Hi friends 👋🏻

Last week we saw thousands of candidates win elections across the country. A huge thank you to all the candidates, campaign teams, staff, and families that made the blue tsunami a reality 💙💙💙

This week, I'm sharing some thoughts about what this means for nonprofit communications and advocacy teams as 2027 approaches.

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New lawmakers need education

Now that we know who will be representing our communities — at the federal and state levels — it's time to start educating these new lawmakers about your issue.

Whatever issue your organization works on, I'll bet a shift in policy would change your work and help you achieve your mission.

Your organization might have a full advocacy team that lobbies and supports legislation. Or advocacy and building relationships with lawmakers might not be in anyone's job description.

Either way, your org stands to benefit from building relationships with the people that shape our policy landscape.

This might be elected officials themselves.

Or more often, it means their staff.

Your Senator, House Rep, or state assembly member can't be expected to be an expert on every issue. Elected officials rely on teams of staffers to brief them on the issues.

Your job is to find out who holds those positions, and start to build relationships: to make sure that someone at your organization is part of the conversation.

Make constituent contact part of your 2027 communications plan

Educating lawmakers and their staff doesn't just have to come directly from your team.

Lean on your community in 2027 by asking supporters to contact their lawmakers too.

Here's what you need to get started:

• A simple messaging guide or set of talking points about your issue
• Tips about how to find the right elected official to contact (for example, Congress.gov has a search tool at the federal level)
• Guidance about what to do if the staffer or elected official they talk to needs more information — who at your organization would you refer them to?

I hope these ideas get your gears turning about how to build some advocacy into your 2027 communications plan.

Hit reply and tell me what questions this raises, or what other tools and resources would be helpful in this area!

Until next time ✨

— Ed Harris (your digital strategy guide)

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