my community advocacy essay brainly

Community Advocacy: The Complete Guide to Mobilize Change

Advocacy happens at all levels, and while the news might report primarily on movements happening at the national level, much of the most important advocacy work begins at the grassroots level in individual communities. Through community advocacy campaigns, grassroots groups and other advocacy organizations can leverage their communities to tackle issues that strike close to home and make a tangible difference. 

Organizations looking to start their first advocacy campaign should always start with their own community. These campaigns are far more than a stepping stone to something greater. Rather, community advocacy campaigns are valuable in their own right, focusing on what matters to individual communities and building a homegrown grassroots movement. 

Of course, while community advocacy movements operate on a small scale when compared to state-wide or national campaigns, they can still get quite complex. To help your organization understand the ins and outs of community advocacy and start getting prepared to launch your own campaign, this article will explore key topics, such as:

What is Community Advocacy and Why Does it Matter?

Who should be a community advocate and what do they do, how to start a community advocacy campaign: 7 steps.

At Grassroots Unwired , we know how important gaining and leveraging local support is, and we also know that even small organizations can take their advocacy to the next level by going digital. The strategies in this guide will go into the depths about the fundamentals of community advocacy and spotlight places where a high-tech approach can make a big difference. Let’s get started. 

Advocacy is the act of attempting to influence change on behalf of another group, usually those who are directly affected by whatever issue their advocate is arguing for on their behalf. Community advocacy is when a group, in this case your organization, represents their local community for the purposes of affecting change.

Essentially, community advocacy is when you advocate for your community to policymakers. But why should your organization take up a community advocacy campaign? 

Advocacy at the local level and on behalf of a specific community can result in several significant benefits, including:

• Create an impact at a local level. Sometimes when considering a large-scale issue, making an impact can feel impossible. However, community advocacy can make a difference by targeting meaningful local issues, solving problems in your city, town, or neighborhood.
• Forge connections in your community. Community advocacy is at its strongest when the entire community truly is behind a campaign, and running an advocacy campaign can subsequently rally your community together. For advocacy organizations looking to establish themselves, a well-run community advocacy campaign can be a strong first step to forging connections in their communities that will help their next campaign be even more impactful. 
• Help organize your community to advocate for itself in the future. Laying the groundwork for a grassroots movement is often the most difficult part of a community advocacy campaign. However, after the initial work has been done, your community will be better positioned to continue advocating for itself on future issues. 

In many ways, community advocacy is about creating a bridge between your community members and their local government. Your organization’s efforts can bring to light key issues and help convey them to policymakers, empowering your community and making it a better place. 

Community advocacy requires the support of a wide range of people, from government officials to individual citizens. Of course, by putting your organization in the role of a community advocate, you will have quite a bit more responsibility than the average supporter.

While anyone can become a community advocate, keep in mind that there are specific skills and resources your organization’s staff should possess before you can confidently launch your campaign. 

For example, leading a campaign requires strong listening, leadership, and communication skills, as you’ll need to be able to emphasize with individuals impacted by the issues you’re advocating for and convey their concerns in a persuasive manner to an elected official. 

This also means that before starting a campaign, you should ensure that your organization has a strong grasp on the issues you should be advocating for in the first place. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to learn this information and put it to effective use. 

Community advocacy campaigns require a focused strategy, the right tools , and a dedicated team. With these campaigns often several lasting months, if not longer, it can be difficult to know where to start. 

While every campaign is different, your community advocacy efforts will likely take you through these seven steps:

1. Survey your community.

What issues does your community want to be addressed? If you’re thinking of launching a community-focused advocacy campaign, you likely already have a few assumptions about what could be improved in your community. However, before acting on these issues, you should survey and assess your community to confirm that there will be widespread support for your campaign.

Surveying your community will help your organization gain a deeper understanding of your community’s core values, beliefs, and day-to-day dilemmas. Often, community issues are complex, and gaining multiple perspectives will provide insight that can help shape your campaign’s direction.

To discover what issues your community cares about, a canvassing initiative can be useful. Canvassing allows your organization to physically cover ground in your town or city, collecting insight into what different people from different parts of your community feel about ongoing local issues.

You can improve your canvassing campaign’s effectiveness and efficiency by going digital. Rather than arming volunteers with clipboards, try using tablets with canvassing software to help your entire organization stay connected throughout your campaign. Or, if going door-to-door isn’t practical in your community, virtual canvassing allows your volunteers to set up video calls with interested community members, allowing you to gather the same information you would through in-person meetings. 

2. Identify and categorize needs.

After speaking with members of your community, you will likely have a wide range of opinions and feedback to sort through. To help make sense of the varying comments and thoughts, take the time to identify and categorize the information that was shared with you.

When assessing a community’s needs, the concerns expressed can usually be sorted into four categories:

• Perceived needs. A perceived need is what an individual feels their needs are. Generally, these are considered to be opinions and concerns, though it is important not to dismiss them out of hand. For instance, an individual might perceive their central need to be safety in their community, but they may have yet to think through the causes of those safety concerns and how they could be resolved. Does their community need more school funding? A neighborhood watch program? More homeless center services?
• Expressed needs. If an individual has voiced a need prior to your assessment, it is known as an expressed need. For example, if someone puts in a complaint to the city about potholes and poor street conditions, there will be a record of that need existing that can be helpful for your campaign later on. 
• Absolute needs. Absolute needs are essentials necessary for basic survival such as food, shelter, and clean water. Given their importance, if you find your community has an absolute need, it should likely become your campaign’s priority. 
• Relative needs. There are some needs that are not technically necessary for survival but are still considered essential. For instance, your community may be able to function without a library, but a lack of one can cause significant problems for community members who rely on its free resources for educational and professional purposes. 

While it is worthwhile to consider the needs of each community member you spoke to, you will likely also realize that there are some issues your organization will be better equipped to address than others. 

3. Assess your organization’s capacity to address needs. 

Your community may have many needs, but as you have limited resources, you will need to pick and choose which to focus on. Additionally, while there may be needs that are important to address, your organization may not currently be able to adequately solve them through a community advocacy campaign at this time. 

Consider your organization’s current resources and connections, as well as what type of solution each issue requires. Specifically, most needs can be resolved through one of three solutions:

• Policy change. Policy changes are laws that dictate community members’ behavior. Seeking a policy change will require your organization to influence legislators to change a law or implement a new one, depending on your issue. 
• Systems change. A systems change is a more thorough rearrangement of your community that fundamentally changes the current status quo. For example, today it is the status quo to not litter, whereas several decades ago this was not the case. System changes can often be brought about by a policy change. 
• Environmental change. Environmental changes are often the most complex as they involve changing physical, social, or economic factors in your community. A physical change often involves creating or removing a physical structure, social changes target current patterns of behavior, and economic changes create financial incentives to behave a certain way. 

Determining which of these solutions is the most plausible for your campaign to achieve will depend on the specific issue, your organization’s approach to it, and your current resources. For instance, spreading awareness to create a social environmental change will likely be more possible for an organization with a strong outreach strategy and connections to local media, whereas they may lack the political knowhow to seek a policy change.

4. Identify key stakeholders. 

Advocacy can’t be done alone, especially when you are acting on behalf of an entire community. To collect data about your target issue, gather resources, and effect change, you’ll need to identify relevant stakeholders and create a strategy for how you will engage with them. 

Your key stakeholders will depend on the specifics of your campaign, but in most cases, you will at least need to engage with the following groups:

• Impacted individuals. Who is most affected by your campaign’s core issue? Ensure you can clearly identify who these individuals are, both so you can partner with them to learn more about the issue to accurately represent their concerns and so you can explain who your campaign will impact when describing it to other stakeholders. 
• Community leaders. Community leaders can include anyone who has significant influence over individuals who are relevant to your campaign. For example, these could be business owners, the head of your school’s PTA organization, or even the lead organizer of another advocacy group in your community. 
• Local politicians and government officials. For most community advocacy campaigns, gaining an audience with and persuading local government officials will be essential for success, especially if you are seeking a policy change. 

Before approaching any of these stakeholders, be sure that you can describe the fundamental elements of your campaign, such as the issue you are targeting, why it matters, your proposed solution, and why your solution is the right one. Having clear answers to stakeholders’ questions will help your campaign come off as more professional and make your message more persuasive.

5. Create your outreach materials.

An effective community advocacy campaign should get your whole community involved, which means you’ll need to spread the word. To start gaining support, consider how you can best reach out to potential supporters, whether it’s through posting on social media, sending direct mail, or hosting awareness events. 

The most effective outreach materials grab your target audience’s attention. The details will vary depending on your campaign, but many advocacy groups can benefit from crafting promotional materials by:

• Creating a compelling message. Whether your issue only impacts a few people or is something your entire community experiences, your messages should work to get as many people invested in your cause as possible. You can do this by creating a message that is focused, clearly explained, and relevant. 
• Providing accessible educational materials. Often, many people in your community may be aware of or even impacted by your issue, but don’t know the details behind it. Ensure that your organization has a variety of educational resources available that can provide information on what your issue is, why addressing it is important, and why your plan for addressing it is the best course of action. 
• Presenting immediate next steps. After engaging with a message from your advocacy group, what action do you want community members to take? Whenever you create a message meant to rally support, include an actionable next step at the end. This can be to get in touch with an elected official, subscribe to your organization’s mailing list, or even just share a post on social media to raise awareness. 

As mentioned, consider what channels you will use to share your messages. To get in touch with people in your community, you might partner with local organizations or host in-person gatherings, or if you’re seeking wider support from outside your community, you may focus primarily on digital marketing and communication.

In any case, creating the right marketing materials will increase your campaign’s visibility and strengthen the impact of your messages. Let’s explore a few materials you might create for your advocacy campaign.

Advocacy Campaign Site

This will be the core place you drive people to learn more about your campaign. Create a website that communicates how you’re paving the road for change and how people can join the journey.

When designing your website, keep these core elements in mind:

• Sufficient details. Include everything prospects need to know about your advocacy campaign. Share details about the purpose of your campaign, petitions they can sign, contact information for relevant government representatives, a calendar of advocacy events, and anything else they need to get involved.
• Clear navigation. Chances are, you have a lot of information to share with supporters. Make sure your content is organized and easy to find with a navigation menu that prioritizes your most important pages.
• Effective graphic design. You’ll want images that communicate the impact of your work, but bear in mind that graphic design encompasses more than just images and artistic illustrations. It also covers elements such as the colors, fonts, page layouts, and any other design elements you use.

The online space opens up a world of prospective advocates. Creating a catch-all resource like an advocacy campaign site will help you connect with these motivated supporters.

Campaign Videos

Campaign videos are incredibly impactful assets to your advocacy work. Perfect for the digital world, they’re incredibly shareable and a great way to tell a story about a cause that advocates are passionate about — from women’s rights to climate change. However, they may be time-consuming to produce and difficult to get right without professional help.

When it comes time to shoot a video for your campaign, keep these tips in mind:

• Recruit real advocates with powerful stories. The heart of any advocacy campaign is allowing real supporters to communicate the real-world effects of your stance. They put a face to your cause, helping to inject emotion into the issue you’re targeting. An inspiring testimonial spoken directly to the camera can be incredibly powerful.
• Know where you’ll post your video. Knowing whether you’ll publish it on social media, email it in your nonprofit newsletter , or publish it somewhere else will help you produce a video for the right audience in the right format. For instance, if you’ll only post it on social media, consider creating a shorter, 30-second video. If you’ll run it as a YouTube ad where you’ll need to purchase 30-second inventory anyway, you might consider creating longer videos.
• Give viewers actionable next steps. If you successfully inspire viewers, they’ll naturally want to know how to get involved. Make sure to include information about how they can take action within your video, whether that’s by signing a petition, reaching out to community representatives, or something else.

Even if you’re working on a tight budget, sticking to these tips will help you create a shareable video that stands out. All you really need is an inspiring story to tell.

Social Media Posts

As an advocacy campaign leader, you have one of the most powerful tools at your fingertips: the share button. Social media is an incredible driving force for digital advocacy, so carefully plan out your posts. Here are a few tips to create inspiring social media posts:

• Create a hashtag. This is a great way to organize your posts. Plus, you’ll be able to effortlessly see advocates’ posts that include the hashtag, making it easy to interact with them and thank them.
• Share a range of content. Depending on which social networking sites you use, you might share campaign videos, updates, petitions, and links to other relevant content.
• Partner with influencers. If your issue is widespread, you can tap into influencer marketing . Make sure the influencer’s brand aligns with your organization’s advocacy efforts and that your posts will mesh well with their typical content.

Social networking is nonnegotiable if you want to survive in today’s competitive environment. Pay attention to which types of posts supporters interact with, adjust as needed, and watch your advocacy campaign marketing efforts thrive!

6. Begin community mobilization efforts. 

Once you know your specific issue, have taken your community’s pulse on the subject, and started gathering initial support, you can begin launching your major campaign activities. The goal of your community mobilization efforts should be to draw more support and get the attention of key stakeholders, specifically relevant local government officials. 

Whether you’re planning a march, a protest, or a series of informational gatherings, make sure to constantly keep your supporters informed. After all, a community can only mobilize on an issue if they know where to go and what the campaign activity’s purpose is. 

While it can be difficult to measure whether a specific event was successful when you’re still in the lead up to actually presenting your issue to officials, set goals for each of your activities. These can be how many people attended, how many supporters took an action such as donating to your cause after the event, or if your campaign received any additional coverage or had anyone from your local government get in touch with your organization.

7. Prepare briefings and meet with elected officials. 

By effectively bringing your community together and raising awareness about your core issue, you may be able to gain a face-to-face meeting with a local policymaker. If this happens, you will be able to present your campaign’s core problem and proposed solution to them directly through a policy brief. 

A policy brief is essentially an overview of a specific issue that attempts to explain its significance and persuade lawmakers to adopt the proposed policy recommendations. Your policy brief should include an executive summary describing the main issue you’re hoping to solve, background information about the problem, supporting graphs and images, and your specific and actionable recommendations for solving the issue.

In general, these are short documents, but you can make your point effectively in just a few words by:

• Creating a sense of urgency. To serve their communities, elected officials have to address a wide range of issues and their petitions. In your policy brief, emphasize why your issue matters and why action needs to be taken immediately. Often, this can be done by emphasizing potential harms if the situation goes unaddressed or potential immediate benefits if your recommendations are implemented as soon as possible. 
• Using terms officials will understand. If you are dealing with a complex, scientific, or technical issue, be sure that your policy brief is written strictly in layman’s terms or provides easy to understand definitions for any specific words or phrases that are necessary to use. For example, if you are discussing your community’s water quality, it may be tempting to discuss specific pollutants in depth, but doing so will likely be less persuasive than focusing on the outcomes of those pollutants and why your solution will effectively address them. 
• Offering practical suggestions. The most optimal solution for an issue often requires more resources than your community’s local government likely has available to devote to any one problem. Before writing your policy brief, conduct research into your local government’s budget and available resources. Then, use that information to ensure that the solutions you propose will adequately address your issue while also being practical for your local government to actually implement. 

If this is your first time writing a policy brief, you can start your research process by looking up past successful examples. Doing so will help you determine how to best format your brief while also providing insight into what arguments and strategies are likely to be the most persuasive. 

Change rarely happens overnight, but with the support of your community behind you, you can begin making a meaningful difference right at home. Community advocacy campaigns succeed when they accurately reflect the wants and needs of the community behind them, engage with passionate local leaders, and explain their cause well to elected officials. 

Community advocacy campaigns can’t be planned overnight, but there are a variety of resources organizations can leverage to make progress quickly when outlining the direction of their campaign. 

To help your organization understand and assess what tools are available, review these additional resources:

• Advocacy Software: 14 Top Platforms to Inspire Action . Advocacy software offers a wide range of features, from canvassing to managing emails to tracking specific bills. Explore potential advocacy solutions with this review of the 14 top platforms.
• The Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Guide for Advocacy Groups . Peer-to-peer campaigns leverage your supporters’ bonds with other members of your community to earn more support for your campaign. Learn how to launch a peer-to-peer campaign with this guide.  
• Political Campaign Software: 9 Tools to Manage Your Campaign . Political campaigns have a lot in common with traditional advocacy campaigns, but their software needs can differ. Check out these platforms to see if your community advocacy campaign needs a political software solution. 

About the author

Grassroots Unwired administrator

4 comments so far, 5 fundraisers to earn extra for your trigger – upwallstreet posted on12:43 am - oct 28, 2022.

[…] contemplating occasions associated to neighborhood advocacy, rallies are in all probability one of many first that involves thoughts. Apart from offering a […]

DONATE: 5 Fundraisers To Earn More For Your Cause » News 13 Sports Posted on10:04 pm - Nov 1, 2022

[…] considering events related to community advocacyrallies are probably one of the first that comes to mind. Besides providing an opportunity for […]

Digital Advocacy: 4 Tips to Launch Your Nonprofit’s Campaign : Successful Nonprofits Posted on10:15 am - Apr 11, 2023

[…] For instance, your goal could be to “acquire 30 new advocates for our cause via social media and email outreach over the next three months.” This goal contains specific methodology, a metric, and a set time frame, plus it’s relevant to the overall purpose of community advocacy. […]

Festival Volunteers: FAQs & 14 Essential Roles and Duties Posted on8:44 pm - Jun 19, 2023

[…] Advocacy-focused volunteers can help spread the word about your organization’s mission and goals among attendees and encourage them to donate or join your team as volunteers themselves. […]

Leave a Reply

• Political Campaigns
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Homeless Census Organizations
• Labor Unions
• I C Voters: Digital Canvassing Software for your Campaign
• I C Donors | The Best Peer-to-Peer Texting App for Fundraising
• 4EventDay App
• Canvassing App
• Labor Union Membership Drive App
• Grassroots and Legislative Advocacy App
• Be The Match
• Human Rights Campaign
• Integrations
• Request a Demo

Search form

• Table of Contents
• Troubleshooting Guide
• A Model for Getting Started
• Justice Action Toolkit
• Best Change Processes
• Databases of Best Practices
• Online Courses
• Ask an Advisor
• Subscribe to eNewsletter
• Community Stories
• YouTube Channel
• About the Tool Box
• How to Use the Tool Box
• Privacy Statement
• Workstation/Check Box Sign-In
• Online Training Courses
• Capacity Building Training
• Training Curriculum - Order Now
• Community Check Box Evaluation System
• Build Your Toolbox
• Facilitation of Community Processes
• Community Health Assessment and Planning
• Section 7. Developing a Plan for Advocacy

Chapter 30 Sections

• Section 1. Overview: Getting an Advocacy Campaign Off the Ground
• Section 2. Survival Skills for Advocates
• Section 3. Understanding the Issue
• Section 4. Recognizing Allies
• Section 5. Identifying Opponents
• Section 6. Encouraging Involvement of Potential Opponents as Well as Allies

• Main Section

What's a plan for advocacy?

Other sections of the Community Tool Box have covered strategic planning. How should planning for advocacy be different?

The answer is that in many ways the process will be similar -- but it's even more important to do it thoroughly, and do it up front. That's because advocacy:

• Involves getting powerful individuals or organizations to make big changes that may not be in their short-term interest
• Often involves working in the public eye
• Often involves sticking out your neck, as you take a stand against a larger opponent

Planning will help you find out ahead of time where the major difficulties may lie, and to avoid surprises (including those surprises that might make you look ineffective, clumsy, or stupid).

In addition, as with any project, planning will help you to:

• Clarify your goals
• Clarify the steps that will take you to your goals
• Increase your chances of success

If you don't plan, you may waste valuable energy, miss some opportunities, perhaps even antagonize people you need to keep on your side.

When should you create a plan for advocacy?

It's important to complete a plan before you start advocating, because, as you will find, each part of the plan can affect the others.

Normally, planning your goals comes first--but you may have to change those plans if you find, as you plan further, that the tactics you were hoping to use aren't legal, or won't work. When you plan everything together--and ongoing--you can both build support and make adjustments as you go.

