Advocacy means taking action to promote action… taking action to promote change. An advocate is a believer, a supporter, a promoter, a campaigner, an activist. If you care about the children and youth in Marin County, you can be their advocate.

For example, you may want to encourage neighbors to donate to a new park in the community or rally for an afterschool program for teenagers. You may want businesses to support affordable childcare or to sponsor a preschool. You may want your senator to vote for children’s healthcare or seek more funding for children with special needs.

Each is a goal with a positive change in mind. The person who can help achieve the goal may be a business, an individual, a community leader, or an elected official. And the person who can advocate for that change… is YOU.

Advocacy Tool Kit

MarinKids has provided an advocacy toolkit that is designed to educate individuals on effective advocacy methods. You can download the complete advocacy toolkit, or download specific sections of the toolkit by clicking on the links below:

• Complete Toolkit
  
• Getting Started
  - Be An Advocate – 10 Things You Can Do
  - Pump Up Your Voice with Community Organizing
• Writing Letters to Policymakers
  
• Writing Emails to Policymakers
  
• Telephone Advocacy
  
• Meeting with Policymakers/Legislators
  
• Writing Letters to the Editor
  
• Writing Opinion Editorials
  
• Petition Drives
  
• Social Networking: Forwarding Emails
  
• Using Video to Tell the Story
  
• Using Social Media Tools