2021 Texas United Virtual Advocacy Days
United Ways of Texas is excited to host a multi-day experience, with various interactive engagement opportunities built just for you and your donors and volunteers on February 23rd and 24th and culminating with our virtual United Way Capitol Day on February 25th from 9 am to 5 pm.
WHEN: February 23-25
WHERE: Virtual!
CONTACT:
Ashley Harris and Megan Hall
United Ways of Texas
512-651-1149
SCHEDULE OF VIRTUAL EVENTS:
All times are in Central Standard Time (CST)
Day 1: Tuesday, February 23rd
12 noon | Virtual Advocacy Lunch & Learn for Texas United Ways (20 minutes)
3PM-5PM I Advocacy 101 Bootcamp for new UW Advocates or those who need a refresher
ALL DAY I *The only scheduled session is from 3-5pm (noted above). Take this time to explore the platform to prepare for the days ahead. Share your ideas and find inspiration for advocacy. The virtual conference platform will be access pre-recorded content, including tips and tools for effective meetings with legislators, helpful resources, and to connect with other United Ways. Post on social media using the toolkit to advocate for critical community issues.
Day 2: Wednesday, February 24th
11AM - 1 PM I Special guests including Margaret Spellings, President and CEO of Texas 2036 and former U.S. Secretary of Education will highlight the power of community in addressing challenges, Lindsay Torrico with United Way Worldwide will offer inspiring words on the power and impact of United Way voice (and volunteer voice) in policy advocacy, and Representative Ordaz Perez (District 76-El Paso) will share about her connection to United Way & provide insight on how United Way voices can actively engage in advocacy! Networking opportunities for donor affinity groups, volunteers, and UW staff will also be provided.
ALL DAY I Virtual conference platform open to access helpful resources, pre-recorded content, tips, view committee meetings, and to connect with other United Ways and volunteers. Post on social media using the toolkit to highlight the power of our collective network in advocacy.
Day 3: Thursday, February 25th UNITED WAY CAPITOL DAY
9 AM I Welcome & Issue Briefing with UWT Policy Team
10 AM I A virtual presentation of House and Senate resolutions will be shared to galvanize the UW network to stand up for health, education, financial stability, and drive systemic change.
10:20 AM | Discussion with Legislative Staff on Tips & Tools for Effective Visits
11 AM | United We Vote, United We Count Texas
1PM I Legislative Updates for UW Advocates: Join the UWT policy team for a special edition of our bi-monthly updates on the 87th legislative session.
2 PM | Office Hours with UWT staff
10 AM-4 PM I Scheduled telephone calls and virtual meetings with legislators (Note: be sure to share your meeting schedules with UWT so we can capture our impact).
4 PM-5PM I Virtual Happy Hour & Networking to celebrate and discuss how meetings went.
MAKING APPOINTMENTS WITH YOUR LEGISLATORS:
Local United Way staff are responsible for scheduling their own virtual meetings or calls on behalf of their community advocates with their local legislative offices and are encouraged to schedule meetings between 10am-4pm on February 25th. For more information on scheduling and preparing for legislative meetings, please check out our helpful resource guide. To find quickly information on your senators and representatives, visit the "Who Represents Me?" page from the Texas Legislature, or the Legislative Directory page from the Texas Tribune to find your Senators and Representatives by zip codes, and learn more about them. To prepare for meetings and determine key issues you want to raise, see our 2021 Public Policy Agenda.
For any questions, please reach out to Ashley, Ashley.harris@uwtexas.org and Megan, megan.hall@uwtexas.org.
Thank you to our sponsors!