Your goal might be to close down a refinery that had been guilty of dumping toxic chemicals in the community. You find, when you check into the list of possible allies, that the economic impact of closure would be devastating to the community. So you adjust your goal to one that would change safety practices in the refinery and permit closer community oversight. If you had publicly stated your goal of closing the place, before talking with others or filling in the other steps of your plan, you could have antagonized many of those whose support you would need. These might include many people in the community who depended on the refinery financially. And it would have been hard to win them back, after publicly coming out against their interests.

Making your plans

Planning is best done as a group activity. One way is to write up ideas on the chalkboard or on butcher paper. Then, after they've been debated, record the ideas you've chosen in a permanent place. The actual format of the plan is not important. What's important is that you write it down in a form you can use, and that lets you check one part of the plan against the rest. A loose-leaf binder (or computer file) with separate sections for each category may be all you need.

Goals (or objectives)

If you are asked what the goal of your advocacy campaign or group is, your answer may come out in the form of a mission statement: "Our aim is to create decent and affordable housing," or "We intend to reduce pollution of the local waterways." However, for planning purposes, goals should be split down into much more specific steps . Remember that it's better to keep your focus on a relatively narrow, manageable group of issues, rather than letting yourselves try to cover too much ground, and lose strength in the process. It's also important to split up the goals according to your time-frame.

Long-term goals spell out where you want to be, by the end of the advocacy campaign.

Ten years from now, the supply of low-income housing in Bay City will have increased by 50% In four years, we will reduce the pregnancy rate among 12 to 17 year-olds in Bay City by 30% Five years from now, toxic dumping in Murray County will be eliminated

Intermediate goals get you much of the way:

• They focus on community and system changes - new or modified programs, policies, and practices in the local community or the broader system
• They provide concrete building blocks towards the ultimate goal
• They help the group to feel it is doing something. This can be helpful to maintain high levels of motivation over the long haul.
• They provide earlier "bench-marks" by which you can measure progress.

In one year, the City Council will create six new low-income housing units In six months, we will have changed the hours of the clinic to increase access In nine months, two major businesses will have introduced flextime policies that permit adults to be with children after school

Short-term goals have some of the same functions as the intermediate kind. They help keep a group motivated, providing more immediate benchmarks in the form of action steps.

By June, we'll have signed up 10 new members In two months, we'll hold the first public hearing By the November election, we will get 1,500 people out to vote

Writing Out Your Goals

In terms of planning, it pays to examine each goal before you write it down, to make sure it meets certain criteria. Specifically, each goal should be SMART + C : Specific; Measurable; Achievable; Relevant; Timed; and Challenging.

Here's how SMART + C goal-planning works:

• (S) pecific. The more specific you can be about what it is you want your group to achieve and by when, the better.

 Instead of, "We'll hold a meeting," your goal should be: "We'll hold a meeting for parents of teenage children in Memorial Hall to invite input on the initiative."

• (M) easurable . Put your goals in measurable terms. The more precise you are about what you want to get done, the easier it will be to see what and how much your group has accomplished. This may prove to be essential if you are carrying out a systematic evaluation of your campaign (see related section of this chapter).

Not: "Smoking in our community will be reduced," but instead: "The percentage of smokers in our community will decline by 30% by the year 2000."

• (A) chievable . It's great for you to be ambitious, but you should also remember to set realistic goals that your group can actually achieve. Real change takes time and resources. If you bite off more than you can chew, your group and the community may become prematurely disappointed or discouraged.
• (R) elevant (to your mission ). You should be setting goals that will start your group on the path to successfully accomplishing its mission. If you stray too much from that path, you may lose sight of what it is you're trying to accomplish.
• (T) imed . A date for completion should be set. Even if circumstances change and your date must be altered later, it's much better to start off knowing when you can expect to achieve your goals, so you will know when it may become necessary to make adjustments.
• (C) hallenging . Goals should also stretch up. If we know we can get 500 people out to vote, but need 2,000--and can get that with extra effort--we should set the more challenging goal.

Planning your goals

The simplest way may be to use a loose-leaf binder or computer file, with one page for each of your major goals. On each page, provide space for "short," "intermediate " and "long-term" objectives, with two or three objectives under each sub-heading.

Do you have the resources to reach those goals? That's what you'll pin down in the next part of the planning process.

Your resources and assets

Once you have your goals written down, it's easier to make an inventory of the resources you'll need, in terms of organization, money, facilities, and allies--and the assets you have already.

Resources for advocacy may be very different from those needed to run service programs in the community. You won't be needing massive financial support over a long period of time, as would be the case if you wanted to open a day-care center, for example.That's the good news. The bad news is that the sort of charitable foundation that might fund a day-care center most generously may not want to put any money at all into advocacy.

So? So you may not have much cash. But (good news again) you might be rich in other resources--especially people. Your list of available resources will vary, according to the size of your group and its needs, but might include any of the following:

• Funds (including in-kind contributions) balanced against expenses
• People who are already available (both staff and volunteers), and their skills
• People you expect to be available
• Contacts (e.g., with media resources)
• Facilities (e.g., access to transportation and computers, meeting rooms)
• Access to information archives or libraries

Since advocacy is stressful, make sure your assets are solidly in place. Do you have internal problems that need to be solved in your group, such as relationships between staff and volunteers? Disagreements about use of funds? These need to be sorted out now if possible, during the planning stage.

Planning your resources and assets

The simplest way to plan is to write out a list of resources and assets in a binder (or computer file) so you can add new ones as you go along. Keep one section for each of the headings above: Funds, People presently available, People expected to be available, Useful community contacts, Facilities, and Access to other resources.

Did you come up short on the most vital resource of all--the people who are willing to help? Then the next section might help you build it up, as you survey the degree of community support you have now, and how much you might expect in the future. When you look into your community support, for the next part of your plan, you may find a few surprises.

Your community support (and opposition)

For this part of the plan, you will write down lists of expected allies and opponents. Part of this may be simple. For example, if you are planning to restrict the logging (and erosion-causing) practices of a big local lumber company, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess that the owners and employees of that company are unlikely to be on your side, but local environmental groups will likely give you their support.

But sometimes it's not so simple, which is why it will pay to do some careful planning, including personal contact and listening. It may be that people you expect to be opponents may also be allies under certain circumstances; and those thought to be allies may oppose your efforts.

 You want to get a big strawberry grower in your community to cut down on the pesticide used on his fields. It's getting into the river; and the farm workers and some of the people who live nearby claim it makes them sick. But the mayor of your community normally sides with business interests, no matter what. In the past, he has made statements hostile to many environmental causes. Furthermore, he's an old golfing buddy of the strawberry grower. You naturally pencil him in as a possible opponent. But wait. This mayor owns land just downstream from the strawberry grower, and plans to put in a big development of expensive houses ("Strawberry Fields"). The last thing he wants is a cloud of pesticide upstream, and upwind. He may not want to tackle his buddy in public, but you find to your surprise that behind the scenes, he'll be your ally.

Planning for community support (and opposition)

This can be as simple as making three lists on binder paper: one for allies, one for opponents, and one for unsure (possible allies or opponents). These lists will be useful as you approach the next part of the planning process: deciding specifically whose behavior you want to change, and who can help you do the changing.

Targets and agents of change

For this part of the plan, it's important to know very precisely what caused the problem your advocacy group is addressing.

Who are targets and agents of change? Let's suppose you want to take on the many business people in town who are supplying cigarettes to kids.You know they are out there: you've already done an informal survey of kids smoking outside the junior high, and they tell you that buying tobacco is quite easy, in spite of the law.

• Your main targets of change will be the tobacco retailers. They are the ones who will need to alter their behavior if you are to achieve your goals.
• The agents of change are those who will cause the targets to actually make the change, by one means or another.

In many cases, it's not that simple. For example, what about the police, who should be enforcing the law. Are they going to be targets of change, as you work on their enforcement of the law? Or are they to be agents--going in to make the bust?

Sometimes, there may be crossover from one status to another, such as:

• The police chief may be a target initially since there is little enforcement, but a delegation of kids against tobacco persuades him that he really needs to commit himself to their cause. He sanctions undercover buys by minors to get evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the merchants, and commits himself to enforcing the law vigorously.
• Even a tobacco retailer may turn out to be an agent, if she sees the light, and offers to influence the practices of other members of the local tobacco retailers association.

Although targets (or agents) are often institutions or groups, it may be easier to focus on one individual. For example, you might plan to change the thinking of one elected official or agency head at a time rather than going for a massive shift of opinion. Or it might seem feasible to tackle one senior executive in a company that's not hiring local people who need decent jobs.

Planning your targets and agents of change

You can simply write one list of targets, one of agents, and one of possible hybrids: people who could switch from one category to another.

At this point in the planning, you will have a fairly clear idea about what you want to achieve, what are the main obstacles, and what are the resources--in terms of money, facilities and people--that can help you reach the goals. The next steps involve drawing a clear road-map showing how you will get there from here.

Planning your strategy

In a sense, advocacy itself is a strategy--it's the way you have decided to reach your particular goal, because you can't get what you want without taking on some institutions and people who have power, and getting that power structure to change.

Now you need the specific strategies that will help you reach your goals. As an advocate, you will also have to make sure that your strategies:

• Make the best use of (and don't antagonize) your allies
• Produce the kind of change you want in your opponents

Many people tend to assume that because you are involved in advocacy, your strategy will involve confrontation. Yes, it may - but often, that's not the best approach.

For example, in a program aiming to curb youth smoking, you might decide on a mix of strategies, some of them quite adversarial, and some not.

Less confrontation / conflict:

• Increase public awareness through a media campaign
• Educate the merchants
• Gather data about violations of the law to encourage increased levels of enforcement
• Work through the schools
• Network with like-minded organizations
• Work for policy change in local government

More confrontation :

• Apply economic pressure on merchants through boycotts
• Arrange for kids to picket

Most confrontation :

• Blockade the entrances to specific stores
• Be prepared to be arrested for your act of civil disobedience

Choosing a strategic style

As you can see, many different actions fit under the definition of "strategy," and they may incorporate many different styles--from friendly persuasion to "in your face."

