Critical One Hour Seminar for Non-profit Organizations (for $10!)

I am participating in an upcoming, hour long, REALLY inexpensive teleseminar ($10!) on September 1 at Noon (EST) sponsored by the National Non-profit Resource Directory. Please forward information about this event to any non-profit organization you want to succeed. Here's a description of the seminar:


Navigating the Political Waters: Interactions with Elected Officials That Yield Tangible Results

Whether it is your local City Councilor or your United States Senator, more than ever, a non-profit organization’s success depends on its capacity to leverage political capital to support its mission and strategic plans. Participants in this teleseminar will learn when, with whom, and how to craft interactions with elected/agency officials that yield tangible results. Participants will also learn how to avoid some common 'rookie' government affairs missteps! Don’t miss out on this critical, specific, and timely information! 

Here's the link: http://www.nonprofitnationalresourcedirectory.com/teleseminars

Why Hire a Lobbyist?

The Art of Politics offers some thoughts on the usefulness and mission of lobbyists. Thank you to Midweek Politics for having me on the show.

Two Years in the Making - The Massachusetts Legislative Cycle

The Massachusetts state legislature used to have a really ridiculous name.  Prior to 1780, it was known as the Great and General Court of Massachusetts. Thanks to John Adams, however, it is now less ridiculously called: the General Court. 

Like the United States Legislative Branch, the General Court is bicameral: a 160-member House of Representatives and a 40-member Senate.  Even though Massachusetts has an annual budget process, Massachusetts lawmaking runs on a two-year cycle.  Every two years, the legislative slate is wiped clean and old bills are re-filed or go gently into that good night.  

A good policy advocacy plan is designed around the two-year cycle. That doesn't necessarily mean passge in two years! There are thousands of pieces of legislation that - after many legislative cycles - are still building the political capital for passage.  The current General Court, the 186th, will end on June 30, which means that a lot of political jockeying for position will take place over the next 80 days.

I thought you might want to know.

Government Affairs Is A Repeat Business

Government affairs is a 'repeat business.'  No, political consulting is not like watching the same episode of 'Friends' you've seen fifteen times.  Rather, in government affairs, you interact over and over again with the same folks, be they elected officials or staff.  First impressions are important, but so are relationships over time.

Remember to take the long-view when it comes to these interactions.  If you say you're going to do something, do it. If you promise to follow-up, follow-up. If you feel tempted to exaggerate a problem or a success, don't. If an elected/agency official and their staff can come - over time - to trust you and the information you provide, they will come to trust your organization.