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Page 4 of 12
Shaping The Message
There are two facets to effective advocacy. The most important thing is the message. The other most important thing is the delivery. Every audience or individual will be responding to both facets of a presentation or encounter. The more precise the advocate’s message is, the less time he or she needs to communicate it. The advocate is not just presenting a solution to a problem, they are also representing a misunderstood segment of the community.
POLICE VIEW
Here is what one policeman thinks of skateboarders and skateparks.
1. The Skateboarders Are Organized
Creating a new skatepark takes a lot of time. Throughout the process there will be countless meetings and presentations, each one no doubt attended by people with diverse interests and varying degrees of commitment to the skatepark. While any presentation or concept should always be expressed with enthusiasm, keeping the message brief and to the point is equally important to maintain the listeners’ interest. Finally, by delivering the most important information in less time than was actually scheduled is a sign of respect to both the audience and to the skatepark concept.
Developing and refining the message to make the greatest impact takes time and practice. While it may be tempting for passionate advocates to impress upon an audience their vast knowledge of skateparks, most of what they are tempted to express at the meeting will have little bearing on the topic they’re most interested in. Experienced advocates are careful to not ramble on about the nuances of skatepark design or other technical aspects of skateboarding. The meeting or presentation has a purpose, and it usually is not to educate everyone in the room about every aspect of skateparks. Seasoned advocates show restraint, treat their audience’s time with the respect it deserves, and don’t stray from the topic of the meeting.
2. The Skateboarders Are Practical
Most groups that a skatepark advocate will encounter throughout the first year of a skatepark effort will seem to enjoy the topic and skatepark concepts for two reasons:
1. They understand that there is a need for sanctioned skateboarding areas.
2. They are impressed by the advocates’ civic involvement and want to encourage that leadership.
DECREASING CRIME
The new skatepark is the catalyst for a decrease in criminal activity.
As corny as that second reason may sound, many advocates learn to leverage this sympathy into real enthusiasm for the skatepark. Skateboarders are often categorized as being on the fringe of society—the once “scrappy skate-punk” is now getting involved with politics. People will empathize with the struggle and want to help, provided the concept and actions taken to achieve those goals are depicted as positive and inevitable.
In contrast, if the skatepark is depicted as the only solution to a series if negative events (kids getting hit by cars, police writing them tickets, skaters causing damage to ledges downtown, and so on), it will be associated with a whole slew of negative impulses. While most listeners may understand on an intellectual level why the skatepark is a positive step, what they’re left with emotionally is a collection of bad feelings that are associated with the skatepark’s users. When contrasting bad events to a good skatepark, care must be taken not to dramatize the negative too much or people will become resistant to any association. Nobody wants people who get hit by cars, get tickets from police, or who cause property damage in their neighborhood.
 3. The Skateboarders Are Unified
It is often helpful to appear at public meetings as a group. City Council meetings, for example, generally happen every month and there’s a good chance that the conference room has never had a group of skateboarders walk into it. Even if each member of the group does not speak, the group will lend a certain presence to the meeting that can have a positive impact on the body of elected officials and the other attendees.
There are people who just don't like the idea of skateparks.
The advocate will eventually hear from them.
Similarly, operating information booths at public events and any face-to-face advocacy should also be done by a small group whenever possible. While one person might be talking, the others can be reaching out to other members of the public. Seeing skateboarders operating as a group depicts a coordinated and unified mission that may surprise many people.
4. The Skateboarders Are Easy To Work With
At each encounter with a group or individual be prepared to suggest ways that they can help right now. Once they’ve conveyed their interest, the advocate must demonstrate that lending support to the skatepark effort is easy. If the group wants the potential volunteer to write a letter of support to City Council, prepare a short list of reasons and/or facts that they can use when crafting their message (e.g., the number of skaters in the area, why skateparks are so important, why they’re economically sound, and so on). If they are potential donors, have everything prepared beforehand to demonstrate that their money will be in good hands (i.e., pre-printed donation envelopes or a donation information sheet with the address and tax ID information of your nonprofit group, suggested levels of donations, sponsorship opportunities, and so on). If they don’t want to donate money or write a letter but they do want to show their support somehow, you might have a sign-up sheet prepared that can serve as a newsletter list or even membership roster. This list should have name, address, e-mail, and phone. With a little forethought one can make support easy to give.
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