Lobbying often conjures images of multinational corporations and million-member trade groups exerting their influence on Washington. That picture overlooks the fact that smaller associations can engage in federal advocacy, too.
While they may lack the resources that bigger entities enjoy, even the smallest organizations can be effective.
My experiences working with small associations have shown me that building a smart, durable strategy that gets the most bang for the buck isn’t hard, if you follow some key principles.
Understand the Why
Many small organizations jump into federal relations without having a clear reason. Maybe a volunteer leader is fired up about some niche issue or they feel the need to mimic peer organizations that lobby. A prospective client once told me his group needed to be on Capitol Hill immediately. When I asked him what they hoped to achieve once they arrived, he didn’t have an answer.
Without a clear statement of need, a cohesive vision, and achievable goals, it’s dangerously easy to waste resources on ineffective tactics. Smaller associations need to ask themselves:
- What do we hope to gain from a government relations program?
- Are there specific legislative or regulatory changes that will help our members, or that we need to defend against?
- How does advocacy fit into our broader mission?
Strategic plans that start at a clearly defined goal and work backwards take time to develop, but doing so ensures that the effort (and money) you expend achieve real results.
Set Expectations, Milestones
Leaders of smaller organizations might assume their effort will lead to immediate influence: sitting down with top White House officials or late-night calls from a committee chair asking for their input on a bill. That won’t happen in the short term. In fact, just getting a foot in the door with decision makers takes time.
Promising unrealistic results is a surefire way to cultivate disappointment and disengagement. Equally demotivating is telling small organizations that they are powerless, especially since that’s not true.
When I work with smaller associations, I stress the importance of establishing achievable milestones and maintaining a balance between realism and enthusiasm. Smaller steps lead to bigger outcomes; perhaps it’s a targeted fly-in for leadership or organizing a briefing for committee staff.
Building a sensible but aspirational roadmap and hitting targets, even if modest at first, set you up for future success.
Offer Unique Perspective
Every association exists to fill a need that doesn’t exist elsewhere or that they can fulfill better than the competition. The same holds true for lobbying.
When developing policy positions, it’s vital to ask whether your association brings a perspective someone else can’t or isn’t providing. It never hurts to attach your association’s name to a coalition letter (and joining coalitions is a great way to build networks). But effective advocacy means adding something new to the debate.
That’s why it’s important to focus on issues that are germane to the association’s members. A volunteer might want the organization to speak out on whatever hot topic is driving the news cycle (a client once demanded we take a stand on the Middle East, even though the organization’s members had no expertise in foreign policy).
With limited political capital and policymakers’ finite attention spans, going a mile wide and an inch deep will muddy your message and reduce your credibility.
Even within your policy wheelhouse, ask whether you’re bringing something new. A small health care association, for example, might have the expertise to make a credible argument for extending Obamacare subsidies. Throwing your voice into an already crowded debate likely won’t move the needle, but advocating for a specific change in Medicare that will benefit your members—and that nobody else is raising—can make a measurable difference.
Your organization and its members are experts in something. That’s where your credibility and power come from. There’s a difference between offering policymakers your opinion and offering your expertise. Stick with what you know best.
More Than ‘Lobbying’
Most people think of lobbying as persuading lawmakers to take your side. That’s not the only part.
A government relations program offers smaller associations the ability to glean insight into what’s happening in Washington that affects your members. It enables you to share knowledge that policymakers can’t get elsewhere. And it helps make your members aware of opportunities to compete for government grants and contracts.
Even if you’re not ready to bust down doors demanding action, a Washington presence is essential for smaller associations.
Persistence and Patience
Successful federal advocacy requires building trust with policymakers, who will view you as a reliable, credible voice. This takes time. Some organizations lose patience when they don’t see immediate results or decide that other strategic priorities take precedence. They may put government relations on the back burner and pick it up again later.
But advocacy isn’t transactional. You can’t walk away from relationships and expect to pick up right where you left things. Policymakers and their staff change; other groups fill the vacuum. As a former Hill staffer, I know first-hand that advocates who turn fickle aren’t seen as reliable partners in policymaking.
Committing to government relations for the long haul—even if that means setting more modest goals at first—ensures that a program will reap benefits down the road.
Never Forget Why
In a rapidly changing political environment, building and maintaining an association’s voice in the policy process is a necessity, not a luxury. It’s fundamentally a part of what it means to be an American.
By setting clear goals and expectations, establishing realistic milestones, and committing to a long-term strategy, even the smallest organization can advance its mission by engaging in federal government relations.
This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg Industry Group, Inc., the publisher of Bloomberg Law, Bloomberg Tax, and Bloomberg Government, or its owners.
Author Information
Andrew Goldberg is the is the founder and principal of Agora Consulting, with more than three decades of experience on Capitol Hill and leading association federal relations programs.
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