The Lobby Role

The Lobby Role

The IRS defines lobbying as the attempt to influence the passage, defeat, introduction or amendment of legislation, including bills introduced by a federal, state or local legislative body, bond issues, referenda, constitutional amendments, and Senate confirmation votes on Executive branch nominees (Nonprofit, 2013). IRS regulations define two types of lobbying. They are direct lobbying and grassroots lobbying. Direct lobbying is where the nonprofit ask legislators to vote or act in a certain way on a specific issue. Grassroots lobbying is when a nonprofit looks to the public as a whole (Avner, 2010). This paper will examine the initial steps that a lobbyist will take in formulating a plan of action, the role of the elected official, and if I would be interested in lobbying for a nonprofit organization.

The lobbyist needs to know and learn the basics of the legislative process and the key elected officials that have jurisdiction or influence over the legislation. The lobbyist must understand the details of the bill you are supporting and why its provisions are important to the legislators’ constituents and to your organization. The lobbyist must also know the organization mission and structure in order to help create any change for the better. The plan of action that a lobbyist should take is to understand the framework for an advocacy action plan and incorporate it into the issue and planning process, set the goals of the policy change or creation, develop key messages and materials for education, give information about the organization and issues together, and prepare lobbyist to get the plan moving forward (Avner, 2010).

Elected official should be identified that will help support the organization’s cause and help influence their colleagues to join the cause. The organization needs to supply and provide backup support for the officials they chose to work with. The