Child Advocacy Resources

Communications/Messaging Related to Child Well-Being
Youth Engagement
Tools, Guides, and Other Web Resources
Books and Articles

Communications/Messaging Related to Child Well-Being

FrameWorks Institute publishes messaging analyses on various subjects that relate to children and have implications for accountability. See the following examples:

In partnership with the FrameWorks Institute, Leading for Kids issued three publications aimed at changing the way we talk about children and their needs in a way that resonates more clearly with the public and policymakers: 

ASO Communications (Anat Shenker-Osorio) developed reports for early childhood funders in California that examine the use of a variety of techniques from the field of cognitive linguistics (which is dedicated to how people process information and communicate). These reports examine how people formulate judgments and come to conclusions about resources for young children’s development. See “Minding Our Words: Making Our Best Case for Kids in California” (2016) and the related language analysis resource.

Youth Engagement

Tools, Guides, and Other Web Resources

Everyday Advocacy Resources
The National Council of Nonprofits provides toolkits, checklists, guidelines, strategic advice, and other ideas for both groups and individuals on the topics of organizing and advocating for a cause.

Bolder Advocacy
This initiative of Alliance for Justice offers extensive online resources, including examples of advocacy success stories, assessments, checklists, social media strategy tips, and a guide to ballot advocacy.

Foundation Advocacy Grants: What Grantees Need to Know
This publication, from the Alliance for Justice, is useful for nonprofits seeking funding from foundations for advocacy work.

Service and Social Change
These tools, provided by the Building Movement Project, help service organizations and nonprofits build communities in which residents can become engaged and empowered in social change activities.

Movement Building
These resources, from the Building Movement Project, assist nonprofit organizations in increasing their capacity to support movement for social change.

Securing Buy-In from Your Board for Advocacy
This resource, from the Council on Foundations, contains answers to questions that foundation board members often ask about getting involved in advocacy, including how it can be a strategic and important tool for accomplishing a foundation’s mission. (Note: This content is available only to members of Council on Foundations.)

Indivisible Guide
Written and compiled by two former congressional staffers, this is a widely-used toolkit for grassroots legislative advocacy across a broad range of issues.

VICE Impact
Part of the VICE news platform, this advocacy-focused channel includes stories and videos about advocacy activities worldwide.

Advocacy Training Modules
These resources, from the American Academy of Pediatrics, are designed to teach citizens and pediatricians to use their voices to advocate for children. They can be adapted for other child-serving professionals and types of advocates.

Books and Articles

“The Art of Advocacy Strategy” (2017)
This article, written by Jim Schultz and published by the Stanford Social Innovation Review, offers an updated look at challenges for activists in the current political climate.

So You Want To Make a Difference: A Key to Advocacy (2010)
Nancy Amidei’s handbook for citizen activists outlines ways to bring about policy change, as well as educate and involve others in advocacy.

The Democracy Owners’ Manual: A Practical Guide to Changing the World (2002)
Jim Schultz’s book remains one of the most practical guides for aspiring and working advocates and for anyone who wants to bring about change in policy on the local or national level.

“Reflections on Public Policy Grantmaking” (2002)
This monograph, by Ruth Holton of The California Wellness Foundation, shares with funders that are interested in public policy and advocacy lessons from the experience of one foundation that invests heavily in funding the various elements of policy change.