Welcome to the Council

We are delighted that you have joined the Council and the more than 700 organizations and 11,000 public affairs professionals worldwide who are working together to share best practices and advance the field of public affairs.

The Public Affairs Council is the leading international association for public affairs professionals. Our mission is to advance the field of public affairs and to provide members with the executive education and expertise they need to succeed while maintaining the highest ethical standards.

Start taking advantage of your membership by taking these steps:

1. Log in to your account to customize your profile, sign up for members-only networking groups and download publications and webinar recordings. Each individual at your organization has a unique username and password, which can be retrieved (or, for new users, created) by visiting the “My Account” section in the upper right-hand corner of our homepage.

2. Connect with the Council on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

3. Be sure that you don’t miss any important updates from the Council by asking your IT department to add the following addresses to your email’s “safe senders” list: [email protected], informz.net, connectedcommunity.org, members.pac.org.

Jump ahead using these links:

Council Essentials #1: Executive Education
Council Essentials #2: Customized Advice from Staff Experts
Council Essentials #3: Engage with Your Community
Council Essentials #4: Research, News and Trends Just for You
Council Essentials #5: Connect with Your Peers with Council Connect!
Council Essentials #6: Exclusive Analysis from Nathan Gonzales
Council Essentials #7: Answers to Your toughest Compliance Questions
Council Essentials #8: A News Source That Makes an “Impact!”
Council Essentials #9: Customized Training, Benchmarking Consulting and More!
Council Essentials #10: Our Corporate Responsibility and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Priorities
Council Essentials #11: Access Global Public Affairs Experts and Resources

One of our most popular offerings as a Council member is access to Executive Education.

The Council is the leader in professional development in all areas of public affairs, including advocacy, digital communication, PACs, social responsibility, global public affairs and more. Programs range from one-hour webinars focused on narrow topics to multi-day conferences with tracks to customize your learning. Council members have access to free programs, plus discounts on our other events. Here are three ways to tap into Executive Education to advance your career:

1. Browse the calendar of upcoming executive education events, which can be sorted by subject and/or format. You can also download the calendar for the entire year, which includes programs which aren’t yet open for registration.

2. Listen to FREE webinars (either live or recordings).

3. Enroll in one of our three certificate programs, each of which has a unique focus:

• Government Relations and Lobbying
• PAC and Grassroots
• Public Affairs Management

Not sure which program is right for you or your team? Please reach out and we’ll be happy to provide guidance.

As a Public Affairs Council member, you have access to public affairs experts who understand public policy, and how it relates to every management function. They can provide you with strategic intelligence, share best practices, review documents, and connect you with peers who have overcome similar challenges.

Here’s a sample of the types of questions they can answer:
• How can we use visual storytelling for advocacy?
• What are best practices for integrating social responsibility and public affairs programs?
• What’s the benchmark for average PAC participation and giving rates?
• How can I create and implement a global public affairs plan?
• Can you recommend speakers for our Washington fly in?
• How can I optimize and effectively report on our digital advocacy efforts?

Our experts are ready to help you start maximizing your Council membership today. Here’s how to get started:

1. Learn about the Council’s areas of expertise, which include:

o Communications and digital advocacy
o Corporate responsibility
o Global public affairs
o Grassroots
o Government relations—local, state and federal
o Public affairs management
o Political action committees (PACs) and campaign finance

2. Get to know our staff experts and reach out to them with your public affairs challenges.

3. Invite a Council expert to be a speaker at your next team meeting, senior management presentation or association event.

Feel free to contact our staff experts directly or let us know who you would like to connect with, and we will gladly make a virtual introduction!

You have access to members-only networks that connect you with peers, as well as a mentorship program. One of the best ways to maximize your membership is to get connected to fellow Council members!

Here’s how:

1. Connect with peers who have similar interests and goals, engage in informative discussions, and help your professional growth by joining one or more of the Council’s free, members-only Professional Networks!

o Political Involvement Network
o International Network
o Government Relations Network
o Social Impact Network
o Professional Development Network

2. Does your organization have a case study, best practice or an insight to share with the public affairs community? Consider inquiring about a speaking opportunity by contacting a staff expert!

Not sure which network is right for you or if this is a good time be a part of the mentoring program? Please reach out and we’ll be happy to provide guidance.

Your new Public Affairs Council membership grants you access to research on emerging issues and trends that affect the practice of public affairs. You can use this information to perform your function using current best practices in the field!

Here’s how you can start maximizing your access today:

1. Download our research publications, including comprehensive benchmarking reports and studies on emerging public policy issues and trends. Some of our most popular publications are:

o Building and Managing a Global Public Affairs Function
o PAC (Corporate or Association) Benchmarking Report
o Trusted Advisors: Hiring and Managing Government Affairs Consultants
o Taking It To The Top: Engaging Corporate Leadership in public policy

2. Check out our Public Affairs Pulse Survey on what Americans think about big business and government.

3. Read in-depth analysis on public affairs trends and issues in our award-winning Impact newsletter.

Want to take a deeper dive on a topic you read about? Contact our staff experts to assist.

