Join Our Network

To stay up to date on our advocacy efforts, Join Our Network

Legislative Priority Selection  

In order to fulfill the mission of Wholespire, to provide communities with proven and sustainable approaches that lead to increased access to healthy choices for all people, the organization engages in advocacy at multiple levels—both public policy (Big P) and private policy (little p). Policy implementation requires deliberate activities to ensure approval by the appropriate decision-makers. 

While many efforts align with the organization’s mission, not all policy campaigns or strategies are feasible. We regularly assess our capacity and the likelihood of success, especially when developing our annual legislative agenda. This includes evaluating the feasibility of a campaign, strategies we have the capacity to implement, and identifying partners who may already be leading the effort. 

To guide this process, Wholespire uses three tiers of advocacy engagement, explained below. 

Monitor & Assess

Criteria:  

• Potential alignment with mission but low feasibility or capacity 
• Limited strategic impact or unclear path to success

Actions:  

• Track legislative developments 
• Evaluate future opportunities for engagement 
• Communicate position internally

Policy Interests

• Ensuring all pubic school children are fed while at school 
• Maximizing the reach of open community use policies with local school districts   
• Participating in and providing recommendations to local government planning processes, particularly comprehensive plans through a “health in all policies” approach. This also includes leveraging existing comprehensive plans to focus advocacy efforts.   
• Addressing walkability and active transportation in land use, parks, and community planning. This includes increasing community participation in these efforts.   
• Identifying local policy opportunities to mitigate the impacts of changes in state and federal policies on our priorities and partners.   
• Identifying organizational policy approaches for change that may be more feasible or approachable to local community partners when compared to potential public policy approaches. 

Advocacy Interests and Supports 

• Understanding the impact of ongoing shifts to federal and state guidance, including unintended consequences of eliminating technical assistance and/or funding to one initiative that is linked to another.   
• Structuring opportunities for community engagement, participation, and leadership in policy and advocacy efforts.   
• Building coalition members’ understanding of policy implementation and advocacy opportunities and addressing barriers to participation.   
• Leveraging organizational policy momentum as an advocacy tool for local government policy.   

Advocacy Training

Does your organization need help understanding advocacy? From a basic understanding of civics to strategies to get the attention of your elected officials, we can help you become successful advocates. Contact us to learn more!