask
- Coalition-Building – explore the importance of working across regions and issue areas, and learn concrete strategies to build a strong coalition.
- Identifying Targets – learn to figure out who you need to push to move your campaign forward.
- Building the Relationships You Need to Win – learn effective strategies to connect with your targets.
Recordings of past webinars are available to AI members via our Tools portal. Not yet a member? Contact membership@advocacy-institute.org to discuss!
Fees
Webinars: free for AI member organizations; $15 per person for non-members, unless otherwise noted.
In-person trainings: free for AI member organizations, $50 per person per day for non-members. Due to the pandemic, AI is not hosting in-person trainings at this time, but we look forward to resuming these trainings as soon as it’s safe to do so.
Contact hello@advocacy-institute.org with any questions.