Tools & Resources
Need some help? Planning a new advocacy or communication project? Working hard to finish one? Confused about the ins and outs of advocacy? Want help organizing your media outreach? Check out the tools and resources below for helpful guides, handy tips, and clear advice that will help you achieve your goals and avoid unnecessary hassles. Be sure to visit this page often, as we’re constantly adding new incredibly helpful items!
8 Tips for Successful Engagement
10 Key Elements for Young Men and Boys of Color Strategy
10 Tips for an Effective Communication Approach
12 Tips for Community Engagement
20 Ways for Youth to Impact Policy
501(c)(3) Advocacy Basics: Lobbying 101
Active Listening Techniques
Advocacy: Glossary of Terms
Advocacy in 1 hour a Week
Assess Your Collaboration
Assessing your Capacity for Engagement
Better Than Zero
Bringing Knowledge & Strategy Together for Preschool Effort
Building a Grassroots Coalition
Building an Effective Electoral Strategy
Collaboration Glossary of Terms
Collective Impact: Mutually Reinforcing Activity Checklist
Complete Media Guide: Templates, Tools, and Guidelines
Creating a Public Policy Plan
Creating a Sustainable Advocacy Engine: Ohio 8 Coalition Case Study
Creating and Supporting a Thriving Local Early Care and Education System
Criminal Justice: Glossary of Terms
Crisis Communication Strategy Worksheet
Developing your message: Giving Jargon the Boot
Dirty Dozen of Strategic Communication
Do's and Don'ts of Electoral Advocacy
Early Care and Education Glossary
Earned Media Timeline
Elevating Caregiver Voices in Philanthropic Strategy
Elevating Early Childhood Outreach in Arizona
Engage Your Community Workbook
Engaging Parents, Community, and Child Care Providers to Meet State Mandates
Essential Elements of Thriving Early Care & Education Systems
Facilitation Planning Checklist
Federal budget and appropriation term glossary
Five Steps to Effective Policymaker Engagement
Get Out The Vote (GOTV)
Guide to the federal budget process
Health and Human Services Glossary
Hosting a Successful Candidate Forum
How ACS Helped a School District Prepare Students for the Workforce
How ACS Helped One Foundation Find Its Vision and Voice: Arras Case Study
Identifying Public Policy Engagement as a Strategic Priority
Infant and Toddler Messaging Guide
K-12 Glossary
Key Terms for Working with the Media
Leveraging Social Media
Lobbying vs. Advocacy
Marketing Communication (MarCom) Plan Worksheet
Measuring Communication Impact
Medicaid Glossary
Message Creation Checklist
Navigating Nuances: HMS Case Study
Network Mapping Tool
New Future for Little Rock’s Children, Youth, and Families
Organizing a Successful Voter Registration Effort
Overcoming Bad Presentation Habits
Pivot Questions and Answers (P.A.U.S.E.)
Pre-K Investments
Pre-K Investments Talking Points
Preparing Clients for Success: Prevent Childhood Abuse Arizona
Presentation checklist
Promising Practices for Overcoming Multiple Barriers to Work
Public Awareness Campaign Components
Raising the Bar on Behalf of Boys and Young Men of Color
Reaching Nearly 9 Million Media Consumers: Housing First Case Study
Regional Infant Mortality Strategy Achieves Life Saving Success: FYC Case Study
Start Slow for Sustained Success: Idaho AEYC Took Time to Seed Local Preschool
Story Collection for Strategic Communication
Storytelling Training
Strategic Communication Framework
The Benefits of Long-Term, Mission-Driven Partnerships
Things to Pay Attention to: Every Student Succeeds Act Implementation Plans
Tips for Presenting Effective Testimony
Understand & Solve Facilitation Challenges
Using Data and Evidence to Demonstrate Program Success
Using Your Personal Network
Workforce Development Glossary of Terms