Engaging with Government
There are many doors into government, and the right one is the one that is open.
Establishing relationships with government can be crucial to advancing a policy ask. This does take time but having a government that is familiar with your nonprofit can be helpful in many ways.
Nonprofits and citizens can engage with all three branches in the Alberta Government, including local MLAs (members of the governing party and all other major political parties represented in the legislature), Cabinet Ministers and Alberta public servants. Nonprofits should make efforts to build and establish relationships with public servants in the Alberta Government. Fostering these relationships allows for open communication and can streamline the sharing of information.
Furthermore, public service employees are not elected officials, so even if the government of the day changes through an election, you may continue to benefit from the relationships that you have built with public servants.
Tips for Engaging with Politicians
Familiarize Yourself with the Government
If you aren’t already familiar with the relevant Cabinet Ministers and MLAs in your area, make sure that you know who they are and see if you can find topics to connect on in conversations. If you work closely with any Alberta public servants, make sure that you make an effort to get to know them and others in that department.
Don’t Limit Who You Talk To
Don’t rule out talking to someone just because they don’t work in the department or Ministry that you are working in. People change departments and the community is small, so they could help you connect to someone. Government staffers can be very valuable to build relationships because many of them have worked in government for a long time and they have a wealth of knowledge. They are also the ones who will be doing much of the work of putting a policy into play
Be Patient and Kind
There are many conflicting priorities and interest at play in the government. Government processes can take a long time and it is important to be patient and remember that advocacy is a journey.
Find Opportunities to Connect
It is never too early to introduce yourself. Utilize your opportunities to meet elected officials and staff. You can often find information about events politicians will be attending on their social media and website. Politicians are generally happy to meet people at events and this is a good step in establishing familiarity with you and your nonprofit.
Know the Priorities
Your priorities are important, and even more so are the priorities of who you are engaging. You should know (or you can simply ask!) what the priorities are for a given Minister, MLA, or department, and be able to articulate where there is alignment with your organization’s mission and how you might be helpful to achieving those priorities.
Build Relationships
Do not make every interaction about your policy ask. Listen to see how you can make your policy ask connect with who you are talking to and find out if there is information or other things that your nonprofit could provide that would be helpful. Invite the government out to events that your organization is hosting so they can see what you do and connect with those in your community.
Engage in the Positive
Government officials, unelected and elected alike, often hear from people when there are complaints, and much less so when there are good outcomes. Make sure to note and say thank you when you agree with something the government has done, and especially if they deliver on something you have specifically requested. You can send a personal note and also make it public if it was a delivery on a big promise.
Ready to get started?
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