Your choice of style will depend to a great extent on your knowledge of the community, and of what will work (as well as your knowledge of your members and allies, and what they can do best and most comfortably). The people and institutions of a community are connected in complicated ways, and people may see their own interests threatened if certain institutions seem to be under attack. Yes, you can change people's attitudes - but this may take time. A raucous demonstration at the wrong time might solidify old prejudices, making it harder in the long run for people to change.

On the other hand, sometimes a public demonstration is essential to bring an issue to the attention of the public (and the media). In some circumstances, it can help fire up the enthusiasm of your members, and bring in new ones. The point is that you need to think hard about what effect it will have, based on your knowledge of the community, your targets and agents, and the root causes of the issue.

Staying flexible

Although it's a good idea to do as much forward planning as possible, an advocacy campaign is likely to be dynamic, adjusting with changing circumstances. Obviously, not everything can be locked in.

For example, you might be all set to barricade a logging trail in an environmental cause, when you hear that a state senator is about to propose legislation that would go some way towards accomplishing what you want; your barricade might cause some senators to vote against him. Or you might hear rumors to the effect that your people would be met with massive force. Or you might be told that alternative old logging trails are to be opened up. Or that you had somehow overlooked another area of the watershed where logging could produce even more environmental damage.

Here are some things that you should keep in mind, as your advocacy campaign progresses, involving surprise developments from good news ; rumors ; unmet needs ; or bad news .

Planning strategies

It may be useful to brainstorm strategies in the group, and write down those that you feel will help you attain your goals. In some cases, simply writing the chosen strategies in a form that you can store easily (for example, in a loose-leaf binder or computer file) is all you need. Others may prefer something more complex.

Here's one possible format, which has a built-in double-check to make sure each strategy is on target.

Strategies are the broad strokes: they don't spell out specifically how something will get done. That's the job of the tactics (or action steps) that you choose? the next part of the planning process.

Tactics are the action steps. The icing on the cake. The finishing touch. The part that shows. Tactics can cover a wide range of activity, from writing letters to speaking up at City Council meetings, from filing complaints to setting up negotiations, from boycotts and demonstrations to carrying out surveys.

As you plan tactics, you will need to make sure that they:

• Carry out your strategy, and are appropriate for your goals
• Fit your style (one tactic out of control can wreck a whole campaign)
• Are doable and cost effective, within your resources, funds, allies and good will
• Make your group feel good about themselves, and what they are doing

You will find plenty of discussion of specific tactics in other parts of the Community Tool Box . Some of these relate to the development of programs, but some fit well under the rubric of advocacy - that is, they involve identifying specific targets of change, and encouraging that change for the good of the community.

Helpful questions

As you plan tactics, it may be useful to ask yourselves these questions about each of them:

• What will be the scope of this action?
• Who will carry it out?
• When will the action take place, and for how long?
• Do we have the resources to make it happen?
• What resources are available?
• Which allies and constituents should be involved?
• Which individuals and organizations might oppose or resist?

Planning tactics

There are many different ways of writing out your tactical plans. For example, you may find it useful to attach your plan to each major objective. Here's an example of one way you can do that:

Table: Turning goals into action steps

Here's another approach, which will also bring your resources and opponents into the planning process.

Putting the plan together

The entire plan, covering all six of the above steps, should be formally written down. The process of writing will help clarify your thinking. The written version will be available to bring us back in line when "scope creep" occurs: we wobble away from our basic plan.

As we have suggested, some groups might be happy working with a loose-leaf binder, with separate sections for each of the main planning steps. However, others may prefer to get all the planning for one major action onto one "Campaign Planning Chart."

In this example, budget cuts have been proposed that will affect the funding for a clinic that offers the only health care available to the poor in the neighborhood. Your group is advocating an increase in funding for the clinic, and opening a new clinic to serve an area now without health-care facilities.

Online Resource

  Community Advocacy: A Psychologist’s Toolkit for State and Local Advocacy  is a science-based toolkit that highlights various advocacy strategies to inform policy at the state and local levels. It aims to build a community of grassroots psychologist advocates that can intervene to promote well-being in the communities in which they reside. 

Introduction to Advocacy Planning.  This online PDF provides information on understanding the problem you are trying to solve, identifying an alternative aim, and breaking down the objectives as part of the advocacy planning cycle .

Print Resources

Advocacy Strategy Workbook – This resource goes step-by-step with worksheets to guide each of the stages of advocacy planning.

Advocacy Toolkit (UNICEF) – Chapter 3 of this toolkit provided by UNICEF is devoted to developing an advocacy strategy and gives an outline of questions that need to be asked. The chapter concluded with an advocacy planning worksheet.

Altman, D., Balcazar, F., Fawcett, S., Seekins, T., & Young, J. (1994). Public health advocacy: Creating community change to improve health . Stanford, CA: Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention.

Bobo, K., Kendall, J., & Max, S. (1996). Organizing for social change: a manual for activists in the 1990s . Chicago, IL: Midwest Academy.

Crafting Your Advocacy Strategy (UNICEF) provides information on how to go about crafting a strategy for an advocacy campaign.

Developing an Advocacy Plan  (Victim Assistance Training) – This website provides a step-by-step guide to planning for advocacy with case studies and activities following each step.

Fawcett, S. B., & Paine, A., et al. (1993). Preventing adolescent pregnancy: An action planning guide for community based initiatives . Lawrence, KS: Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development, The University of Kansas.

Marin Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems.  Advocating for policy change . San Rafael, CA.

Planning for Advocacy – This online PDF is a section from the Advocacy Toolkit for Women in Politics provided by UN Women. It provides a step-by-step process for planning for advocacy.

Choose Your Test

• Search Blogs By Category
• College Admissions
• AP and IB Exams
• GPA and Coursework

How to Write a Great Community Service Essay

College Admissions , Extracurriculars

Are you applying to a college or a scholarship that requires a community service essay? Do you know how to write an essay that will impress readers and clearly show the impact your work had on yourself and others?

Read on to learn step-by-step instructions for writing a great community service essay that will help you stand out and be memorable.

What Is a Community Service Essay? Why Do You Need One?

A community service essay is an essay that describes the volunteer work you did and the impact it had on you and your community. Community service essays can vary widely depending on specific requirements listed in the application, but, in general, they describe the work you did, why you found the work important, and how it benefited people around you.

Community service essays are typically needed for two reasons:

#1: To Apply to College

• Some colleges require students to write community service essays as part of their application or to be eligible for certain scholarships.
• You may also choose to highlight your community service work in your personal statement.

#2: To Apply for Scholarships

• Some scholarships are specifically awarded to students with exceptional community service experiences, and many use community service essays to help choose scholarship recipients.
• Green Mountain College offers one of the most famous of these scholarships. Their "Make a Difference Scholarship" offers full tuition, room, and board to students who have demonstrated a significant, positive impact through their community service

Getting Started With Your Essay

In the following sections, I'll go over each step of how to plan and write your essay. I'll also include sample excerpts for you to look through so you can get a better idea of what readers are looking for when they review your essay.

Step 1: Know the Essay Requirements

Before your start writing a single word, you should be familiar with the essay prompt. Each college or scholarship will have different requirements for their essay, so make sure you read these carefully and understand them.

Specific things to pay attention to include:

• Length requirement
• Application deadline
• The main purpose or focus of the essay
• If the essay should follow a specific structure

Below are three real community service essay prompts. Read through them and notice how much they vary in terms of length, detail, and what information the writer should include.

From the Equitable Excellence Scholarship:

"Describe your outstanding achievement in depth and provide the specific planning, training, goals, and steps taken to make the accomplishment successful. Include details about your role and highlight leadership you provided. Your essay must be a minimum of 350 words but not more than 600 words."

From the Laura W. Bush Traveling Scholarship:

"Essay (up to 500 words, double spaced) explaining your interest in being considered for the award and how your proposed project reflects or is related to both UNESCO's mandate and U.S. interests in promoting peace by sharing advances in education, science, culture, and communications."

From the LULAC National Scholarship Fund:

"Please type or print an essay of 300 words (maximum) on how your academic studies will contribute to your personal & professional goals. In addition, please discuss any community service or extracurricular activities you have been involved in that relate to your goals."

Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas

Even after you understand what the essay should be about, it can still be difficult to begin writing. Answer the following questions to help brainstorm essay ideas. You may be able to incorporate your answers into your essay.

• What community service activity that you've participated in has meant the most to you?
• What is your favorite memory from performing community service?
• Why did you decide to begin community service?
• What made you decide to volunteer where you did?
• How has your community service changed you?
• How has your community service helped others?
• How has your community service affected your plans for the future?

You don't need to answer all the questions, but if you find you have a lot of ideas for one of two of them, those may be things you want to include in your essay.

Writing Your Essay

How you structure your essay will depend on the requirements of the scholarship or school you are applying to. You may give an overview of all the work you did as a volunteer, or highlight a particularly memorable experience. You may focus on your personal growth or how your community benefited.

Regardless of the specific structure requested, follow the guidelines below to make sure your community service essay is memorable and clearly shows the impact of your work.

Samples of mediocre and excellent essays are included below to give you a better idea of how you should draft your own essay.

Step 1: Hook Your Reader In

You want the person reading your essay to be interested, so your first sentence should hook them in and entice them to read more. A good way to do this is to start in the middle of the action. Your first sentence could describe you helping build a house, releasing a rescued animal back to the wild, watching a student you tutored read a book on their own, or something else that quickly gets the reader interested. This will help set your essay apart and make it more memorable.

Compare these two opening sentences:

"I have volunteered at the Wishbone Pet Shelter for three years."

"The moment I saw the starving, mud-splattered puppy brought into the shelter with its tail between its legs, I knew I'd do whatever I could to save it."

The first sentence is a very general, bland statement. The majority of community service essays probably begin a lot like it, but it gives the reader little information and does nothing to draw them in. On the other hand, the second sentence begins immediately with action and helps persuade the reader to keep reading so they can learn what happened to the dog.

Step 2: Discuss the Work You Did

Once you've hooked your reader in with your first sentence, tell them about your community service experiences. State where you work, when you began working, how much time you've spent there, and what your main duties include. This will help the reader quickly put the rest of the essay in context and understand the basics of your community service work.

