The ability of a chapter leader to inform its members quickly and efficiently about legislative and regulatory issues that could impact their jobs is of the utmost importance. Previous methods might have included sending a legislative alert by mail or placing a personal phone call to get them information concerning fast moving legislation. While these methods proved effective, they were often time consuming and inefficient. Now with the help of the GCSAA Legislative Action Center (GCSAA LAC), chapter members can go to one location on the web and use Action Alerts to learn about issues and take quick action on time-sensitive issues. Action Alerts are one of the most user friendly and important tools in the GCSAA LAC. An Action Alert serves as a quick striking method of informing members of issues and legislation that is progressing at a rapid nature.
A sample Action Alert is available for viewing in the GCSAA LAC tutorial. The example is typical of an Action Alert which consists of two distinct parts. Public policy staff is available to work with chapter leaders to develop effective Action Alerts to alert members when they need to take action on bills or issues.
There are two significant components to an Action Alert. The first concerns the Alert Text. This information can appear on the GCSAA LAC home page and your chapter website. The Alert Text is simply the information about the issue you wish to convey to users viewing the alert. The Alert Text includes a heading and sub-heading and tells what is going on and asks for action. It is distinct from the Alert Message, which you will create for the purposes of e-mailing an elected or agency official concerning the issue.
The Alert Message is an e-mail, fax or printed letter that you desire to be sent by users of the GCSAA LAC targeting the President, members of Congress, federal and state agencies, state legislatures, state executive offices, or the media. Alert Messages may contain your predetermined text, user-determined text or a combination of both.
Once an Action Alert has been completed and posted to the GCSAA LAC, an electronic message can be sent to your chapter members, which provides them a link to the Action Alert. When a chapter member or superintendent responds to an Action Alert, they can perform a 5-digit ZIP code-to-district search and move directly to a list of their elected representatives to forward pre-written text or to create their own message.
As chapter leaders, you have the option of “spotlighting” the alert, or in other words, choosing the place and font of importance. You can decide if you want to display the Action Alert on the home page of the GCSAA LAC as well as the top-level page of the "Issues and Legislation" section. Otherwise, the Action Alert will simply appear under the Alerts section of "Issues and Legislation."
Last, you also have control of the target of your Action Alert. It may be directed to one state, a group of states, or all states.
Action Alert web stickers are available to serve as an immediate link from your chapter's website to the GCSAA LAC. You may wish to post an Action Alert web sticker on your chapter's web site to help your site visitors swiftly respond to the Action Alert. Public policy staff can assist you with posting the web sticker on your site.
Action Alerts and web stickers serve as flashpoints where chapter members can quickly gain information and respond to issues of legislative and regulatory importance. The ease with which you can create an Action Alert and then have your members respond to an Action Alert gives you a great deal of control over your governmental efficacy. These functions are important tools that a chapter leader can use to keep its members in the legislative loop.
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