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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Advocacy Coordinator

💰 $ - $

AdvocacyCommunity EngagementNonprofitPolicy

🎯 Role Definition

The Advocacy Coordinator is a proactive, strategic specialist responsible for planning, executing, and measuring advocacy campaigns that advance organizational policy objectives and community impact. This role combines policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, grassroots organizing, digital advocacy, and cross-functional campaign delivery to influence decision-makers and mobilize supporters. The ideal candidate brings a track record of coalition-building, legislative advocacy, clear communications, and data-driven campaign optimization.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Community Organizer / Field Organizer
  • Communications Coordinator
  • Program Assistant (Policy or Community)

Advancement To:

  • Advocacy Manager / Senior Advocacy Coordinator
  • Policy & Advocacy Lead / Campaign Manager
  • Director of Advocacy or Public Policy

Lateral Moves:

  • Communications Manager (Digital & Public Affairs)
  • Development or Fundraising Manager
  • Community Engagement Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead the design and execution of multi-channel advocacy campaigns (grassroots, grasstops, digital, media relations, and coalition actions) to advance policy priorities and legislative goals, including target setting, timelines, deliverables, and post-campaign evaluation.
  • Develop and implement stakeholder engagement strategies to build and maintain relationships with legislators, government agencies, community leaders, partner NGOs, and corporate allies; coordinate briefing materials and legislative asks tailored to each audience.
  • Conduct policy research and analysis to translate complex legislation and regulatory proposals into clear, actionable talking points, policy briefs, advocacy memos, and one-pagers for internal teams, partners, and supporters.
  • Manage constituent outreach and mobilization programs, including writing action alerts, petitions, email campaigns, and targeted phone-banking scripts to drive measurable action (e.g., calls, letters, meetings) to elected officials.
  • Coordinate grassroots volunteer recruitment, training, and management—organize canvassing, phone-banking, and in-district meetings—ensuring volunteers are equipped with messaging, tools, and follow-up processes that maximize engagement and retention.
  • Plan and execute stakeholder briefings, roundtables, hearings, and public events (virtual and in-person), including agenda creation, speaker coordination, logistics, follow-up communications, and post-event reporting.
  • Maintain and update legislative tracking systems and policy databases to monitor bill status, committee activity, voting records, and regulatory developments; prepare timely alerts and strategy recommendations for leadership and partners.
  • Build and steward coalitions and partner networks, coordinating joint actions, shared messaging, collaborative op-eds, and coalition policy platforms that amplify impact and align mutual objectives.
  • Draft persuasive materials for advocacy including letters to the editor, policy briefs, testimony, op-eds, social media content, and email advocacy templates designed for both policy audiences and the general public.
  • Manage relationships with lobbyists, consultants, and external vendors; oversee contracts and deliverables to ensure alignment with campaign goals, budgets, and compliance requirements.
  • Oversee digital advocacy tactics, including social media campaigns, targeted advertising, online petition platforms, and email segmentation strategies to drive supporter acquisition, engagement, and conversion to offline actions.
  • Use CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, NationBuilder, NGP VAN) to segment lists, track supporter interactions, measure conversion rates, and produce actionable reports for program improvement and donor/stakeholder briefings.
  • Track and report on campaign KPIs and metrics—reach, engagement, actions taken, conversions, legislator responses—and produce regular dashboards and written summaries for funders and executive leadership.
  • Implement monitoring and evaluation frameworks for advocacy initiatives, including baseline assessments, outcome indicators, learning agendas, and recommendations for iterative campaign optimization.
  • Ensure all advocacy activities are compliant with relevant legal, ethical, and regulatory requirements (lobbying disclosure, nonprofit advocacy limits, privacy/data protection) and collaborate with legal counsel as needed.
  • Support grant writing and reporting by providing program narratives, outcomes data, and budget justifications that demonstrate advocacy impact and alignment with funder requirements.
  • Prepare and coach spokespeople and organizational leaders for media interviews, legislative testimony, and public presentations; develop concise talking points and practice Q&A responses for high-stakes engagements.
  • Coordinate cross-functional workflows between communications, programs, fundraising, and research teams to synchronize messaging, timing, and supporter outreach efforts across all channels.
  • Conduct community outreach and sign-up drives to broaden the base of supporters from underrepresented communities; ensure culturally competent messaging and accessible materials for diverse audiences.
  • Produce creative content (videos, infographics, action toolkits) and oversee content production partners to present complex policy issues in engaging, shareable formats optimized for web and social platforms.
  • Support rapid response and crisis communications related to policy developments, quickly mobilizing supporters, drafting template communications, and briefing senior leadership on next steps.
  • Manage budgets for advocacy projects, monitor expenditures, and prepare financial summaries to ensure programs remain within scope and deliver expected outcomes.

