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An endorsement is one way groups or individuals can voice their approval of and support for a campaign. Endorsements are effective, at the beginning and throughout the campaign, because they serve to educate the group or individual endorsing your campaign about your issue, while simultaneously showing the target of your campaign that you have a broad base of support.

The goal of this article is to help guide you through the process of obtaining endorsements for the issue campaigns you are working on.

Who should we ask to endorse the campaign?

Everyone! The more support you can garner for the issue, the better. Of course, you must have a method to determine whom you will ask and when. Making a list of possible endorsers is very helpful. Groups and individuals that have a direct interest in the issue or connection to your organization are usually a good place to start. This may include people or groups that have worked on similar issues before and, therefore, might have some helpful suggestions.

For example, if you are working on changing an education policy you could start by asking groups that work on education issues. Those would include parent-teacher organizations, teachers associations, and youth services boards, just to name a few.

The same is true for specific individuals that have a definite interest in the issue you are working on. For instance, the group that worked on the Harvard living wage campaign got individual endorsements from at least 70 faculty members at the university, state and national legislators, famous individuals who have worked on similar issues, and even celebrity alumni (http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~pslm/livingwage/portal.html).

Next you might want to ask individuals or groups that have worked with your group on past campaigns, even if they do not seem to be directly tied to the issue you are working on this time. This will bring a more diverse base of support to your campaign and foster cooperation between your organization and that person or group. Now you can move to asking other groups, such as community or civic organizations, religious groups or congregations, unions and special interest groups. These types of organizations are likely to have good networks and can get the information about your campaign out to a lot of people. You can never have too many endorsements. It never hurts to ask. So, be creative with whom you ask to endorse!

How do we contact these individuals and groups?

Take a look at the lists of possible endorsers that you have created. There will be some individuals and groups on the list � the ones you already have close connections with � that you can simply call up and ask to endorse your campaign without a problem. However, it is likely that most of the names on the list will want and need more information and background on your campaign. Sending them a letter and a packet of information is a good way to provide this.

Break your big list into smaller ones of about 20 names each. This seems to be the most manageable number for tracking purposes. Send each group or individual a packet containing an introduction letter, information explaining your campaign � usually in the form of a flier or a sample letter of endorsement � and information on your organization in general (such as a brochure and a newsletter).

Once you have sent out the packets, wait about a week and then follow up your mailings with a phone call. Through this call you should be able to tell how interested the person or group is in endorsing your campaign. If they are interested � especially in the case of groups � it is important to find out their process for making endorsements.

Many groups have an established process for endorsing campaigns, and it is necessary to figure out how you start this process. Some groups and individuals will tell you that they will endorse and that they do not need any more information. However, in most cases it is beneficial, if not necessary, to set up a meeting to talk about the endorsement.

Meetings can take many forms. Religious congregations, for example, seem to each have their own way of making endorsements. Sometimes you will meet individually with a minister, priest, rabbi or imam. Other congregations have you meet with the chair of a committee or with a full committee that handles endorsements. Either way, it is important to go into your meetings with more copies of the information you sent in the packet and also to make sure that you are prepared to answer any questions they might have about the issue and the campaign. Present your campaign to the group or individual, letting them know what your goals are and how they can be involved.

What form can the endorsement take?

Endorsements can take any number of forms. Two types that have been successful in most campaigns are letters to the target and signing onto an endorsement list. Endorsing groups and individuals can make their public statement of support by writing a letter to the target of your campaign, letting the target know how they feel. It is useful to create a sample letter that people can either sign their name to or use as a base for their own letter. This will also help you concisely summarize your campaign and make it easy to understand. The endorser could also send a copy of this letter to the editor of the local paper to gain some media attention.

Having the endorsing person or organization sign onto a list of endorsers is also very helpful, and the longer this list is, the better. You can then use this list in a number of ways, from printing it in local newspapers, to sending it to the target of the campaign, to showing it to other groups or individuals you ask to endorse your campaign. A list that contains a diverse and broad range of individuals and organizations shows the target that your position is widely and deeply felt by all kinds of people, and in turn gives your organization and your campaign more power and credibility. No matter what form the endorsement takes, it is essential to always have specific actions that the group or individual can do to aid to the campaign.

What happens after the endorsement?

Let endorsing groups and organizations know that an endorsement is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of involvement. They can do many other things such as: pass the information on, write letters to the editor, and get other people to take action in the campaign in some way. Keep endorsers involved throughout the duration of your campaign. It is also important to have a steady flow of endorsements throughout the entire campaign. A large number of them at the beginning is good, but you must also continue to seek them and get more people involved during the whole campaign.

Follow up

Once you receive confirmation of an endorsement from an individual or a group, make sure that you send them a thank you note of some sort. Also, make sure to keep them involved in the rest of the campaign. The people who endorse will likely also be the people who will come to a turnout event or offer meeting spaces or resources for example. Finally, keep all of your lists of endorsers for future campaigns that they might want to be involved in. Have fun and good luck!