Great advocacy starts here
Posted on 09 May 2024
By Matthew Schulz, journalist, Institute of Community Directors Australia
One of the most powerful tools any community group can have is the ability to inspire and mobilise support for the benefit or development of the greater community. This doesn’t just mean recruiting volunteers – it can also mean rallying support from institutions, other not-for-profit groups, government agencies and media outlets.
Making the world a better place is the reason why most not-for-profits exist, yet achieving that goal is not always so straightforward.
Long, hard and persistent advocacy is often needed to push those in power to accept changes or reforms.
The 2017 decision to allow same-sex couples to marry was a watershed moment for the country’s equal rights movement. Many progressives believed it heralded a new era of inclusion and acceptance. Yet many of those same campaigners and Indigenous rights advocates were left to grieve after the Voice to Parliament referendum was soundly defeated in October last year.
Despite the setback, First Nations advocates have not stepped away from their desire to improve things for Australia’s first people, and we expect many of those same voices to dust themselves off for yet more battles in the future.
Not so long ago, charities were battling attempts to crimp their advocacy, prompting the formation of a coalition of 100 organisations under the Hands off Our Charities banner, which fought attempts to silence activism.
These days, Australian Charities and Not-for-profits commissioner Sue Woodward is much more accepting of charities’ rights to advocate, last year declaring, “We recognise that advocacy is an activity that often helps charities achieve their purpose. Charities can and do advocate.”
At the Institute of Community Directors Australia (ICDA), we support the aim of many organisations to steer policies, laws and public opinion in a direction that will help their mission.
This is why we’ve developed a great free library of resources on campaigns, lobbying, organising, and working with the media.
Tap on the links below for comprehensive information on advocating well.
Help sheets
Getting started in advocacy
- Campaigning fundamentals
- The basics of mobilising your community into action
- Things to consider when starting in advocacy
- Tactics for mobilising and developing grass roots action
- Structural vs single issue campaigning
- Developing an advocacy group
- How to set boundaries for your advocacy
- The core circles of an advocacy campaign
- Negotiating funding opportunities for an advocacy organisation
- How the global affects the local and how the local can affect the global
- Roles and responsibilities of different government levels
Networks and collaboration
- Advantages and disadvantages of collaborating
- How to establish a collaboration
- Identifying and using support networks
- Keeping your network alive
Advocacy methods
- Advocacy and the media
- Advocacy for legislation and regulation
- The step-by-step guide to holding a march or rally
- Holding public forums
- How to research an issue
- Issues briefings and action alerts
- The basics of internet advocacy