Back to the Roots: Mobilizing Communities for Monumental Change
More than 1 million Americans are affected by Parkinson’s disease, a progressive, incurable disease that occurs when brain cells that make dopamine, a chemical that coordinates movement, stop working or die. Seeking a more coordinated and robust governmental response to research and treatment, the Michael J. Fox Foundation engaged Reingold’s expertise in advocate mobilization, outreach, and engagement.
Reingold’s multiyear partnership with the Foundation resulted in the passage of the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act — signed into law on July 2, 2024. This new law will expand the government’s focus on Parkinson’s diagnosis and treatment and advance the search for a cure. The law’s enactment also gives hope to families affected by the disease.
Changing Laws by Changing Minds
Reingold started by developing an advocacy campaign framework modeled on similar efforts by the Alzheimer’s Association, the American Diabetes Association, and the HIV/AIDS community. The core aims of this effort were introducing legislation in Congress and building political support for its passage — one elected official at a time — through member engagement.
Once the National Plan legislation was introduced, Reingold engaged in old-fashioned political organizing. We identified volunteers in key congressional districts, recruited them to participate in a meeting with their legislators’ offices, and trained advocates on how to effectively share personal stories and emphasize the urgency of the legislation’s passage. We recruited 917 advocates, scheduled 434 meetings, and secured 215 congressional cosponsors.
To lighten the load on Foundation lobbyists, we also scheduled the meetings with congressional offices and facilitated follow-up, ensuring sustained engagement and an ongoing push to cosponsor the legislation.
We probably couldn’t have gotten this bill passed as quickly as we did without Reingold identifying, recruiting, and training our advocates.
— MJFF Senior Vice President of Public Policy Ted Thompson
How We Did It
How did the Foundation, with Reingold’s support, get a major new law passed in Congress when hundreds of organizations struggle to achieve their advocacy and government relations goals? We’ve distilled some key findings:
- Politics Versus Policy. Many organizations take a policy-first approach to government relations, but it’s politics that gets legislation enacted. The Foundation recognized that even the best policy ideas need political backing. Their ongoing efforts to build political support through advocate engagement turned good policy into legislative success.
- “Always On” Engagement. DC Lobby Days are a long–standing tradition, but what about the remaining 364 days of the year? The Foundation spread a Hill Day’s worth of engagement across an entire congressional term. This approach led to nonstop visibility and deeper, more meaningful ties between advocates and congressional offices.
- Emotional Appeal. The Foundation didn’t need its advocates to be policy experts or to dive into legislative details. Instead, it empowered the advocates to share their personal stories and how the legislation would improve their lives. This created powerful emotional appeals while allowing the expert lobbying team to handle the policy intricacies.
We need to turn the clock back 30 years, because what worked best then still works best, and that’s personal relationships. If you don’t engage with constituents of the lawmakers and bring them to the table, it’s harder and harder to break through to Congress.
— Ted Thompson, MJFF SVP
You Can Do It Too
With more than 40 years of experience in public affairs and communications, Reingold is the ideal partner for any organization seeking to achieve success in Washington, D.C., and state capitals across the country. To learn more, contact Joseph LaMountain at jlamountain@reingold.com or 202.288.5124 x434.
