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Advocacy

What Is Advocacy?

Advocacy can include many different things, but at its core, advocacy simply requires that someone cares enough to step forward and take action to bring about change. At YWCA Minneapolis, we’re proud to help members of our community make their voices heard and become impactful advocates for positive social reform.

Legislators need information – they can’t possibly know everything that is going on, so they rely on their constituents to keep them informed about what matters to their community. This is where your voice can make a difference! Through advocacy efforts, you can leverage productive conversation and debate to influence policy and change our world for the better.

Effective advocacy is all about building relationships with people and sharing your story. With these skills, you can become a proponent for positive change in your community – taking a stand against racism, inequality and injustice. From writing letters to your elected official to visiting your legislator at the Capitol in St. Paul, advocacy empowers you to express and spread your beliefs.

YWCA Public Policy Agenda

The public policy agenda at YWCA Minneapolis promotes solutions to institutional racism and sexism that focus on high-quality education and economic empowerment. Raise your voice with us in urging state and federal representatives to provide the funding needed to support these important issues:

Civil Rights & Racial Justice

YWCA Minneapolis promotes intersectional public policy solutions like early childhood education and afterschool youth programs for all Minnesota children regardless of race, economics or culture.

Empowerment & Economic Advancement

YWCA public policy aims to improve the economic security of women while eliminating racist and sexist barriers to workplace participation. Our entire community benefits from state and federal funding for early learning and youth development programs that allows parents to go to work or school, and workforce development programs that ensure equal access to stable jobs.

Advocacy Workshops

Effective advocacy is all about building relationships with people and sharing your story. Don’t know where to start? Attend one of our workshops to the gain skills and confidence to help you get involved in public policy and advocate for issues you care about.

Top Priorities

Policies that support safe, welcoming and supportive communities are important to the health and future of Minnesota. Our entire community benefits from state and federal funding that:

For more information, please contact the Public Policy department a pubpol@ywcampls.org.

What Can You Do?

Contact Your Legislators

Please contact your legislators and encourage them to support increased funding to improve access to quality early learning and youth development for all Minnesota families. Legislators want to hear from you, and your voice matters!

FIND MY REPRESENTATIVES

Attend a YWCA Advocacy Workshop

Effective advocacy is all about nurturing strong relationships with people in your community while sharing your story. Don't know where to start? Attend one of our workshops to gain the skills and confidence to help you get involved in public policy and advocate for issues you care about.

VIEW UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

Register to Vote

Participate in local elections to drive positive change and ensure just representation of your values. Voting is the best way to lend your unique experience to important issues and address problems in your community.

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