Advocacy

Overview

Advocacy covers a broad range of activities and is relevant to nearly everyone. The four basic levels of advocacy are:

Personal Advocacy or Self-Advocacy:
Personal Advocacy means to speak up for yourself in order to get your needs met, to procure necessary accommodations, and to assure fair treatment.

Peer Advocate:
Often we are most successful when we team up with our peers to accomplish a common goal. Peer advocates are formed through active social networking. Peer advocates have no special qualifications other than their willingness to stand with us in our advocacy efforts.

Professional Advocate:
Some attorneys specialize in the field of advocacy, so a professional advocate might be a lawyer. Professional advocates plead the case of another. For nonprofit organizations, professional advocates speak out on behalf of the people they serve, and often champion a cause. Advocacy and training people to be advocates is a central part of what many nonprofit organizations do.

Political Advocacy:
Advocacy should not be confused with lobbying. Lobbying, as defined by the IRS, involves attempts to influence legislation at the local, state, or federal level. Lobbying always involves political advocacy. But advocacy doesn't always involve lobbying.