2016 Advocacy Institute Westchester Training 

Learn how legislative advocacy can advance your organization’s goals and mission The Advocacy Institute is excited to partner with the Westchester Community Foundation to bring you this opportunity to boost your skills and build strong infrastructure for legislative advocacy in Westchester. The three-day training in February (3, 4, 5) will be held at the Mariandale Retreat and Conference Center. Grounded in examples from current, regionally relevant campaigns, the training will be shaped by the various capacities of participating organizations, including: Community Housing Innovations Community Voices Heard The New York Immigration Coalition, and Westchester Children's Association Please submit one application per organization with a list of individuals participating. There is a $50 fee per participant. Applications are due byJanuary 14.  Woven into our cohort model is a commitment to developing collaborative networks, trust across issue areas, and an understanding of the dynamics of privilege and oppression in legislative advocacy. All this serves to build infrastructure that lasts from one campaign to the next and helps shift the balance of power in Westchester, the Hudson Valley and across the State. Our trainings focus on concrete information and skills, as well as updates on current events to ensure that participants: Understand how the legislative process works, including the timeline of the legislative session, how a bill (really) becomes a law, and who the powerbrokers are in state and local government; Gain confidence in how to engage in legislative advocacy, how to identify key targets based on issues and regional dynamics with an emphasis on local targets, and how to conduct effective legislative meetings; and Deepen their connection to their work together and the goals of specific legislative campaigns.