Advocacy Guide

Advocacy Basics

What is an advocate?
An advocate is a person who actively and vigorously supports a cause.

How can an advocate show support for an issue?
Advocates show support for an issue in a number of ways. One of the best ways to show support is by informing your elected officials of your opinion. Constituents who share their personal experiences with policy makers in an organized and thoughtful way raise issue awareness and highlight its impact on the district or state.

What tools are available to help advocates influence the legislative process?
Available on our Web site, Capwiz·XC combines up-to-the-minute legislative data with innovative grassroots tools to enable you to make a difference in the political process. This online grassroots toolkit contains easy to use forms to contact legislators, highlighted industry related legislation, vote scorecards to measure support, and a variety of ways to recruit new support.

Begin the advocacy process by reviewing the following Capwiz·XC Overview and Frequently Asked Questions.

 

Capwiz·XC Overview

Take Action

It’s easy to send personalized communications to targeted policy makers using online Action Alerts. We’ll guide you through an easy four-step process to contact your elected officials:

  • Step 1: Compose Message
    Select the intended recipient(s) and delivery method for your message. You can use the suggested text or customize your own message. (Tip: Personalized messages have more impact than form letters.)
  • Step 2: Complete Sender Information
    Fill out your personal information to verify that your message was sent from an individual – and not generated by a computer.
  • Step 3: Include a Picture
    Add a face to the issue! Use the Activist Photo Album to include your photo and story with every e-mail to elected officials (when activated).
  • Step 4: Send Your Message
    After sending your message, a confirmation e-mail will be sent to your e-mail account.

 

Find Your Elected Officials

Take advantage of the most comprehensive directory of elected officials.

Search by ZIP Code or State
Use the interactive map to find your elected officials. Simply enter your ZIP code or click on your state to find your representative. From there, you can easily select a legislator and view their bio page.

View the Legislative Bio Page
Each bio page includes a legislator’s photo, contact info, voting history, Co-sponsorship status, committee membership, biographical data, party affiliation, and PAC contributions.

 

Stay Informed

Join the team
Register for the Action E-List and receive automatic notification when your involvement can make a critical difference.

Receive Congressional Vote Updates
Sign up for MegaVote and receive weekly updates of how your Members of Congress have voted.

Be Alerted via RSS
Get action alerts in your RSS feed reader (Yahoo, Google, Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.).

 

Spread the Word

Recruit friends and colleagues to participate in our advocacy efforts!

Social Bookmarking
Bookmark and share Action Alerts with friends across the Web. While taking action, simply click on the “Bookmark” button, select your favorite social networking site, and share our Action Alerts with friends and colleagues.

Web Stickers
Add ZIP code and alert stickers to your personal Web sites or blogs. Recruit visitors of your site to then visit our Legislative Action Center.

Tell-a-Friend
Send an e-mail to your friends and colleagues notifying them of our mission and recruit them to visit our new online resource.

Write Letters to the Editor
Use the online Media Guide to reach local and national print, radio, and TV outlets on a particular issue. Search for media contacts by ZIP code, organization, or name. Send a letter to the editors of national and local media.

 

Monitor Key Legislation

Stay on top of important legislation in our industry by visiting the “Issues and Legislation” section of our Web site.

Current Legislation
Read bill summaries, see our position on the legislation, and view lists of cosponsors.

Key Votes
Stay current on important votes that have taken place. View the full vote tally for highlighted legislation. Determine a legislator’s support for an issue over time by viewing the vote scorecard.

 

Become an Engaged Voter

Use our online Election Guide to:

  • Research Presidential, Congressional and state candidates.
  • Register to vote (in both Spanish and English).
  • View candidate spotlights and endorsements (if applicable).
  • Find polling locations.
  • Request absentee ballots.
  • Review election dates and voter/candidate deadlines.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Action Alert?
An Action Alert is an online tool that enables an organization to create targeted advocacy campaigns using easy-to-use online forms.

Where can I find Action Alerts?
Action Alerts can be found on the Capwiz·XC home page, as well as under the “Issues and Legislation” tab.

Do I have to personalize my message?
No you don’t. In fact, organizations don’t even have to let you edit the message at all. However, personalization does make a big difference. In just one or two lines, you can show your passion and provide new and unique insight on the issue. Staffers want to know how the issues affect their constituents. Break it down for them and illustrate how this issue impacts their district.

Can I send a letter to any elected official?
No. Capwiz·XC is a constituent-based messaging system. Over 90% of Congress (and nearly 50% of state legislators) use Web forms that limit communications to a Member’s constituents. Since most elected officials only accept constituent messages, a person using Capwiz·XC can only send a letter to their elected officials.

How long is too long for a letter?
Research has shown that shorter messages are more effective. Try to keep your messages to less than 1500 characters (3000 max). Organizations can use an “Impact Meter” to help you limit the length of your messages. (Source: The Congressional Management Foundation)

How do I know that my message was delivered to an elected official’s office?
If you send a message to an elected official using Capwiz·XC’s online form then your message will be delivered. Capitol Advantage is the sole third-party email-vendor employing a Government Outreach Director, a professional charged with coordinating effective constituent communication between Capwiz∙XC clients and elected officials. Capitol Advantage also monitors all messages sent through Capwiz·XC and uses a number of methods to guarantee message delivery. Some offices have auto-replies for constituent e-mails. Others don’t. Some offices do a great job of responding to all communications. Others don’t. Capitol Advantage works with all offices to make sure your message is delivered.

How do I join the mailing list?
Look for the “Action E-List” (or similar) link on the Legislative Action Center homepage. Click that link and fill out the mailing list form. You can also register for the mailing list while sending your letter to an elected official. Just look for the “Sign me up for the Action E-List" check box.

Can I send a message directly to Congressional staff?
No. Capwiz·XC connects constituents with their elected officials. It is the best practice for constituents to send letters to their elected officials, even if staffers are the first ones to read it. Capitol Advantage’s sister company, Knowlegis, does offer tools that connect individuals with Congressional staffers. For more information on Knowlegis, visit www.knowlegis.net.

Why aren’t all bills and votes listed on this Web site?
The organization decides which legislation to list on this Web site. Only the most critical legislation to this organization may be listed.

Is there a way to see state legislative bill sponsorship?
Not right now. Capwiz·XC does not currently track state legislative bill sponsorship, but state votes are tracked and available.

What is an RSS feeder?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a format to publish and deliver frequently updated content via feeds. Some advantages of using RSS:

  • RSS allows you to stay informed by retrieving the latest information from your favorite Web sites
  • You save time because there is no need to visit each Web site individually

View Action Alerts in your favorite RSS feed reader (Yahoo, Google, Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.).

What votes are included in MegaVote updates?
The weekly MegaVote e-mails keep engaged citizens on top of recent Congressional votes. These weekly updates include all votes and are NOT limited to an organization’s spotlighted legislation. 

How do I use the social bookmarking feature?
To add an Action Alert to one of your social bookmarking or networking sites, you should click the “Bookmark” link at the top of the alert. Then select the site you want to add our alerts to. Our Action Alerts are now conveniently available for you and your friends.

Can I register to vote through this site?
US citizens cannot register to vote online. You can fill out the voter registration form on our site. Print out your completed form, and mail it to your local/state registrar. The registrar mailing address will be included in your printed form.

Can I vote through this site?
No. US citizens cannot vote online, but they can find polling locations and voter registration deadlines on this site.