Case Studies

Capwiz·XC: Expanding Your Network to Create Legislative Action

The Youth Policy Action Center built a network of local, state, and national organizations that works to advance legislative issues affecting children and youth.

Organization: Youth Policy Action Center
Web site: www.youthpolicyactioncenter.org
Favorite Capwiz·XC tool: Alerts & Messages, Media Guide

In 2004, Capitol Advantage's Youth Civic Engagement Award granted 18 months of Capwiz·XC service to six organizations committed to youth issues. The Forum for Youth Investment convened several of these organizations, including Mobilizing America's Youth, the Campaign for Youth, 18-to-35, and Youth Service America, to build a strong, vocal constituency for children and youth. The group developed the idea of the Youth Policy Action Center, recruited additional organizations, and launched the initial Web site.

On April 18, 2005, more than 30 of the country's leading national advocacy organizations launched the Youth Policy Action Center Web site. The launch was a great success. In its first six months, the Youth Policy Action Center received over 375,000 hits from more than 30,000 visitors. Thousands of messages were sent to Congress. The Web site became the featured "hot site" on PoliticsOnline and the Foundation Center and was highlighted by nationally syndicated columnist Jane Eisner in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

In October 2005, the Youth Policy Action Center opened up membership to state and local organizations and launched a redesigned site in April 2006 that featuring state-specific pages, an information clearinghouse, in-depth political tools, and interactive features (including a blog, youth videos, and social networking).

Creating a Unified Voice

For a long period of time, the resources needed to launch a successful outreach campaign remained out of reach for many organizations committed to youth issues. The Forum for Youth Investment and other youth organizations also saw the definite need to inform policymakers about their industry's issues because they represented an interest group less prominent in the government relations arena.

The Youth Policy Action Center allowed its member organizations to increase awareness for legislative issues surrounding young adults and garner a higher level of support by working together under a unified voice. The Alerts & Messages tool created an easy and successful method to connect and motivate supporters nationwide to voice their opinions on specific congressional bills affecting young men and women. Following is a sample Alert that was sent out through the Youth Policy Action Center:

Stop Massive Cuts to Student Aid Right now, Congress is considering a proposal to cut federal student aid programs by $14.3 billion dollars. If this cut passes, it will be the largest cut to student aid in history, forcing the typical student borrower to pay an additional $5,800 for his or her student loans. Read our most recent analysis of the budget reconciliation bill. Read the Carnahan-Schwarz-Andrews-Shays Bipartisan letter opposing student aid cuts in the House of Representatives. 203 members of the House have signed this letter.

Numerous visitors additionally found the Media Guide to be an essential tool when using their Web site to become involved in the Center's advocacy campaign. The Youth Policy Action Center took advantage of the site's user reports on a regular basis, which is how they were able to quickly discover that several users were utilizing the Media Guide. The reports also provided essential activist information to help them effectively refresh their Web site with timely content and features.

Capwiz·XC helped the Youth Policy Action Center build an unprecedented partnership with more than 80 leading local, state, and national organizations committed to children and youth. Adults and young adults alike have been given the chance to participate in the democratic process by voicing their concerns and opinions on important youth issues to state and federal legislators.

With their Capwiz·XC site, the Youth Policy Action Center was able to quickly mobilize grassroots support and eventually shape policies to benefit children and youth. The National Collaboration for Youth advanced the Federal Youth Coordination Act (H.R. 856), creating a Federal Youth Development Council to create an overarching youth policy strategy.

With the help of the Youth Policy Action Center, the National Collaboration for Youth posted and publicized several Alerts, resulting in hundreds of letters and phone calls to Congress. In a short amount of time, their constituents' messages created a stir for many Members of Congress that previously had limited knowledge of the bill. In November 2005, the bill passed by an overwhelming bi-partisan majority of 353 to 62.

One of the Center's member organizations, the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps (NASCC), was able to advance the Public Lands Corps Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2005 (H.R. 2875 / S. 1238). The bill was passed successfully to offer young people ages 16 through 25, particularly those who are at-risk, the opportunity to gain productive employment, serve their communities and their country, and expand opportunity by increasing their ability to pursue higher education or job training. NASCC posted Action Alerts on the Youth Policy Action Center and successfully mobilized corps members and others to contact Congress, leading to its passage by unanimous consent in the Senate.

Building for Future Success

The Youth Policy Action Center paved the way so that young citizens could have a voice in the democratic process. The Center's member organizations were able to take advantage of the Internet to build a stronger voice for the industry. Their online advocacy campaign launched under Capwiz·XC serves as a building block for future successes that will seek out even more opportunities for children and youth.

The Youth Policy Action Center and its member organizations received many benefits from Capwiz·XC. They were pleased with the measurable legislative victories that they obtained by expanding their advocacy campaign online. The Youth Policy Action Center especially gives credit to Capitol Advantage's customer service representatives - they exhibited great dedication, competence, and responsiveness to help make the Youth Policy Action Center an influential communications vehicle for their supporters.

About Capwiz·XC

Why choose Capwiz·XC? Quite simply, we offer the most comprehensive and easy-to-use service on the market! Utilized by more than 1,500 associations, corporations, coalitions, non profits, and other organizations across the political spectrum, Capwiz·XC gives your organization the power to inform, engage, and activate your members and supporters. Designed with the non-technical user in mind, Capwiz·XC can be installed easily and quickly on your Web site. Thousands of pages of political information are seamlessly integrated into the existing information on your site; you then customize the content so that your site accurately reflects your organization's legislative agenda. The user-friendly, password-protected Site Control Center allows your organization's administrator to easily add and change content as needed, as well as control access to Capwiz·XC's many features.