How do you illustrate the myriad ways your organization impacts a particular congressional district? Asset mapping – effective and “impactfully” – is a hot topic in the government relations world these days and was the subject of the most recent Advocacy Leaders Network workshop.

What started as a community organizing tool meant to shift the conversation from a focus on scarcity (how few libraries/schools/facilities we have) to a focus on abundance (how many engaged citizens/strong leaders/good schools we have) has been embraced as a tool that grassroots professionals can use to effectively map organizations’ assets.

Jay Dick, Senior Director for State and Government Affairs at Americans for the Arts, kicked off the conversation with an examination of how his organization has demonstrated the economic impact of the arts. Following are a few concrete takeaways from that presentation that should spur your creative thinking about mapping your organization's assets.

1. Change the dialogue – The above reference to the economic impact of the arts may have already captured your attention. That’s because other attributes are naturally associated with the arts, such as their uplifting nature, their intrinsic value, etc. Jay illustrated this beautifully. When arts funding was threatened in the 1990s, the arts community made the argument that the investment for citizens was roughly the cost of a stamp (at that time approximately $0.32). Since that time, Americans for the Arts has flipped that original argument on its head. They now talk about how the arts are a significant economic engine.
2. Cast a wide net – When Americans for the Arts created the report referenced above, they went beyond what citizens and, arguably, legislators traditionally think of when they ponder the economic impact of the arts. The organization asked a critical, big picture question: What industries are impacted that aren’t just the artists themselves? Reframing the argument landed them in brand new territory: When a couple attends a theatre event, there’s more money involved than the face value of the ticket to a particular venue. They likely go out to eat … take a cab or park their car … hire a sitter for the evening.
3. Think beyond your traditional allies – Yes, a dancer or actor will naturally be included in any outreach the arts community would do. But what about the owner of a local frame shop? Or an architectural firm? A restaurant in the theatre district?
4. Be accurate – This is really more of a caveat, than a takeaway. But if you are changing the dialogue, casting a wide net and thinking beyond your traditional allies, make sure you’re using accurate data. Rely on respected authorities’ figures – think U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Dun & Bradstreet.

About the Advocacy Leaders Network (ALN): ALN is a workshop series hosted by the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) and produced by Beekeeper Group. Each event is a collaborative discussion, between the expert presenters and practitioners in the audience, which focuses on best strategies for educating their supporters to enhance communications, understanding and the relationship between citizens and Congress. The next event will be June 15.