ADOPTING A PARTICIPATORY APPROACH FOR SETTING ADVOCACY PRIORITIES

Day One is a nonprofit organization that partners with youth to end dating abuse and intimate partner violence (IPV) through an empowerment model of community education, supportive services, legal advocacy, and leadership development. Day One’s clients are impacted by various issues beyond IPV, including the school-to-prison pipeline, lack of reproductive care, and housing insecurity. However, Day One has limited capacity to engage in advocacy efforts related to these areas. The client enlisted the team to identify best practices for setting policy and advocacy priorities and deepening staff and youth involvement in these processes. The team conducted legislative research, identified potential allies in elected office, surveyed staff and youth clients, and conducted employee focus groups. Based on its research findings, the team developed a final report recommending policy priorities, internal and external advocacy strategies, and best practices for engaging staff and youth.