BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Social Current - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.social-current.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Social Current REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20270314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20271107T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260804T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260804T140000 DTSTAMP:20260410T194431 CREATED:20260316T201624Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T202159Z UID:10000603-1785848400-1785852000@www.social-current.org SUMMARY:Building a Sustainable Advocacy Infrastructure DESCRIPTION:Register \n \n Advocacy cannot rely on one staff member or one moment of urgency. Lasting policy influence requires shared ownership\, internal clarity\, and intentional systems that allow organizations to act with confidence and consistency over time. Without clear roles\, decision-making pathways\, and processes\, even the most compelling advocacy goals can stall when pressure mounts. \nThis session will guide organizations through the core components of a sustainable advocacy infrastructure\, clarifying roles\, decision-making processes\, and opportunities for engagement. Participants will explore practical frameworks for aligning leadership\, staff\, and community voices; establishing internal protocols for rapid response; and right-sizing advocacy efforts to match organizational capacity. By the end of the session\, participants will be better equipped to build an advocacy structure that supports timely action\, reduces burnout\, and strengthens their organization’s ability to advance long-term policy change. \nTakeaways\n\nClarify roles between executive leadership\, board members\, communications staff\, and policy leads\nCreate internal decision trees for public engagement\nEstablish escalation and approval protocols\nDevelop criteria for coalition participation\n\nWho Should Attend\n\nExecutive Directors and Senior Management: Leaders responsible for setting organizational strategy and engaging with policymakers and stakeholders\nAdvocacy and Policy Directors: Individuals who develop and implement advocacy strategies and engage in policy analysis and outreach\nCommunications and Public Relations Managers: Professionals focused on crafting and disseminating the organization’s message to the public and media\nProgram Managers and Coordinators: Staff who oversee program implementation and need to align program goals with advocacy efforts\nMembers of the Social Current Grassroots Advocacy Network: Join online\n\n \n\n \n\n \n \n \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Blair Abelle-Kiser\, PhD\n \n Senior Director of Government Affairs\nSocial Current \n \n Biography\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Blair Abelle-Kiser\, PhD\n Senior Director of Government Affairs\nSocial Current \n \n Blair Kiser\, Ph.D.\, joined Social Current in 2022 after working in health policy on Capitol Hill\, the non-profit sector\, and as a biomedical researcher. Most recently\, Blair served as Director of Government Relations & Advocacy for NephCure Kidney International. \nDuring their time in public service\, they served as a Professional Staff Member of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. They led a corporate investigation regarding insider trading and financial improprieties\, conflicts of interest associated with Operation Warp Speed’s leadership\, and scientific information politicization. Prior to joining the Select Subcommittee\, they worked for Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)\, where they served as a Health Policy Fellow. In Senator Brown’s office\, they led a range of legislative and oversight efforts involving public health and healthcare. During the COVID-19 pandemic\, they worked with several community hospice advocacy organizations and a Republican office to help craft the bipartisan COVID-19 Hospice Respite Care Relief Act of 2020. \nPrior to public service\, Blair spent several years as a medical research scientist on several industry and NIH-funded projects. Their work focused on developing research projects and clinical trials to improve the lives of African Americans with Sickle Cell Disease. They earned a doctorate in Biomedical Science from Morehouse School of Medicine in 2017 and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Kentucky in 2011. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Abigail Levine\, MSW\n \n Field Mobilization and Policy Manager\nSocial Current \n \n Biography\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Abigail Levine\, MSW\n Field Mobilization and Policy Manager\nSocial Current \n \n Abigail Levine\, MSW\, joined Social Current in 2024 as its field mobilization and policy manager. Abigail has worked closely at the state and local levels to implement robust trauma-informed programming\, increase children’s access to positive childhood experiences\, and promote safer experiences within schools for children with disabilities. In her previous role as a policy analyst\, Abigail worked closely with multiple stakeholders\, including parents\, educators\, and law enforcement\, to develop\, advocate for\, and implement legislation representative of their community’s unique needs. URL:https://www.social-current.org/event/building-a-sustainable-advocacy-infrastructure/ CATEGORIES:Policy ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.social-current.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Policy-Advocacy_1.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR