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Advocacy
Part
of the Network in Aging's mission is to provide our members with
opportunities for resource exchange and professional development.
While we do not advocate for or against any particular legislation,
we do encourage our members to become active participants in the
legislative process. This section is devoted to helping you learn
how to become and remain an effective advocate for older adults.
Each
spring, the Network in Aging sponsors a Town Hall Meeting where
our members are invited to share their concerns with the leaders
of New York State's Aging Committees in the State Senate and Assembly.
This is another opportunity to present your organization's point
of view on legislation and on budgetary issues.
Why
advocate?
Advocacy
is you telling your legislators how an issue or condition has affected
you or someone you know. Whether you are a caregiver, a professional,
or a person with needs related to aging, a specific condition or
disability, YOUR STORY COUNTS! If legislators don't hear from their
constituents that there is a problem, they don't know it
is a problem. The more legislators understand how your needs (and
your community's needs) affect people's lives, the more they will
do to fight for policies and funding to help the families living
in the districts they serve.
Many
times legislators reach out to us for input on public policy issues
and our specific community concerns. For example, each year the
Network in Aging of WNY holds a Town Meeting to facilitate communication
between legislative leaders and citizens of the region. Public office
holders are chosen and maintained by the people they serve - and
as your "public servants,"they appreciate your involvement
and concern. Remember, they're working on our tax-funded payroll!
The
job of protecting and enhancing our community's well being through
public policy belongs to all of us, whether private citizen or professional
service provider.
Stay
informed and involved to ensure that public funding, legislation,
and policies will benefit you and your neighbors, and the constituency
of persons you serve as a professional. It may be that others are
too frail, ill, or uninformed to take an active role in protecting
their rights and entitlements through the legislative process, so
it becomes part of our role as professional providers to speak up
for (and with!) them.
How
can I get involved?
There
are many ways you can become involved in the important work of public
policy:
- Join
the advocacy networks of organizations and groups with whom you
are affiliated or share interests
- Receive
email alerts about current issues
- Write
letters or e-mail messages or make telephone calls to state and
federal legislators when specific issues come before them
- Vote!
And ensure that the persons you serve professionally can vote
if they choose to do so.
How
do I know who my New York State Legislators are?
http://capwiz.com/nytcol/officials/state/?state=NY
Type in your address on this website to find the names and contact
information of the people who represent you in the New York State
Assembly and the New York State Senate.
Identify
and contact your legislators
Your
constituents may not know who their legislators are. The following
resources will allow you to identify legislators by state and by
zip code.
Identify
current legislation
There
are several ways to find out the status of current legislation that
may affect you or your clients. The following websites will let
you to search by keywords (eg. Alzheimer's) to determine what legislation
is pending, and where it is in the legislative process.
Federal
(by keyword)
http://thomas.loc.gov
New
York State (by bill number or keyword)
http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/
In
addition to these resources, many organizations offer issue/advocacy
briefs on pending legislation for their members and/or constituents.
They also may offer sample letters, telephone scripts, or direct
email links to legislators. You may wish to visit the websites of
organizations whose mission you support, or call for more information.
Ways
to advocate
Advocacy
can range from making a telephone call to arranging a face-to-face
meeting and sitting down with your legislator. We've provided some
basic tips on contacting your legislators and arranging an advocacy
campaign.
- The
Alzheimer's Association has produced an excellent advocacy handbook,
which can be accessed at: http://www.alz.org/Advocacy/downloads/resources_advocacyhandbook0303.pdf
- Telephone
campaigns
- Letter
writing campaigns
- Virtual
lobbying - Internet-based advocacy is on the rise with email the
tool used to communicate to constituents and legislators.
- Legislative
visits
- Develop
resources: An important step in any communications outreach to
legislators is to develop simple information to share with them
regarding your organization and the impact of proposed legislation
on your constituents. You may wish to develop a simple fact sheet
about your agency/organization to have on hand for this purpose.This
fact sheet should include:
- The
name of your organization
- Contact
person (including phone/fax/email)
- Type
of organization (eg. Not-for-profit, religious, etc.)
- Description
of your organization (mission, services provided, number of
individuals served, number of employees)
- History
- Community
involvement
- Board
members
- Volunteer
and other program information
- The
impact of the proposed action or legislation on your organization
(eg. Equate budget cuts to loss of staff/decrease in services
provided)
Other
helpful links
NY
State Governor - www.state.ny.us/governor/
White
House - www.whitehouse.gov/
US
Senate Special Committee on Aging - http://aging.senate.gov
Current
laws and regulations
Federal
Register - www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html
Voter
Registration Information - www.elections.state.ny.us/
IRS
regulations on tax-exempt organizations and advocacy: As many of
the Network in Aging's members are 501(c)(3) organizations, we felt
it was important to note that the IRS has specific rules and regulations
regarding tax-exempt organizations and advocacy. Please visit this
site for more information: http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=125103,00.html
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