Effective Advocacy is a three-legged stool

Effective advocacy organizations know that long term success is a function of three key elements:  (1) grassroots, (2) direct advocacy, and (3) a strong PAC.  Grassroots engagement from individual constituents puts a human face on an issue to demonstrate to decision makers the impact of policy on voters.  Direct advocacy by seasoned government relations professionals and influential "grass-tops" constituents drives the message home through direct, regular, face to face meetings based on personal relationships.  An active PAC is the vital third leg to stand up your relationships with Congressional champions, important committees, and influential staff while supporting allies and giving pause to your enemies.  The myth of PACs is that they buy (policy) outcomes - they don't.  What PACs do is provide access and the opportunity to build relationships that allow you to make your case at the right time and to the right person - and that is invaluable.

Every PAC and advocacy program is ultimately imperfect with plenty of room to improve how effective an advocacy organization it is.  Analyzing how well it implements each of those three legs can help an organization become more effective at achieving its goals.  While particularly important to non-connected committees which must stand up each leg on their own, SSFs can also benefit from looking beyond their PAC operation to assess how effective an overall advocacy organization they are.  Positive change may not always be feasible for a variety of financial, cultural, organizational, and a host of other reasons unique to each group.  Other changes, however, often can and should be implemented.  Doing so will make your small business (your PAC/advocacy program) more effective and more capable of achieving the results you seek.   The first step is taking a critical look at your organizations goals, strategies, and where you can improve - and often being willing to bring in outside expertise to help do so.