ASID Icon - January/February 2009 - (Page 43)

GRASSROOTS/ HOW TO RECRUIT GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS AND VOLUNTEERS/ THE FIRST AND most crucial part of any grassroots legislative campaign is identifying and recruiting activists to help you achieve your goals. Obviously, your primary pool of potential activists is made up of fellow interior designers, but don’t stop your recruitment efforts there. After interior designers, you will want to look for individuals whose own livelihoods are connected to interior design. Finally, you may want to reach out to third-party allies as part of your campaign. IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL ACTIVISTS AND VOLUNTEERS Make your initial recruitment contacts by mail, e-mail, phone or at meetings, such as chapter meetings. Recruitment packages usually contain a cover letter, a fact sheet about the issue at hand and a response form that enables recipients to commit easily to the campaign. Whether you contact individual interior designers by mail or phone, you will want to provide the following information: • Who you are and who or what you represent (either your ASID chapter or your coalition) • The reason for your contact (the legislative battle on behalf of your profession and the need to ﬁnd people interested in the issue) • Why the issue at hand will affect the person you are talking to (beneﬁts of the legal recognition of the interior design profession) Finally, in the initial contact, you need to ask the respondent if he or she would be interested in joining your efforts. This commitment can be given verbally on the phone or by returning a response form that has been enclosed in a mail package. Anyone that agrees to participate should be counted as an activist ready to mobilize. Once you have a pool of volunteers, it is important that you give volunteers specific tasks. Successful grassroots efforts keep supporters active and motivated. With the demands on individuals’ time, it is very easy to become focused on other activities. Once you have a strong core group of activists and volunteers in place, move on to the legislative battle at hand—but don’t end your recruitment efforts there. Continually reach out to interior designers and allies who are not involved and educate them on the importance of your efforts. It is important to keep a steady stream of activists and volunteers joining your effort to bring in fresh ideas and energy. If you have questions on activist and volunteer recruitment efforts or would like additional information, please contact the ASID Government and Public Affairs Department at (202) 546-3480 or e-mail gpa@asid.org. TOOLS The Campaign Trail Legislative Touch THE CAPITOL CONNECTIONS page of the In your efforts to advance the interior design profession in the legislative arena, you will want to draw volunteers and activists from the following three groups: • Fellow interior designers, including ASID members, IIDA members and unaffiliated interior designers • Audiences linked directly to interior designers, including but not limited to clients, vendors and suppliers and employees • Consumers of design services and third-party allies, such as business organizations and trade associations You should develop lists of potential participants by collecting information from fellow interior designers, contacting organizations to obtain or purchase member lists, and even buying lists from commercial list brokers. Once you have a list of potential activists and volunteers, you need to begin the recruitment process. RECRUITMENT OF GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS AND VOLUNTEERS ASID Web site makes it easy for you to show your support for currently pending interior design bills. States with current pending interior design bills are highlighted at the top of the page; click the “Take Action” button to write your legislators on these important bills. Here’s how to use Capitol Connections 1) Log on to www.asid.org/legislation. 2) Click on the ÒCapitol ConnectionsÓ link on the right side of the page. 3) When the Capitol Connections page opens, there are several options, including -Respond to one of the highlighted pending legislation action alerts. -Respond to one of the other action alerts. -Enter a ZIP code to Þnd names and contact information for federal or state representatives. -Create your own communication to a friend alerting them to take action. As you begin recruiting activists, it is important to know their interests and what motivates them on an issue. For example, consumers of design services will be motivated to help interior design professionals when the economic beneﬁt of unrestricted access to your services is demonstrated to them. By ﬁnding common ground with potential allies, the recruitment process becomes much easier. When sending one of the sample letters to your legislators, be sure to ﬁll in your name, city and company information in the ﬁrst paragraph of the letter. Be sure to personalize your letter! Studies show that a personalized letter is 41 percent more inﬂuential than a form letter. Capitol Connections makes it quick and easy for interior designers to be active in the political process. Take advantage of this online resource today and show support for interior design registration in your state! i www.asid.org january/february/09 icon 43 http://www.asid.org/legislation http://www.asid.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ASID Icon - January/February 2009

ASID Icon - January/February 2009 Contents President's Letter Of Note Innovations Getting it Right Shadowing Design Bearing Up Industry Contrast Up Close Design for Life Environotes Inside ASID Grassroots Showroom Resource Guide/Advertisers Needful Things

ASID Icon - January/February 2009

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