Whether your chapter is taking its first steps into advocacy or you're looking to do more, we're here to help! Advocacy is an essential part of Habitat's mission and it's easy to implement in your own chapter. In this workshop, we'll break down what advocacy really is and why it's important, and share our own experiences with building advocacy at the University of Minnesota chapter. Finally, we'll discuss ways to tailor advocacy techniques and activities to fit your own chapter. With this workshop, your chapter can begin developing a presence in your community, making an impact on local legislation and building future advocates.
- 1. Building future advocates:Getting youth involved in
advocacyKenzie Kelly, Education & Advocacy CoordinatorKathy Su,
PresidentHabitat for Humanity at the University of Minnesota
2. Building future advocates:Getting youth involved in
advocacyKenzie Kelly, Education & Advocacy CoordinatorKathy Su,
PresidentHabitat for Humanity at the University of Minnesota 3.
What are we doing today? About us What is advocacy, and why does it
matter? Our experience at the University of Minnesota How can you
make an impact? Lets take action! 4. Who are we? Kenzie Kelly
Education & Advocacy Coordinator Kathy SuPresident 5. Do you
know what advocacy is? 6. What is advocacy? In general: Actively
supporting or arguing for something,like a cause, idea, or policy
For Habitat for Humanity: Activities that inspire people to take
action andpromote housing policy solutions Done by changing
systems, policies, and attitudes 7. Why does advocacy matter
forHabitat?Lets take a look at the situation 1.6 billion live in
substandard housing 35.1 million new housing units needed per year
o Thats 4,000 units per hour! 5,536 years needed to solve the
current problemHow can we make this feasible? Combine advocacy WITH
building andfundraising! 8. 94%of congressional staff members say
emails have at least some impact. 9. Most officials only hear from
45 % of their constituents 10. 1 email represents100 people.1
letter represents 500 people.1 call represents 500 people.1 visit
represents 1,000 people.You can have a huge impact. 11. How did we
get started? 12. What are our goals? Partner with our affiliate
Learn about legislative initiatives Create the most impactful
message Engage a lot of people at once! Involve members through an
interactivemeeting activity Make advocacy fun and easy Visit the
Capitol Provide easy actions like email alerts 13. What resources
do we have? Power in numbers 230 paid members Over 400 people
involvedthroughout the year Urban location Large university of
40,000+ Located near state capitol Strong networks Close
relationship withaffiliate 14. Our paper house campaign 15. Impacts
of paper house campaign$40 millionOriginal proposal$15
millionSenate proposal204 housesbuilt by members andbrought to the
Capitol$40 millionHouse proposalFinal bill passed and signed for
$35.5 million! 16. Our next advocacy activitiesAct! Speak! Build!
Week 2012 17. Things to consider for your advocacyactivities! Have
a clear, specific message Have an easy ask action Personalize it
share a story! Develop a strong voice Who are you? Why is your
voice important? How many stand with you? Why do you love Habitat?
Make it unique Go beyond template and form letter writing Make it
fun and easy! 18. Talk to us Have you tried advocacy before? If
yes, what have you done? If no, why not? What could work in
yourchapter, campus, or community? Questions? 19. Lets advocate
today! 20. Self-Help HomeownershipOpportunity Program (S.H.O.P)
What is SHOP? It funds organizations who encourage self-help
homeownership, including Habitat! Who does SHOP help? With SHOP
funds, Habitat affiliates havecompleted more than 15,000 homes
forlow-income families. 21. Self-Help HomeownershipOpportunity
Program (S.H.O.P) What is the issue? In Fiscal Year 2012, 50% of
funding was cutfrom $27 million to $13.5 million What can you do?
Ask Congress to prevent cuts in 2013! How? 22. As members of
Habitat for Humanity at the University of Minnesota we are
committed to solving the housing crisis in our community. We cant
do this alone. We need your support! The Self-Help Homeownership
Opportunity Program (SHOP) has farexceeded its performance targets
in numbers of familiesassisted, home equity created, low default
rates, and private fundingleveraged.Despite these successes,
Congress slashed funding for SHOP in half infiscal year 2012 from
$27 million to $13.5 million. Please protect thiscritical,
cost-effective program by supporting stable funding for SHOPin the
fiscal year 2013 T-HUD appropriations bill. 23. Lets do it!1.
Create a short slogan or sentence Ours: Dont put housing on
layawaysupport S.H.O.P. today!2. Write each word on a piece of
paper3. Snap some photos4. Write a quote and make it personal how
has Habitat impacted your life? 24. Continue making a difference
afterthis workshop! Take 30 seconds to sign up for Email
ActionAlerts at http://tinyurl.com/YLCadvocate Leave us your name
and email well sendyou the finished card collage! Vote on Tuesday!
25. Thank you!Formore
info:www.uofmhabitat.org/BuildingAdvocateswww.habitatcampuschapters.weebly.comKeep
in touch:[email protected]@uofmhabitat.org