Not including basic details about your community service could leave your reader confused.

Step 3: Include Specific Details

It's the details of your community service that make your experience unique and memorable, so go into the specifics of what you did.

For example, don't just say you volunteered at a nursing home; talk about reading Mrs. Johnson her favorite book, watching Mr. Scott win at bingo, and seeing the residents play games with their grandchildren at the family day you organized. Try to include specific activities, moments, and people in your essay. Having details like these let the readers really understand what work you did and how it differs from other volunteer experiences.

Compare these two passages:

"For my volunteer work, I tutored children at a local elementary school. I helped them improve their math skills and become more confident students."

"As a volunteer at York Elementary School, I worked one-on-one with second and third graders who struggled with their math skills, particularly addition, subtraction, and fractions. As part of my work, I would create practice problems and quizzes and try to connect math to the students' interests. One of my favorite memories was when Sara, a student I had been working with for several weeks, told me that she enjoyed the math problems I had created about a girl buying and selling horses so much that she asked to help me create math problems for other students."

The first passage only gives basic information about the work done by the volunteer; there is very little detail included, and no evidence is given to support her claims. How did she help students improve their math skills? How did she know they were becoming more confident?

The second passage is much more detailed. It recounts a specific story and explains more fully what kind of work the volunteer did, as well as a specific instance of a student becoming more confident with her math skills. Providing more detail in your essay helps support your claims as well as make your essay more memorable and unique.

Step 4: Show Your Personality

It would be very hard to get a scholarship or place at a school if none of your readers felt like they knew much about you after finishing your essay, so make sure that your essay shows your personality. The way to do this is to state your personal strengths, then provide examples to support your claims. Take some time to think about which parts of your personality you would like your essay to highlight, then write about specific examples to show this.

• If you want to show that you're a motivated leader, describe a time when you organized an event or supervised other volunteers.
• If you want to show your teamwork skills, write about a time you helped a group of people work together better.
• If you want to show that you're a compassionate animal lover, write about taking care of neglected shelter animals and helping each of them find homes.

Step 5: State What You Accomplished

After you have described your community service and given specific examples of your work, you want to begin to wrap your essay up by stating your accomplishments. What was the impact of your community service? Did you build a house for a family to move into? Help students improve their reading skills? Clean up a local park? Make sure the impact of your work is clear; don't be worried about bragging here.

If you can include specific numbers, that will also strengthen your essay. Saying "I delivered meals to 24 home-bound senior citizens" is a stronger example than just saying "I delivered meals to lots of senior citizens."

Also be sure to explain why your work matters. Why is what you did important? Did it provide more parks for kids to play in? Help students get better grades? Give people medical care who would otherwise not have gotten it? This is an important part of your essay, so make sure to go into enough detail that your readers will know exactly what you accomplished and how it helped your community.

"My biggest accomplishment during my community service was helping to organize a family event at the retirement home. The children and grandchildren of many residents attended, and they all enjoyed playing games and watching movies together."

"The community service accomplishment that I'm most proud of is the work I did to help organize the First Annual Family Fun Day at the retirement home. My job was to design and organize fun activities that senior citizens and their younger relatives could enjoy. The event lasted eight hours and included ten different games, two performances, and a movie screening with popcorn. Almost 200 residents and family members attended throughout the day. This event was important because it provided an opportunity for senior citizens to connect with their family members in a way they aren't often able to. It also made the retirement home seem more fun and enjoyable to children, and we have seen an increase in the number of kids coming to visit their grandparents since the event."

The second passage is stronger for a variety of reasons. First, it goes into much more detail about the work the volunteer did. The first passage only states that she helped "organize a family event." That really doesn't tell readers much about her work or what her responsibilities were. The second passage is much clearer; her job was to "design and organize fun activities."

The second passage also explains the event in more depth. A family day can be many things; remember that your readers are likely not familiar with what you're talking about, so details help them get a clearer picture.

Lastly, the second passage makes the importance of the event clear: it helped residents connect with younger family members, and it helped retirement homes seem less intimidating to children, so now some residents see their grand kids more often.

Step 6: Discuss What You Learned

One of the final things to include in your essay should be the impact that your community service had on you. You can discuss skills you learned, such as carpentry, public speaking, animal care, or another skill.

You can also talk about how you changed personally. Are you more patient now? More understanding of others? Do you have a better idea of the type of career you want? Go into depth about this, but be honest. Don't say your community service changed your life if it didn't because trite statements won't impress readers.

In order to support your statements, provide more examples. If you say you're more patient now, how do you know this? Do you get less frustrated while playing with your younger siblings? Are you more willing to help group partners who are struggling with their part of the work? You've probably noticed by now that including specific examples and details is one of the best ways to create a strong and believable essay .

"As a result of my community service, I learned a lot about building houses and became a more mature person."

"As a result of my community service, I gained hands-on experience in construction. I learned how to read blueprints, use a hammer and nails, and begin constructing the foundation of a two-bedroom house. Working on the house could be challenging at times, but it taught me to appreciate the value of hard work and be more willing to pitch in when I see someone needs help. My dad has just started building a shed in our backyard, and I offered to help him with it because I know from my community service how much work it is. I also appreciate my own house more, and I know how lucky I am to have a roof over my head."

The second passage is more impressive and memorable because it describes the skills the writer learned in more detail and recounts a specific story that supports her claim that her community service changed her and made her more helpful.

Step 7: Finish Strong

Just as you started your essay in a way that would grab readers' attention, you want to finish your essay on a strong note as well. A good way to end your essay is to state again the impact your work had on you, your community, or both. Reiterate how you changed as a result of your community service, why you found the work important, or how it helped others.

Compare these two concluding statements:

"In conclusion, I learned a lot from my community service at my local museum, and I hope to keep volunteering and learning more about history."

"To conclude, volunteering at my city's American History Museum has been a great experience. By leading tours and participating in special events, I became better at public speaking and am now more comfortable starting conversations with people. In return, I was able to get more community members interested in history and our local museum. My interest in history has deepened, and I look forward to studying the subject in college and hopefully continuing my volunteer work at my university's own museum."

The second passage takes each point made in the first passage and expands upon it. In a few sentences, the second passage is able to clearly convey what work the volunteer did, how she changed, and how her volunteer work benefited her community.

The author of the second passage also ends her essay discussing her future and how she'd like to continue her community service, which is a good way to wrap things up because it shows your readers that you are committed to community service for the long-term.

What's Next?

Are you applying to a community service scholarship or thinking about it? We have a complete list of all the community service scholarships available to help get your search started!

Do you need a community service letter as well? We have a step-by-step guide that will tell you how to get a great reference letter from your community service supervisor.

Thinking about doing community service abroad? Before you sign up, read our guide on some of the hazards of international volunteer trips and how to know if it's the right choice for you.

Trending Now

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

ACT vs. SAT: Which Test Should You Take?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Get Your Free

Find Your Target SAT Score

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect SAT Score, by an Expert Full Scorer

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading and Writing

How to Improve Your Low SAT Score

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading and Writing

Find Your Target ACT Score

Complete Official Free ACT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer

Get a 36 on ACT English

Get a 36 on ACT Math

Get a 36 on ACT Reading

Get a 36 on ACT Science

How to Improve Your Low ACT Score

Get a 24 on ACT English

Get a 24 on ACT Math

Get a 24 on ACT Reading

Get a 24 on ACT Science

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Essay Papers Writing Online

The impact of community service – a deep dive into the power of giving back to society.

Community service essays serve as a powerful tool for individuals to reflect on their experiences, values, and impact on the world around them. Through the process of writing about their volunteer work, students are able to articulate the positive changes they have made in their communities and explore the lessons they have learned along the way.

Community service essays also play a crucial role in highlighting the importance of giving back to society and fostering a sense of empathy and compassion in individuals. By sharing personal stories of service, students can inspire others to get involved and make a difference in their own communities.

Moreover, community service essays can help students gain valuable skills such as critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving, as they reflect on the challenges and successes of their volunteer experiences. By documenting their service work, students can also showcase their commitment to social responsibility and community engagement to colleges, scholarship committees, and potential employers.

Why Community Service Essays Matter

In today’s society, the importance of community service essays cannot be overstated. These essays serve as a platform for individuals to showcase their dedication to helping others and making a positive impact on their communities. Through these essays, individuals can share their experiences, insights, and perspectives on the value of giving back to society.

Community service essays also play a crucial role in raising awareness about different social issues and encouraging others to get involved in volunteer work. By sharing personal stories and reflections, individuals can inspire and motivate others to take action and contribute to the betterment of society.

Furthermore, community service essays provide an opportunity for individuals to reflect on their own values, beliefs, and goals. Through the process of writing these essays, individuals can gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their place in the world, leading to personal growth and development.

In conclusion, community service essays matter because they have the power to inspire change, raise awareness, and promote personal growth. By sharing their stories and insights, individuals can make a difference in their communities and create a more compassionate and giving society.

The Impact of Community Service Essays

Community service essays have a profound impact on both the individuals writing them and the communities they serve. These essays serve as a platform for students to reflect on their experiences and articulate the lessons they have learned through their service work.

One of the primary impacts of community service essays is the opportunity for self-reflection. Students are encouraged to critically analyze their experiences, challenges, and accomplishments during their community service activities. This reflection helps students develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their values, and their role in the community.

Another significant impact of community service essays is the awareness they raise about social issues and community needs. By sharing their stories and insights, students can shed light on important issues and inspire others to get involved in community service. These essays can also help community organizations and stakeholders better understand the needs of their communities and how they can address them effectively.

Overall, community service essays play a vital role in promoting social responsibility, empathy, and civic engagement. They empower students to make a positive impact in their communities and contribute to creating a more compassionate and inclusive society.

