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
Are you working on a policy or budget advocacy campaign in Albany and want to deepen your skills and expertise? Are you looking to build with other movement advocates and create networks of support?
The Advocacy Institute is excited to host the second year of the Advocacy Leadership Accelerator that creates skills, capacity, networks, and support for advocates working across New York State. This 10-month program, held from September 2023 through June 2024, is an opportunity for 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 centers 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 is 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. Click on the button below to learn more, and we encourage you to apply next year.
Join the Advocacy Institute on Thursday, October 19th from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM for our NYS Budget: Insights and Strategies training. We will provide advocates with insights on the state budgeting process, including structure, state timelines, different “types” of budget advocacy, and strategic opportunities to advance advocacy goals through the budget.
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, October 17th. 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, October 18th 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.
Join the Advocacy Institute for our first in-person training in the Hudson Valley since 2019 where we will be giving advocates an overview of the political landscape of the Hudson Valley and discussing how to effectively develop a state legislative or budget advocacy campaign. Over the course of two days, May 11th and 12th, we will discuss how to set the stage for your legislative campaign to be successful, understanding the key decision makers in Albany, and navigating the complexities of the budget and legislative process. In addition, we will be joined by advocates and experts from the Hudson Valley who will help participants understand the local political landscape and ongoing advocacy campaigns in the region. In this session we’ll cover:
- The timeline, mechanics, and basic concepts of budget and legislative advocacy in New York State
- The local political & organizing landscape in the Hudson Valley
- How to build effective relationships with elected officials and plan legislative meetings
This training will be conducted in English; interpretation will not be available.
AI trainings are open to policy advocates, organizers, community members, volunteers, and others working toward a more just and equitable New York. Thanks to the generous support of the Westchester Community Foundation, we can offer subsidized registration for $60 per participant.
This training is free for AI member organizations and $60 per person for non-members.
This training will take place on Thursday, May 11th and Friday, May 12th from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Henry A. Wallace Center at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Home in Hyde Park, NY (4079 Albany Post Rd, Hyde Park, NY 12538).
Registration for this event is limited to two people per organization/ affiliation and participants commit to attending and participating on both days. We strongly encourage folks to attend in pairs for accountability & support. If your organization is interested in sending additional participants, they will be added to a waitlist and admitted to the training if space becomes available. We also encourage organizations to send two people to the training to support accountability and increase the potential of resources and learnings being shared with their organization.
Lunch & coffee will be provided by the Advocacy Institute.
The deadline to register for this training is Thursday, May 4th and we will notify you of your acceptance no later than Friday, May 5th. Once you are accepted, you’ll receive a calendar invitation for the training and – if you’re a non-member – a payment link. Payments are due by Tuesday, May 9th for non-members to receive the event 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.
COVID Protocols: Participants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend this training. We also strongly encourage you to to take a rapid-test before attending the training and to mask while in attendance. All AI staff members attending the training will also take rapid tests before each training day.
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)
- Tuesday, July 11th–Setting the Stage for Your Campaign and Coalition Building
- Thursday, July 13th–Regional Spotlight: Long Island
- Tuesday, July 18th–Who’s Who in Albany & How a Bill Becomes a Law
- Thursday, July 20th–Regional Spotlight: Western New York & Rochester
- Tuesday, July 25th–The NYS Budget Process & Relationship Building
- Thursday, July 27th–Regional Spotlight: Hudson Valley
- 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, $100 per person per day for non-members.
Contact hello@advocacy-institute.org with any questions.