Never underestimate your ability to make changes in the world around you. In fact, with all the new technologies that help us connect with one another and share information, it’s probably never been easier. Still, you’ll be much more successful with a few tips and tools under your belt!

Tips:

• Play nice. No matter who you’re talking to, from a neighbor to a Senator, it pays to be diplomatic. Approach people with an open mind and be respectful of their opinions. Nobody likes a know-it-all, so offer your ideas with a bit of humility. Don’t judge, smile a lot, and be grateful for every little step that is made. Be a “helper” instead of a “nagger.” People will be much more apt to change if it feels positive. And, you’ll be more likely to create long-term allies who can continue to help make changes in your community.

• Find solutions. It’s easy to complain about problems. It’s smart to find solutions. Whatever issue you want to address, before you do anything, research solutions. Find other people who have successfully addressed the problem you want to address. Look on-line for example policies that outline solutions. Do your best to find solutions that are economically feasible. The more research you do identifying solutions on the front end, the less friction you’ll receive when you go public with your requests.

• Make your actions count. There are a ton of ways to engage with decision-makers – visits, calls, letters – but one of the most popular forms of communication these days is email. Use it right. Colin Delaney of e.politics recommends these two tips:
  • Tie your message to a specific piece of legislation or agency rule. Staff will usually sort them by bill number or rule docket number and you’ll want to make it easy on them — otherwise, you’re message may fall through the cracks. Try to put the bill/rule number and name in the subject line. General emails (”Support The Environment”) may well disappear into a black hole.
  • Edit mass messages. Congressional staff claim to take individual messages from constituents more seriously than obvious mass messages. So, make sure that if you’re using one of the pre-written emails so many organizations use these days that you take a moment to personalize it.

Tools:

• Creating Healthy Environments for Children: Advocacy Toolkit - This 8pg PDF outlines everything you need to know about contacting elected officials, writing letters to the editor for publishing your concerns in local newspapers, and many other easy ideas for spreading the word in your community. Don’t forget the companion DVD that can help you quickly educate others about children’s environmental health issues.

• Research Tools - Use this guide to find out about polluters in your community, health impacts of chemicals, and much more.

• Community ToolBox - Promotes community health and development by connecting people, resources, and ideas. While they don’t address environmental health specifically, their tools and information is entirely relevant to anyone looking to start organizing for change in their community. For example, they have an on-line guide that includes nearly 300 different sections providing practical, step-by-step guidance in community-building skills.

• Meet Up - The world's largest network of local groups. Meetup makes it easy for anyone to organize a local group or find one of the thousands already meeting up face-to-face. More than 2,000 groups get together in local communities each day, each one with the goal of improving themselves or their communities.

• Social Media - Are you on Facebook or Twitter? Maybe your elected officials are too. Check with GovTwit and do a people search on Facebook. Social media is becoming a powerful tool for advocacy. Learn about it by reading “Social Media 101 for Activists.”

• Be patient. We live in a fast paced world, but it doesn’t mean things change overnight. Be prepared to push for what you want for a long time. Understand that people are busy and that elected officials and community leaders have a long, complicated list of priorities. It may take a while for yours to rise to the top. Don’t take it personally. Have patience, perseverance, and a positive attitude.

• e.politics – Refer to this great site for learning more about the craft of online political advocacy.