The Public Affairs Council’s members-only online community lets you connect with peers, share ideas and solutions, get resources, ask questions and network!

Here’s how to “connect” with the Council:

1. Join Thousands of members on Council Connect today – your one-stop spot to download topical public affairs materials and resources, connect with peers worldwide and crowdsource solutions!

2. Learn how to use Council Connect by watching this webinar!

3. Don’t miss an update! Be sure to add connectedcommunity.org to your safe senders list.

If you are having difficulties accessing the resources, aren’t sure of your username or password, or have any other questions please contact us at [email protected].

Want to know what Council members really love about our community? Everything really, but the exclusive Political Insights from Nathan Gonzales are a fan favorite!

As a Council member you have exclusive access to detailed, nuanced insights from leading political analyst and editor and publisher of Inside Elections, Nathan Gonzales. Nathan shares quarterly slide decks that analyze changes and trends in the political environment to help you develop strategy and navigate your organization’s political involvement.

How you can you take advantage of this resource:

1. Access Nathan’s most recent slide deck! As a member, you can incorporate the slides and insights into your presentations and projects!

2. Read more from Nathan Gonzales in the Council’s award-winning monthly newsletter Impact.

3. Connect with Nathan if you would like him to analyze the data even further or present his findings to your team? Contact Council Director of PAC & Government Relations Kristin Brackemyre for an introduction.

Your Public Affairs Council Membership will help you find answers to your toughest questions related to campaign finance, lobbying compliance and ethics laws. Prominent election law attorney Ken Gross, who is a partner in the firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP, is available to answer questions from Council members about:

• Federal and state campaign finance rules
• Political action committees
• Lobbying registration information (including grassroots)
• Ethics laws and other compliance issues

Here’s how you can take advantage of this resource:

1. Sign up for an upcoming compliance workshop.
2. Read testimonials about Ken here.
3. Connect with Ken via Council Director of PAC and Government Relations, Kristin Brackemyre.

As a member of the Public Affairs Council, you’re automatically subscribed to our award-winning monthly newsletter Impact to help you stay current on public affairs trends and research and get in-depth analysis on the issues affecting the profession.

Some of our most widely read and disseminated articles include “Experts Predict Policymaking Under Biden,” “Trust Pendulum Swinging Toward Business,” “Companies Step Up Racial Justice,” and “Profession finds New Paths Amid Pandemic.” This is useful information to incorporate into your presentations and projects!

Your Council membership allows you to access our speaker bureau, top-tier legal advice, strategic counsel and both public affairs and political data. In addition, our benchmarking and consulting practice can help you measure your function, train your staff, and plan for the future. Here’s how to get started:

1. Learn about the Council’s unique Benchmarking and Comparative Analysis services to improve the way you manage public affairs.

2. Schedule a Management Consulting session to help you reorganize your function for greater impact.

3. Explore the Council’s Customized Trainings which bring our workshops and executive education straight to you and your team!

Not certain which service will be most impactful for you? Reach out to our staff experts for further advice.

Thoughtful corporate responsibility programs and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives can benefit your employees and stakeholders in many ways – from improving reputation to boosting brand loyalty to attracting talent. The Council along with the Foundation for Public Affairs is leading these important efforts for the profession by increasing the pipeline for people of color both as they enter the field and as they move into senior level positions, engaging more diverse industry experts and reducing racial inequities. We published our first DEI survey of member companies and soon we’ll be launching more programming based on those results to help your team strengthen its own DEI programs.

In the meantime, take part in existing programming on everything from building diverse pipelines, to the return on investment of corporate social responsibility initiatives, to how to build an equitable public affairs function.
And stay tuned for our Social Impact Summit – Stride, coming in November! This conference will focus on the priorities and strategies in diversity, equity and inclusion and social change, and how the public affairs community can make a difference!

Want to step up your organization’s impact in this area? Connect with Public Affairs Associate Erica Harris. The Council provides specific advice for companies and nonprofits launching new responsibility programs, looking for partners, establishing metrics or benchmarking their efforts against those of other organizations.

Everyone in your organization has access to our Washington, D.C. and European Office. Our public affairs experts in Brussels can help your team identify, assess, communicate and manage global risks. They can also offer practical insights and best practices on how public affairs leaders can build and manage global teams, while following culturally sensitive and inclusive practices.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Learn more about the Brussels office by watching this webinar!

2. Access useful resources for European and international public affairs professionals!

3. Explore their customized trainings!

If you have further questions for our Brussels team, contact Managing Director, European Office, Joao Sousa.

We hope you enjoyed the Public Affairs Council’s weekly “Council Essentials” emails!

Through these messages, we introduced you to the most popular members-only resources and services. As a reminder, the membership is held by your organization, so all employees — worldwide and including all subsidiaries — are able to take advantage of the member benefits, including customized advice from our staff experts, free and discounted executive education events and the Council’s worldwide community of public affairs professionals.

If you haven’t done so, please let us know how you would like to get involved by filling out this form!

We look forward to working with you and your team!