Introduction
Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is a national nonprofit organization represented in the state of Hawaii and pursues the mission of developing an enriching and positive environment for youth sports in the USA. The organization’s goals are achieved through the implementation of programs and projects aimed at improving the quality of sports education and development for youth, parents, and coaches (“Mission and history,” 2020). The cultivation of positive culture in sports is manifested by eliminating inequality, racism, sexual harassment, and other issues that obstruct athletes’ positive experience. The organization’s vision of its impact is that the opportunities for character-building and well-being facilitating are inherent in coaching.
Advocacy Goal 1: Raising Awareness
Level: Internal/Local/State. Intended audience: General public
Upon reviewing the information on PCA’s advocacy efforts, it has been identified that the nonprofit does not currently pursue any advocacy goals in the direction of pursuing the elimination of toxicity in the contemporary sports. The lack of lobbying of the organization’s mission limits its opportunities for growth and making change using the capacity the organization has. Therefore, it is imperative to raise awareness about PCA’s mission to eliminate sexual harassment and inequality in both children-coaches relationships and within a wider sports context. Raising awareness about these tentative and underrepresented issues among the general public will promote the opportunities for the nonprofit to make a change in the social domain and enhance its presence in the informational domain (McNutt, 2011). The identified advocacy task is of critical importance for the nonprofit due to the high potential of the general public’s awareness in the completion of the organization’s mission.
Possible Obstacles
Since the main focus on the completion of this task will be set on digital means of information dissemination, one possible obstacle might be the ability to reach the intended audience and attract their attention.
Ways to Overcome the Obstacles
To eliminate the risk of being unnoticed during the awareness-raising campaign, the team must develop a compelling message to integrate the pertinent information capable of attracting the right people to the organization. PCA has already acquired a substantial number of collaborative parties, whose participation might be used as a factor for enhancing the potential for successful addressing of the broad social issues as manifested in the sproting industry (“Corporate partners,” 2020).
Measuring Success (Process or Outcome)
To measure the success of the goal achievement, the criterion of mentioning of the organization might be applied. If the number of times PCA or its mission is mentioned on social media or the Internet doubles, the task will be considered successfully completed.
Task Plan
Advocacy Goal 2: Building Relationships
Level: Local/State/Federal. Intended audience: Potential stakeholders
The analysis of the current state of relationships of PCA allows for concluding that the organization has built a substantial network of connections with national organizations, as well as local entities. The nonprofit commits to its donors, corporate partners, and other stakeholders whose contribution to the organization advance its mission (“Corporate partners,” 2020). However, to launch an effective advocacy campaign, new relationships must be initiated, as well as the existing contacts need to be facilitated for more efficient and productive collaboration (Libby & Carasiti, 2011). New relationships should be initiated with the entities that would contribute to creating a more positive environment in sports. This task is particularly important before advancing to actual lobbying steps because it ensures the obtaining of necessary support of PCA’s cause by interested parties. The opportunity to attend to socially relevant issues that are not particularly addressed by non-profits will ensure the unique position of PCA and enhance its advocacy capacity.
Possible Obstacles
The difficulty of reaching the intended audience might be an obstacle due to the workload and possible problems with scheduling personal meetings. Also, the process of communication and convincing prospective partners or collaborators to consider cooperation with PCA might be challenging.
Ways to Overcome the Obstacles
To overcome these difficulties, effective strategies for communicating the relevance of the nonprofit’s cause should be developed. Also, the benefits of engaging in a relationship with PCA must be addressed to ensure the interest of the potential stakeholders.
Measuring Success (Process or Outcome)
The active engagement of other nonprofits, community organizations, national organizations, and legislators in relationships with PCA would be an indicator of success. The increase in the number of cooperating entities by fifty percent might be a satisfactory measurement.
Task Plan
Advocacy Goal 3: Evaluation
Level: Internal. Intended audience: Board of Directors
Possible Obstacles
The scope of issues planned to be addressed within this initial advocacy campaign might impose difficulty in assessing the results of the campaign. The lack of information as per prior enacted advocacy efforts complicates the comparative approach to success evaluation.
Ways to Overcome the Obstacles
Accurate documentation of all the steps, the time and quality of their completion, problems encountered during the task completion, and the benefits obtained would be a valuable approach to eliminating possible obstacles. Also, the engagement of staff members in the process will ensure a better evaluation process and increased organizational commitment in the later stages of the advocacy campaign in the future.
Measuring Success (Process or Outcome)
The quality of evaluation will be evident upon applying its results in the later stages of the campaign.
Task Plan
Conclusion
The proposed advocacy action plan aims at influencing public opinion about PCA’s cause and encouraging the organization to enhance its lobbying activities in the future. The identified level of advocacy in PCA is considered insufficient, which is why the preparational goals aimed at discovering the potential for intensive lobbying and advocacy campaign for the future are set forward. Successful awareness-raising, relationship building, and result evaluation will form a solid ground for further actions aimed at strengthening PCA’s advocacy.
References
Corporate partners. (2020). Web.
Libby, P. & Carasiti, M. (2011). The 10 steps in action. In Pat Libby & Associates (Eds.), The lobbying strategy handbook: 10 steps to advancing any cause effectively (pp. 251-268). Sage Publishing.
McNutt, J. (2011). Fighting for justice in cyberspace. In Pat Libby & Associates (Eds.), The lobbying strategy handbook: 10 steps to advancing any cause effectively (pp. 251-268). Sage Publishing.
Mission and history. (2020). Web.