Association Network Newsletter – April 2019

Note from our Network Chair Katie McBreen

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4 Tips for Managing Your Grassroots Database

[vc_toggle title=”Read more”]1. Create a data plan

A database, like a grassroots program or a public affairs campaign, needs a plan. It doesn’t have to be long or include complex data mapping, but it should answer key questions like:

• What data does our organization need to collect?
• When should we build or use connections between other software programs or databases?
• How do we protect our database from bad actors?
• How will we use this data to target or optimize our efforts for email, advertising, outreach or other engagements?
• When and how do we ensure our data is updated?

2. Don’t Collect Data You Don’t Plan on Using

Whether your database consists of members, supporters, employees or a mix of all three, it’s important that your database is free from excess fields, unnecessary personal information, or cluttered with unnecessary demographic information. From a privacy and security perspective, your organization shouldn’t be collecting unnecessary information — period. Also, databases with a lot of very specific fields that are not being used for optimization or segmentation are essentially obscuring your view. If you don’t have a plan to use a piece of data, then why are you keeping it? “Big data” doesn’t mean keeping every record or data point, but actively using data to make a better decision or more targeted campaign.

3. Build Better Reports

Internal reporting should be providing you with actionable insights. One of the reasons that you have a database and don’t just use an Excel sheet (which is really a database) is because you can generate reports. These reports should go beyond vanity metrics and help your organization make better informed decisions. Don’t get in the habit of simply monitoring open rates or click-through rates; instead, develop reports that help you look deeper into your challenges. For example, reports that can answer these questions:

• How many new list signups did you have this month?
• Which lawmakers have not received any constituent contacts this year?
• Where is your website traffic coming from?
• Who is your top advocate?
• How many people are forwarding your emails? What’s your deliverability rate?

4. Regularly Clean Your Data

It can be really frustrating when your organization is quickly trying to reach an advocate for a pressing issue and then you find out that their email changed. In addition, the big email providers will start to deliver your emails into SPAM boxes or promotion folders for a variety of reasons, including: your email open rate is low, your IP address keeps changing, or the email addresses you are sending to are not being used. Keeping your database clean from errors is usually an impossible task and it’s certainly not a fun one. But set aside one month every year and dedicate it to cleaning your database: removing duplicates, finding missing information, engaging the non-engaged, and encouraging your supporters to update their information. Breaking these tasks down and using technology can help make this process more manageable.

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Looking for more grassroots, advocacy or digital tips? Contact the Public Affairs Council’s Nick DeSarno.[/vc_toggle][vc_separator]

Prior Approval Tips from the National PAC Conference

[vc_toggle title=”Read More” css=”.vc_custom_1554143886424{margin-top: -40px !important;}”]But first, what exactly is prior approval?

Association PACs are required by law to get authorization from member companies before soliciting eligible employees. While trade associations can obtain approval from an unlimited number of member companies, companies are only able to grant prior approval to one association.

At the Council’s National PAC Conference in early March, Michael Toner, partner at Wiley Rein, reminded attendees of some best practices when navigating prior approval. Whether you’re a seasoned PAC expert or just starting out, these takeaways can help you handle this complex requirement:

1. Be transparent. Provide a sample solicitation with your prior approval request to show the company what they can expect from your campaigns. Make sure it is labeled “SAMPLE.”

2. Keep a record. Maintain copies of prior approval forms and keep them in one central location. Documentation can help keep you on the right side of the law should a question arise about an eligible donor. Having an archive in one place — rather than spread out across multiple offices and cities — makes it easy to locate if a question arises or if there’s an FEC dispute.

3. Give companies an out. Include language in your request stating that a company can relinquish prior approval at any time. This helps companies feel like they are still able to protect their employees’ rights. For example, now that many associations are switching to a web-based form for prior approval, rather than just getting signups at a tradeshow for instance, companies are taking more time to read the documents and may have more questions and concerns. The addition of opt-out language can help ease worries that arise from reading legalese.

4. Think individually. Prior approval is not needed to solicit PAC contributions from individual members of a trade association, and many trade associations create individual membership tiers. If a company does not grant prior approval to an association, individual company employees are still eligible to give to the trade association PAC. However, that individual must:

1. Satisfy the association’s requirement for membership
2. Accept the association’s invitation to become a member; AND

Maintain connection with the organization in one of the following ways:

• Have significant financial attachment (significant investment, owners stake) or
• Pay annual dues of a pre-determined amount (the FEC has no minimum) or
• Have significant organizational attachment (ex. right to vote directly or indirectly for an individual on the membership organization’s governing board)

Prior approval can be complicated, but these takeaways can start you on the right path to compliance, and ultimately success.

For more information on prior approval, check out these resources:

Congress Considers Prior Authorization Reforms for Trade Association PACs
Election Law Attorneys Weigh in on Prior Authorization Reform
Compliance Workshop: Political Compliance Seminar | April 16 | Washington, D.C. or Virtual[/vc_toggle][vc_separator]

Save the Date: Digital Media and Advocacy Summit

[vc_btn title=”Learn More” color=”juicy-pink” align=”center” i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-arrow-right” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fevents.pac.org%2Fevent%2Fdmas%2F||target:%20_blank|”][vc_separator][vc_toggle title=”Meet Michael”]

1. Tell us a little about how you got to the American College of Cardiology and how you got involved in public affairs.
My journey to the American College of Cardiology (ACC) started in Tennessee working for a state senator in the General Assembly. That is where I developed a knack for the legislative process and state advocacy. I then moved to a state government relations firm representing healthcare companies and organizations. This provided me the opportunity to increase my knowledge of healthcare policy, which ultimately led me to ACC as part of our state government affairs team.

2. What do you think makes American College of Cardiology unique in the public affairs arena?
What makes the ACC unique is that we’re a global organization representing cardiovascular care professionals all over the world. Our membership includes physicians, cardiovascular team members, pharmacists, administrators and more. Our public affairs strategy is centered on our mission to transform cardiovascular care and improve heart health at all levels.

3. What do you think your greatest success has been to date?
ACC works on many issues at the state and federal level, but my greatest success has been the public health policies I have helped pass across the country. Policies focused on tobacco cessation, sudden cardiac arrest prevention and newborn screening for CCHD. Working with key allies we have raised tobacco taxes, made CPR a high school graduation requirement and promoted healthy lifestyles. This makes me feel like I am truly making an impact in promoting the health of our communities.

4. What advice do you have for newcomers to public affairs or to other young professionals?
Public affairs encompasses a wide array of tracks. Don’t limit yourself, remain agile and be open to new opportunities. My expertise has always been in state advocacy, but I have learned so much from my colleagues working in the federal, international and communications fields. These skills are transferable so don’t forget to focus on your own professional development.

[/vc_toggle][vc_separator][vc_toggle title=”Read More”]A question I’m frequently asked is “how do you get work done being home all day?” It’s a question I grappled with myself before the switch. However, I’ve found I’m just as productive–if not more–than when I was in the office. As a testament to that, I received a promotion since becoming a remote employee. But it took some time to get there. One benefit is that I can now use what would normally be my commute time, coffee break time and time that I would spend popping into co-workers’ offices to throw in some laundry, or get a head start on dinner. It breaks up the day and allows me to focus on work projects without the nagging reminder of all the household tasks.

Over the last year, I’ve come up with a few strategies to keep me motivated and productive as a remote employee. Here are my top four:

1. Have a routine. Working from home can lend itself to waking up, rolling out of bed and logging on, but I’ve found that going through a morning routine helps me signal when it’s time to work. For me, that means waking up around the same time every morning, walking my dog, Arya, making breakfast, sitting down with a cup of coffee to eat breakfast then taking five to 10 minutes before I log on and make my to-do list for the day. Having this routine puts me in the mindset that I’m getting ready to work, the same way my commute used to. Your routine may look different, but it will allow you to focus on work from the get-go.

2. Have a workspace. Important note, this doesn’t mean your bed. Having a dedicated workspace can further signal to your brain that when you sit down in that space it’s time to get to work. Working in spaces where you relax (bed, couch) makes it hard to switch your thoughts to productivity. This Harvard study takes it one step further and states that having computers and work in your bedroom can actually have negative impacts on your ability to get a good night’s sleep. My living space isn’t large enough for me to have my own office, so I have made a workspace in my living room. I have a desk surrounded by a bulletin board that adorns the details of my current projects, a calendar and work-related memorabilia. Over time, your brain will make the association between your workspace and work and your productivity will benefit.

3. Have boundaries. We’ve all heard how the connectedness of today’s work world makes it difficult to unplug. I find that it’s even more difficult to do when working from home. Simply because you are always at your workplace, doesn’t mean you have to be on the clock at all hours of the day. Creating boundaries is important to maintain balance. This is something I personally struggled with in my first six months of remote work. I felt like I had to be “always on” since my coworkers couldn’t see me in the office and I didn’t want them to feel like I was slacking. I wanted them to know that even though they couldn’t see me I was attentive, responsive and working just as much as they were. But that slowly led to me responding to emails late at night, or early in the morning and working on the weekends more and more. While I was being productive, I wasn’t respecting my colleagues’ work hours or my family’s time. I’ve found that turning off my email alerts on my phone and snoozing slack notifications from 5 p.m. – 7 a.m. has been a HUGE help. It allows me to do all my non-work-related tasks without feeling that I need to jump on the computer and respond immediately. I’m not interrupted by work on my non-work hours and can focus on my family and hobbies. By eliminating work distractions on my personal time, I’ve found that I’m able to be more attentive to these tasks during work hours.

4. Find outlets that spark connection, inspiration and creativity. Perhaps most crucial in my transition is finding inspiration and motivation. Working in the office environment can organically spark new ideas and creative visions, so being in a one-woman office all day means it’s up to me to find sources of inspiration. I’ve found that subscribing to good podcasts are a great source for this. Some of my current favorites include: Chasing Excellence, Work Life with Adam Grant, The Fenom Effect, How to Be Awesome at Your Job and Safe for Work. I listen to one of these as part of my morning routine while walking Arya or eating breakfast. I’ve also found online classes and professional development useful. Both LinkedIn Learning and General Assembly offer several courses to help you gain new skills or master and advance current skills. And lastly, I recommend connecting with your colleagues. A simple Slack conversation or a scheduled 30-minute monthly call can help stir up creative ideas, and that connection is critical to not feeling isolated from the office life. Web-based apps like Slack and GoToMeeting that offer screen-sharing and video calls make it easy to connect with colleagues.

So there you have it, my tips for productivity after one year of working remotely. Don’t get me wrong, there are still days where I struggle to get up and get motivated, but that also happened when I was working in the office. These strategies helped me turn those lackluster days into some of my most productive days, and hopefully they do the same for you.[/vc_toggle][vc_separator]

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