Guidelines for Writing Community Service Essays

When writing a community service essay, it is important to follow certain guidelines to ensure that your message is clear and impactful. Here are some tips to help you craft a powerful and compelling essay:

• Start by brainstorming ideas and reflecting on your community service experiences.
• Clearly define the purpose of your essay and what you hope to convey to your readers.
• Organize your essay with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
• Use specific examples and anecdotes to support your points and showcase your personal growth.
• Highlight the impact of your community service activities on both yourself and others.
• Showcase your passion and dedication to serving your community.
• Be authentic and honest in your writing, and avoid exaggerating or embellishing your experiences.
• Edit and proofread your essay carefully to ensure clarity, coherence, and proper grammar.

Examples of Effective Community Service Essays

Community service essays can have a powerful impact on the reader when they are well-written and thoughtful. Here are a few examples to inspire you:

1. A Well-Structured Essay:

This essay begins with a compelling introduction that clearly articulates the author’s motivation for engaging in community service. The body paragraphs provide specific examples of the author’s experiences and the impact they had on both the community and themselves. The conclusion ties everything together, reflecting on the lessons learned and the importance of giving back.

2. Personal Reflection:

This essay delves deep into the author’s personal experiences during their community service work. It explores the challenges they faced, the emotions they encountered, and the growth they underwent. By sharing vulnerable moments and candid reflections, the author creates a connection with the reader and demonstrates the transformational power of service.

3. Future Goals and Impact:

This essay not only discusses past community service experiences but also looks toward the future. The author shares their aspirations for continued service and outlines how they plan to make a difference in the world. By showcasing a sense of purpose and vision, this essay inspires the reader to consider their own potential for impact.

These examples illustrate how community service essays can be effective tools for conveying meaningful stories, inspiring others, and showcasing personal growth. By crafting a compelling narrative and reflecting on the significance of service, you can create an essay that leaves a lasting impression.

How Community Service Essays Empower Individuals

Community service essays provide individuals with a platform to express their thoughts, share their experiences, and make a meaningful impact on society. By writing about their volunteer work and the lessons they have learned, individuals can empower themselves to create positive change and inspire others to do the same.

• Through community service essays, individuals can reflect on the importance of giving back to their communities and the value of helping those in need.
• These essays can serve as a source of motivation and inspiration for individuals to continue their philanthropic efforts and make a difference in the world.
• By sharing their stories through community service essays, individuals can raise awareness about social issues and promote greater empathy and understanding among their peers.

Overall, community service essays empower individuals to take action, advocate for change, and contribute to building a more compassionate and equitable society.

Related Post

How to master the art of writing expository essays and captivate your audience, convenient and reliable source to purchase college essays online, step-by-step guide to crafting a powerful literary analysis essay, unlock success with a comprehensive business research paper example guide, unlock your writing potential with writers college – transform your passion into profession, “unlocking the secrets of academic success – navigating the world of research papers in college”, master the art of sociological expression – elevate your writing skills in sociology.

*** Enter the $2,000 College Transitions No Essay Scholarship Contest ***

How to Write the Community Essay – Guide with Examples (2023-24)

September 6, 2023

Students applying to college this year will inevitably confront the community essay. In fact, most students will end up responding to several community essay prompts for different schools. For this reason, you should know more than simply how to approach the community essay as a genre. Rather, you will want to learn how to decipher the nuances of each particular prompt, in order to adapt your response appropriately. In this article, we’ll show you how to do just that, through several community essay examples. These examples will also demonstrate how to avoid cliché and make the community essay authentically and convincingly your own.

Emphasis on Community

Do keep in mind that inherent in the word “community” is the idea of multiple people. The personal statement already provides you with a chance to tell the college admissions committee about yourself as an individual. The community essay, however, suggests that you depict yourself among others. You can use this opportunity to your advantage by showing off interpersonal skills, for example. Or, perhaps you wish to relate a moment that forged important relationships. This in turn will indicate what kind of connections you’ll make in the classroom with college peers and professors.

Apart from comprising numerous people, a community can appear in many shapes and sizes. It could be as small as a volleyball team, or as large as a diaspora. It could fill a town soup kitchen, or spread across five boroughs. In fact, due to the internet, certain communities today don’t even require a physical place to congregate. Communities can form around a shared identity, shared place, shared hobby, shared ideology, or shared call to action. They can even arise due to a shared yet unforeseen circumstance.

What is the Community Essay All About?             

In a nutshell, the community essay should exhibit three things:

• An aspect of yourself, 2. in the context of a community you belonged to, and 3. how this experience may shape your contribution to the community you’ll join in college.

It may look like a fairly simple equation: 1 + 2 = 3. However, each college will word their community essay prompt differently, so it’s important to look out for additional variables. One college may use the community essay as a way to glimpse your core values. Another may use the essay to understand how you would add to diversity on campus. Some may let you decide in which direction to take it—and there are many ways to go!

To get a better idea of how the prompts differ, let’s take a look at some real community essay prompts from the current admission cycle.

Sample 2023-2024 Community Essay Prompts

1) brown university.

“Students entering Brown often find that making their home on College Hill naturally invites reflection on where they came from. Share how an aspect of your growing up has inspired or challenged you, and what unique contributions this might allow you to make to the Brown community. (200-250 words)”

A close reading of this prompt shows that Brown puts particular emphasis on place. They do this by using the words “home,” “College Hill,” and “where they came from.” Thus, Brown invites writers to think about community through the prism of place. They also emphasize the idea of personal growth or change, through the words “inspired or challenged you.” Therefore, Brown wishes to see how the place you grew up in has affected you. And, they want to know how you in turn will affect their college community.

“NYU was founded on the belief that a student’s identity should not dictate the ability for them to access higher education. That sense of opportunity for all students, of all backgrounds, remains a part of who we are today and a critical part of what makes us a world-class university. Our community embraces diversity, in all its forms, as a cornerstone of the NYU experience.

We would like to better understand how your experiences would help us to shape and grow our diverse community. Please respond in 250 words or less.”

Here, NYU places an emphasis on students’ “identity,” “backgrounds,” and “diversity,” rather than any physical place. (For some students, place may be tied up in those ideas.) Furthermore, while NYU doesn’t ask specifically how identity has changed the essay writer, they do ask about your “experience.” Take this to mean that you can still recount a specific moment, or several moments, that work to portray your particular background. You should also try to link your story with NYU’s values of inclusivity and opportunity.

3) University of Washington

“Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. (300 words max) Tip: Keep in mind that the UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints.”

UW ’s community essay prompt may look the most approachable, for they help define the idea of community. You’ll notice that most of their examples (“families,” “cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood”…) place an emphasis on people. This may clue you in on their desire to see the relationships you’ve made. At the same time, UW uses the words “individual” and “richly diverse.” They, like NYU, wish to see how you fit in and stand out, in order to boost campus diversity.

Writing Your First Community Essay

Begin by picking which community essay you’ll write first. (For practical reasons, you’ll probably want to go with whichever one is due earliest.) Spend time doing a close reading of the prompt, as we’ve done above. Underline key words. Try to interpret exactly what the prompt is asking through these keywords.

Next, brainstorm. I recommend doing this on a blank piece of paper with a pencil. Across the top, make a row of headings. These might be the communities you’re a part of, or the components that make up your identity. Then, jot down descriptive words underneath in each column—whatever comes to you. These words may invoke people and experiences you had with them, feelings, moments of growth, lessons learned, values developed, etc. Now, narrow in on the idea that offers the richest material and that corresponds fully with the prompt.

Lastly, write! You’ll definitely want to describe real moments, in vivid detail. This will keep your essay original, and help you avoid cliché. However, you’ll need to summarize the experience and answer the prompt succinctly, so don’t stray too far into storytelling mode.

How To Adapt Your Community Essay

Once your first essay is complete, you’ll need to adapt it to the other colleges involving community essays on your list. Again, you’ll want to turn to the prompt for a close reading, and recognize what makes this prompt different from the last. For example, let’s say you’ve written your essay for UW about belonging to your swim team, and how the sports dynamics shaped you. Adapting that essay to Brown’s prompt could involve more of a focus on place. You may ask yourself, how was my swim team in Alaska different than the swim teams we competed against in other states?

Once you’ve adapted the content, you’ll also want to adapt the wording to mimic the prompt. For example, let’s say your UW essay states, “Thinking back to my years in the pool…” As you adapt this essay to Brown’s prompt, you may notice that Brown uses the word “reflection.” Therefore, you might change this sentence to “Reflecting back on my years in the pool…” While this change is minute, it cleverly signals to the reader that you’ve paid attention to the prompt, and are giving that school your full attention.

What to Avoid When Writing the Community Essay  

• Avoid cliché. Some students worry that their idea is cliché, or worse, that their background or identity is cliché. However, what makes an essay cliché is not the content, but the way the content is conveyed. This is where your voice and your descriptions become essential.
• Avoid giving too many examples. Stick to one community, and one or two anecdotes arising from that community that allow you to answer the prompt fully.
• Don’t exaggerate or twist facts. Sometimes students feel they must make themselves sound more “diverse” than they feel they are. Luckily, diversity is not a feeling. Likewise, diversity does not simply refer to one’s heritage. If the prompt is asking about your identity or background, you can show the originality of your experiences through your actions and your thinking.

Community Essay Examples and Analysis

Brown university community essay example.

I used to hate the NYC subway. I’ve taken it since I was six, going up and down Manhattan, to and from school. By high school, it was a daily nightmare. Spending so much time underground, underneath fluorescent lighting, squashed inside a rickety, rocking train car among strangers, some of whom wanted to talk about conspiracy theories, others who had bedbugs or B.O., or who manspread across two seats, or bickered—it wore me out. The challenge of going anywhere seemed absurd. I dreaded the claustrophobia and disgruntlement.

Yet the subway also inspired my understanding of community. I will never forget the morning I saw a man, several seats away, slide out of his seat and hit the floor. The thump shocked everyone to attention. What we noticed: he appeared drunk, possibly homeless. I was digesting this when a second man got up and, through a sort of awkward embrace, heaved the first man back into his seat. The rest of us had stuck to subway social codes: don’t step out of line. Yet this second man’s silent actions spoke loudly. They said, “I care.”

That day I realized I belong to a group of strangers. What holds us together is our transience, our vulnerabilities, and a willingness to assist. This community is not perfect but one in motion, a perpetual work-in-progress. Now I make it my aim to hold others up. I plan to contribute to the Brown community by helping fellow students and strangers in moments of precariousness.    