Secondary Functions

  • Maintain clean and up-to-date contact lists and CRM tagging schemes to enable targeted outreach and accurate measurement.
  • Support ad-hoc research requests and compile briefing packs for leadership and partner organizations.
  • Assist in the development of annual advocacy plans and contribute to strategic planning cycles and quarterly reviews.
  • Facilitate internal training sessions to share best practices in grassroots organizing, digital advocacy, and legislative engagement.
  • Support coordination of volunteer schedules, logistics, and recognition programs to ensure a positive volunteer experience.
  • Contribute to post-campaign learning briefs and shareable case studies that document tactics, outcomes, and lessons learned for internal knowledge sharing.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Policy analysis and legislative tracking: ability to read bills, analyze amendments, and summarize impacts for non-expert audiences.
  • Campaign planning and project management: develop timelines, manage milestones, and coordinate multi-stakeholder deliverables.
  • CRM proficiency: experience using Salesforce, NationBuilder, NGP VAN, or similar systems for segmentation, automation, and reporting.
  • Digital advocacy tools: hands-on experience with email marketing platforms (Mailchimp, ActionKit), petition platforms, and targeted social ads.
  • Data analysis and reporting: competency with Excel/Google Sheets, pivot tables, basic SQL or data visualization tools (Tableau, Data Studio) to produce campaign metrics and dashboards.
  • Media relations and public communications: draft press releases, op-eds, talking points, and manage media outreach.
  • Fundraising and grant reporting: support proposal writing, budgets, and outcome measurement for funder deliverables.
  • Event coordination and logistics: organize public forums, legislative visits, and stakeholder convenings, including virtual event platforms (Zoom, Hopin).
  • Compliance knowledge: familiarity with nonprofit advocacy laws, lobbying rules, and disclosure requirements.
  • Content creation: write persuasive copy for web, email, social, and print; basic design skills (Canva, Adobe) a plus.
  • Monitoring & evaluation: design indicators, collect qualitative/quantitative data, and synthesize learnings.
  • Multilingual communication (preferred in many roles): ability to communicate in community languages to broaden reach.

Soft Skills

  • Excellent written and verbal communication with the ability to distill complex policy into clear, persuasive messages.
  • Relationship building and stakeholder management: diplomatic, responsive, and skilled at managing diverse partners.
  • Strategic thinking and problem-solving: anticipate obstacles and adapt tactics to shifting political and programmatic contexts.
  • Project prioritization and time management: manage multiple campaigns simultaneously and meet tight deadlines.
  • Facilitation and training: comfortable leading volunteer trainings, workshops, and community meetings.
  • Cultural competency and empathy: work respectfully across communities, ensuring inclusion and equitable outreach.
  • Resilience and adaptability: thrive in fast-paced, changeable environments with competing priorities.
  • Attention to detail and strong organizational skills for maintaining accurate records and ensuring compliance.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Communications, Social Sciences, or related field, OR equivalent professional experience in advocacy or organizing.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s in Public Policy, Public Administration, Social Work, Nonprofit Management, or related advanced credential; relevant certification in advocacy, lobbying, or campaign management a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Public Policy
  • Political Science
  • Communications
  • Sociology
  • Social Work
  • Public Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of experience in advocacy, grassroots organizing, policy campaigns, or community engagement roles.

Preferred:

  • 3+ years in advocacy coordination with demonstrated success in managing multi-channel campaigns, coalition work, or legislative victories.
  • Prior experience working with elected officials, government agencies, or regulatory bodies.
  • Proven results using CRM systems for supporter engagement and data-driven campaign optimization.
  • Experience in nonprofit environments and comfort with fundraising and grant reporting responsibilities.
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