Brown University Community Essay Example Analysis

Here the student finds an original way to write about where they come from. The subway is not their home, yet it remains integral to ideas of belonging. The student shows how a community can be built between strangers, in their responsibility toward each other. The student succeeds at incorporating key words from the prompt (“challenge,” “inspired” “Brown community,” “contribute”) into their community essay.

UW Community Essay Example

I grew up in Hawaii, a world bound by water and rich in diversity. In school we learned that this sacred land was invaded, first by Captain Cook, then by missionaries, whalers, traders, plantation owners, and the U.S. government. My parents became part of this problematic takeover when they moved here in the 90s. The first community we knew was our church congregation. At the beginning of mass, we shook hands with our neighbors. We held hands again when we sang the Lord’s Prayer. I didn’t realize our church wasn’t “normal” until our diocese was informed that we had to stop dancing hula and singing Hawaiian hymns. The order came from the Pope himself.

Eventually, I lost faith in God and organized institutions. I thought the banning of hula—an ancient and pure form of expression—seemed medieval, ignorant, and unfair, given that the Hawaiian religion had already been stamped out. I felt a lack of community and a distrust for any place in which I might find one. As a postcolonial inhabitant, I could never belong to the Hawaiian culture, no matter how much I valued it. Then, I was shocked to learn that Queen Ka’ahumanu herself had eliminated the Kapu system, a strict code of conduct in which women were inferior to men. Next went the Hawaiian religion. Queen Ka’ahumanu burned all the temples before turning to Christianity, hoping this religion would offer better opportunities for her people.

Community Essay (Continued)

I’m not sure what to make of this history. Should I view Queen Ka’ahumanu as a feminist hero, or another failure in her islands’ tragedy? Nothing is black and white about her story, but she did what she thought was beneficial to her people, regardless of tradition. From her story, I’ve learned to accept complexity. I can disagree with institutionalized religion while still believing in my neighbors. I am a product of this place and their presence. At UW, I plan to add to campus diversity through my experience, knowing that diversity comes with contradictions and complications, all of which should be approached with an open and informed mind.

UW Community Essay Example Analysis

This student also manages to weave in words from the prompt (“family,” “community,” “world,” “product of it,” “add to the diversity,” etc.). Moreover, the student picks one of the examples of community mentioned in the prompt, (namely, a religious group,) and deepens their answer by addressing the complexity inherent in the community they’ve been involved in. While the student displays an inner turmoil about their identity and participation, they find a way to show how they’d contribute to an open-minded campus through their values and intellectual rigor.

What’s Next

For more on supplemental essays and essay writing guides, check out the following articles:

• How to Write the Why This Major Essay + Example
• How to Write the Overcoming Challenges Essay + Example
• How to Start a College Essay – 12 Techniques and Tips
• College Essay

Kaylen Baker

With a BA in Literary Studies from Middlebury College, an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University, and a Master’s in Translation from Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis, Kaylen has been working with students on their writing for over five years. Previously, Kaylen taught a fiction course for high school students as part of Columbia Artists/Teachers, and served as an English Language Assistant for the French National Department of Education. Kaylen is an experienced writer/translator whose work has been featured in Los Angeles Review, Hybrid, San Francisco Bay Guardian, France Today, and Honolulu Weekly, among others.

• 2-Year Colleges
• ADHD/LD/Autism/Executive Functioning
• Application Strategies
• Best Colleges by Major
• Best Colleges by State
• Big Picture
• Career & Personality Assessment
• College Search/Knowledge
• College Success
• Costs & Financial Aid
• Data Visualizations
• Dental School Admissions
• Extracurricular Activities
• General Knowledge
• Graduate School Admissions
• High School Success
• High Schools
• Homeschool Resources
• Law School Admissions
• Medical School Admissions
• Navigating the Admissions Process
• Online Learning
• Outdoor Adventure
• Private High School Spotlight
• Research Programs
• Summer Program Spotlight
• Summer Programs
• Teacher Tools
• Test Prep Provider Spotlight

“Innovative and invaluable…use this book as your college lifeline.”

— Lynn O'Shaughnessy

Nationally Recognized College Expert

$2,000 No Essay Scholarship

Presented by College Transitions

• Win $2,000 for college • 1 minute or less to enter • No essay required • Open to students and parents in the U.S.

Create your account today and easily enter all future sweepstakes!

Enter to Win $2,000 Today!

10 Reasons Why Advocacy is Important

Whether it be promoting greater road safety in your local neighborhood or the protection of women’s rights, advocacy plays a major role in having the voices of citizens heard by individuals in power. Through advocacy, individuals are able to foster a sense of community and solidarity in order to promote their cause to the wider public. Here are 10 reasons why advocacy is important and how it holds an impact on all aspects of life.

#1 Advocacy enables people to be heard

Advocacy allows individuals to have their voices heard in the public sphere, attracting attention from politicians, the media and high-profile individuals around the world. By advocating for a cause, individuals are able to spotlight their perspective to the wider community and act as a catalyst for change. Without advocacy many voices would remain silenced. If we didn’t have advocates, we would miss out on critical support for many important issues.

#2 Advocacy supports the protection of human rights

Issues that are advocated for are often based on protecting the rights of humans. Through advocacy, communities at large will have a greater awareness of their rights and societal entitlements and the infringement of rights marginalized groups in society face today. The promotion of the rights of women, education, and safety are all issues that pertain to the protection of human rights and are often discussed and negotiated in the societal sphere.

#3 Advocacy influences laws and policies

Similar to having the voices of individuals heard in the public sphere, advocacy can directly influence decisions in public policy. As communities advocate for a certain cause or issue, politicians and law makers alike will become increasingly aware of such issues and may consider including the perspectives of advocates into formal law or policy. This is crucial for social change and holding perpetrators to account.

#4 Advocacy enables people to better understand each other

Depending on the success and outreach of advocacy efforts, major celebrities, famous entrepreneurs and philanthropists may be influenced by the promotion of a certain cause in society. Such outreach will enable influential individuals to make a public statement on such issues and may help to change the status quo of society and enact greater and meaningful change. Moreover, members in the community will be exposed to certain issues and topics which is the first step to a better mutual understanding.

#5 Advocacy promotes problem solving and participation

All advocacy efforts require communities and groups to collectively work together and solve problems. From organizing logistics of advocacy efforts to organizing public protests, communities will need coordination skills in order to ensure the smooth facilitation of advocacy efforts. Participation and participatory decision-making is crucial for advocacy work.

#6 Advocacy highlights available resources and services

Although advocacy works to fight for the rights of marginalized individuals and groups in society, a positive externality of advocacy is the discovery of resources and services that may be available to assist advocacy efforts. Whether it be additional financial resources to further fund advocacy initiatives or governmental services that can assist marginalized groups, greater advocacy can allow people to utilize resources and services that were previously thought unattainable.

#7 Advocacy educates the greater community

Nelson Mandela was quoted saying that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”, and this can be directly applied to the importance of advocacy in society. Oftentimes, people are unaware of the injustices and grievances groups face around the world and advocacy efforts can help shed light and educate the greater public on such issues. Advocacy is a learning process and can help equip people with the skills they need to defend and claim their rights.

#8 Advocacy fosters respect for a cause

Advocacy is important because not only does it help make the world a better place, it also fosters respect for issues that concern the world today. Fostering respect and solidarity are integral for advocacy efforts to move forward and enables individuals, groups and people in power alike to find common ground and solve problems in a civil manner.

#9 Advocacy makes people feel stronger

Oftentimes, individuals may be afraid or feel a lack of motivation when trying to advocate for issues that hold great personal intent because they are alone. A strong support network can help people get back their drive and trigger momentum. Advocacy efforts thrive when implemented in a group context, as people are strengthened by the presence and will of other people.

#10 Advocacy helps NGOs to thrive

Non-profit organizations and NGOs are often founded upon a central goal or mission that works to make the world a better place. Advocacy for certain causes will help non-profit organizations strive towards such goals and will garner greater attention from the public eye, which will help them to make a change in the world through their ambitions, hopes and dreams for the future.

You may also like

10 Initiatives to Support Children’s Rights

10 Initiatives to Stop Human Trafficking

10 Initiatives to Advance Gender Equality

13 Ways Inequality Affects Society

15 Inspiring Quotes for Transgender Day of Visibility

Freedom of Expression 101: Definition, Examples, Limitations

15 Trusted Charities Addressing Child Poverty

12 Trusted Charities Advancing Women’s Rights

13 Facts about Child Labor

Environmental Racism 101: Definition, Examples, Ways to Take Action

11 Examples of Systemic Injustices in the US

Women’s Rights 101: History, Examples, Activists

About the author.

Kaori Higa is a freelance writer based in Vancouver, Canada. She has worked extensively in the human rights sector, public relations consulting and within state governments across three continents. As part of her work, Kaori has coordinated logistics for governmental press conferences and proposed strategies that encourage governmental and legal institutions to adopt human rights-based policies and legislation. Aside from her political endeavors and human rights advocacy, Kaori is an avid classical violinist, having been invited to perform a violin solo in Carnegie Hall.

• Insights & Analysis
• Nonprofit Jobs

Why Should Your Nonprofit Advocate?

Advocacy helps your nonprofit   meet its mission ..

Through advocacy efforts you can help others by, among other ways:

• Preventing loss of resources – you might be able to stop a proposal to slash funding that would hurt the communities you serve;
• Lowering barriers to broaden access to important services – you might be able to increase the staffing for a particular government agency ( e.g. , instead of being open just 20 hours a week to the public it can remain open for 30 hours, allowing more people to be served);
• Illuminating real community needs – you might be able to shine the light on a particular social problem that has been ignored, allowing policy makers to see the problem and then address it.
• Helping a colleague get in key (literally at the symphony), telling the nonprofits story to a potential funder, talking to a reporter or editor about the organization’s impact in the community, and encouraging local civic groups to send volunteers to a local community event (e.g., park or river cleanup).

These are just a few examples of everyday advocacy.

Advocacy helps your   nonprofit survive and thrive .

• What would it mean if a governmental entity removed or limited your tax-exempt status? Started imposing new fees? Imposed costly and burdensome regulations?
• Convincing local government officials to install better street lighting could increase attendance at your night classes because students feel safer coming and going to your facility.
• Public policy advocacy can also help your organization attract favorable media attention, generating higher visibility leading to increased awareness of your mission and mobilizing  your board, volunteers, and donors.

Nonprofit advocacy helps your community   solve problems.

"Frequently, nonprofits are the only institutions with a view of both the concerns most important to their constituents and the day-to-day realities of how government programs function and impact those constituents." 1  By stepping forward and sharing your special knowledge, you can help solve problems.

Nonprofit advocacy helps your   community   avoid problems.

If nonprofit voices are not heard in the public policy making process because we choose to sit on the sidelines, then who will have complete, unfettered access to policy makers: people concerned about the broad public interest, or entities only wanting to advance their narrow agendas?

Nonprofit advocacy helps give   citizens a voice.

Standing alone while taking a position contrary to powerful interests with political clout and financial resources can be daunting. Nonprofits serve as the great equalizer, where individuals come together so their voices are amplified. Plus, nonprofits serve as the gathering spot for people concerned about those who effectively have no voice – such as children, the poor, and the disabled who may not be able to travel to be heard – as well as those who truly have no voice, such as future generations who are not here to talk about the environment or governmental deficits.

Advocacy helps   strengthen communities.

Nonprofits serve as America’s citizenship crucibles and leadership laboratories. Many people learn about compromise, conflict resolution, group processing, teamwork, and leadership by being involved in nonprofits. Sitting on committees, seeing how to make a motion, and learning how to organize support for a position are skills Americans learn through their nonprofits and then apply at their PTAs, while serving on the local parks board, or participating on a citizens’ bond committee for local schools. In these and other ways, nonprofits are the common entry point for citizens to learn skills needed to participate in democracy.  

Advocacy helps public policy makers who need – and often want –   citizen input

Popular culture can create false impressions about the public policy making process. Indeed, although a common perception is that legislators don’t care, the truth is that most policy makers sincerely want to make the best decisions, and getting the informed views of people in the field is one way to make more informed decisions. 

• Entertainment
• Environment
• Information Science and Technology
• Social Issues

Home Essay Samples Law

Advocacy Essays Examples

Advocacy essays are powerful tools for raising awareness about important issues and inspiring positive change. If you’re looking for inspiration for your own advocacy essay, there are many examples out there that can serve as a starting point.

One effective way to approach writing an advocacy essay is to choose a topic that you are passionate about and research it thoroughly. Some potential advocacy essay topics might include climate change, human rights, healthcare reform, or gender equality, just to name a few.

Once you’ve chosen a topic, it’s important to craft a compelling argument that will persuade your readers to take action. This might involve presenting statistics, personal anecdotes, or expert opinions to support your position.

To make your advocacy essay even more powerful, consider including real-life examples of individuals or organizations that have successfully advocated for change in your chosen area. These examples can help illustrate the impact that advocacy can have and inspire your readers to take action themselves.

For those who are new to advocacy writing, it can be helpful to look at some advocacy essays examples for guidance. Our platform offers a wide range of free essay samples on various topics, including advocacy essays. These examples can provide inspiration for your own writing and help you understand the elements that make a successful advocacy essay.

In conclusion, writing an advocacy essay can be a rewarding experience that can help raise awareness about important issues and inspire positive change. By choosing a topic that you are passionate about, researching it thoroughly, and crafting a compelling argument, you can make a real difference in the world.

Virtue Ethics Frameworks as Drivers of Teacher’s Systems Advocacy

In early education children's interests are not at the forefront of the ecce policy; instead, policy is aligned to providing 'childcare” to encourage economic growth and the expandsiion of the workforce and this leads to increasing national productivity. Moving on now to consider the ethical...

Advocacy and Inquiry Model as A Communication Tool

Advocacy and inquiry model is a tool of communication which includes different skills; “listen to understand, suspend judgment, respect all and speak your voice.” It facilitates the conversation and task to move forward. Advocacy means to be a voice of someone which helps to provide...

• Communication
• Conversation

Helen Keller: A Symbol of Strength and Perseverance in Human Advocacy

Helen Keller, an American author, disability rights advocate, and lecturer, has left an indelible mark on history as a symbol of strength and perseverance. Despite being both deaf and blind, she was able to achieve remarkable success and became a powerful voice for human rights....

• Helen Keller

The Definition of Culture of Advocacy

Sam Frankel in, Giving Children a Voice, defines advocacy as, “reflected in a setting which children’s voices are acknowledged and valued” (Frankel, p. 11, 2018). Advocacy is vital as it allows children to be involved in the community in things that affect them as active...

Advocacy as a Way to Promote Organization's Goal

Advocacy is creating a case in support of a particular activity or cause and trying to rally other behind the idea by convincing that it’s a good idea. It is a process of collecting and organizing information to be passed on to decision makers in...

Stressed out with your paper?

Consider using writing assistance:

• 100% unique papers
• 3 hrs deadline option

Need of Advocacy for Older People

This essay aims to cover matters concerning the needs for advocacy with older people and further examine certain significant difficulties on a thematic basis whereas these needs are being met. Generally, older people are regarded as people who age over 65. Statistics show that there...

The Key Elements Of Tne Advocacy Letter

When the topic of social justice arises, a wide array of issues come to mind. As social workers we must be able to analyze broad topics and pinpoint the underlying causes that contribute to the overall injustices that an individual or community are facing. By...

• Social Justice

Best topics on Advocacy

1. Virtue Ethics Frameworks as Drivers of Teacher’s Systems Advocacy

2. Advocacy and Inquiry Model as A Communication Tool

3. Helen Keller: A Symbol of Strength and Perseverance in Human Advocacy

4. The Definition of Culture of Advocacy

5. Advocacy as a Way to Promote Organization’s Goal

6. Need of Advocacy for Older People

7. The Key Elements Of Tne Advocacy Letter

• First Amendment
• Legal cases
• Capital Punishment
• Criminal Justice
• Cyber Crime
• Civil Liberties

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

Single Post

Community advocacy: how to advocate for positive change in your community.

By: Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster, director of government relations at the Greater Naples Chamber

Advocacy can play an important role in building a stronger community, but the prospect can be intimidating for people or organizations that haven’t been involved in this type of work before.

While many discussions about advocacy and public policy tend to focus on national trends, community-level advocacy is just as important as what happens on the national stage. By becoming engaged at the local level, people and organizations can have a direct impact on the policies that affect them most.

Community advocacy can be:

· Asking your local legislator to support increased funding for mental and behavioral health services.

· Arranging a meeting of community leaders to better educate them on the importance of increased access to mental and behavioral health services.

· Speaking at a local government meeting about your experience with mental and behavioral health providers.

At the Greater Naples Chamber, we pride ourselves as being the voice of business in Collier County. We regularly advocate for policies and initiatives that support our economy. This includes supporting efforts at the local, state and federal levels aimed at improving access to mental and behavioral health services, like those offered by David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health (DLC). We know that increased access to care, along with the necessary funding to better serve those in need, is important to the long-term health of our community.

The Chamber has served as an advocate for mental and behavioral health for several years. In 2018, the Chamber supported the passage of a seven-year, one-cent infrastructure sales surtax. The local option sales tax, which was approved by the voters, is expected to raise $490 million countywide by 2025, of which $25 million will be used to construct a mental health central receiving center near the DLC’S main campus. While the Chamber served as the lead advocate for this campaign, it would not have been successful without the support of other advocates, including DLC.

While this is an example of what community advocacy can look like on a large scale, it’s important to know that small scale advocacy efforts can make a big effort. Something as simple as sending an email to a county commissioner or signing a petition can go a long way toward impacting change.

Tips for advocating for your community:

Be informed: The best way to be an effective advocate is to make sure you understand the topic. Reach out to experts, including DLC or the Greater Naples Chamber, who can answer questions about the issue, direct you to other people to talk to and help you craft your message. Being armed with all of the information is the first step toward becoming a successful advocate.

Know the players : Make sure you know who the decisions makers are in your community, and often times that isn’t just the elected official. Take some time to get to know elected officials’ staff members, who are often the last people to talk to them before they make a decision, and staff at organizations that are aligned with your mission.

Build coalitions : Many hands make light work, especially in advocacy, so look for organizations that are working on similar initiatives. Be on the look out for people who feel similarly to you, and want to effect change. You might need to explain to others why a change is beneficial to them or their organizations, but don’t let it deter you.

Show up: Make sure policymakers know where you stand when it’s time to make decisions. While being there the day of a vote isn’t always possible, there’s plenty of ways to make sure you’re in the room where it happens. Write an email or call officials explaining why you support an issue, making sure to ask them to do the same. Schedule a one-on-one meeting to educate them on the issues that are important to you and learn more about how you can work together toward a common goal.

Make the ask : You don’t get what you don’t ask for, so make sure to be clear in your communications with elected officials and staff about what you’re asking for. Make sure your request is clear and concise and includes an ask for them to support your initiative. Remember: A simple message goes a long way in convincing decision makers to join your ranks.

By banding together as advocates, community members can work together to create positive change in their community, ensuring Collier County and Southwest Florida remains the best place in America to live, work and play.

Mar 03, 2022 | Blog

Related Posts

Tips to Make the Best out of Getting Back-to-School

By: Jessica Liria, M.S., Prevention and Education Director with David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health A new school year elicits many emotions for both students and parents. Excitement and...

John and Kelly DeAngelis to serve as chairs of 2025 Sound...

NAPLES, FL (May 20, 2024) – David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health (DLC), the only comprehensive, not-for-profit behavioral health provider in Collier County, is honored to announce John and...

David Lawrence Centers hosts educational opportunities th...

NAPLES, FL (May 10, 2024) – David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health (DLC), Collier County’s only comprehensive, not-for-profit behavioral health provider, will host a series of virtual...

• Copyright © 2024 David Lawrence Centers.
• All Rights Reserved.
• Privacy Policy
• Accessibility