Chapter Advocacy Director Guidelines

Chapter Advocacy Director Guidelines

Q. What are my most important responsibilities as the AdvocacyDirector in my chapter?

A. The most important responsibilities should be:

1.Participate in FPA’s monthly Capitol Ideascall and read accompanying newsletter for advocacy directors.

2.Advocate for the recognition and regulation of financial planners and our One Designation, One Profession positions.

3.Attend the advocacy track of the annual Chapter Leader’s Conference, which will provide valuable training for your role.

4.Collaborate with other chapters (if applicable) to plan a state advocacy day. If your state does not have one, contact Karen Nystrom, Advocacy Director at to learn more about what resources and materials that FPA offers.

5.Send at least one member from your chapter to D.C. Advocacy Day in Washington in June. It’s a great way to be heard and bring back PR to your local media outlets.

6.Allocate necessary funds for your chapter to participate in state and national advocacy days.

7.Communicatehow FPA Advocacy can make your chapter better known in your state capital and local media. This can be done with a short, routine update at the beginning of each chapter program, cut and paste into chapter newsletters, selecting a topic for discussion at your board meeting, and one-on-one with individual members.

8.Urge chapter members to sign up for FPA’s new online advocacy tool, Engage (

9.Promote FPA’s political action committee and ask them to contribute. Set a leadership example by contributing and asking everyone on your Board to contribute, whether it’s $10 or $500 (yearly limit $5,000). (

1. What other activities can I get involved in an Advocacy director?

1. Report back to FPA’s Advocacy Director with any news on possible legislation or regulatory developments in your state, either on a monthly Capitol Ideas call or directly to FPA’sAdvocacy Director.

Q. How much time will my responsibilities take?

A. Time commitments vary. On average, a volunteer Advocacy Director’s time commitment may take 2-3 hours a month, primarily reading Capitol Ideasand reporting on issues, as well as encouraging members to give to FPA’s political action committee. FPA’s monthly call lasts one hour. If you want to have an active program, think about appointing a AdvocacyCommittee with other volunteers to share in the work.

1. How do I keep current on issues?

1. One of the most important responsibilities of a volunteer Advocacy Director is keeping members up-to-date on new legislative and regulatory trends. While most of this information is likely to come from FPA, communication is a two-way street. Each month FPA distributes “Capitol Ideas” newsletter to FPA members which tracks legislative and regulatory issues on the federal level and highlights what other chapters and states are doing.

Q.Should I have a budget?

A. Yes. You can recommend expenses for a chapter Advocacy budget to cover a portion of each person’s expenses who participates in a state or D.C. Advocacy Day. Regardless of whether your chapter has participated in advocacy days or not, you should have a conversation with your Chapter President to call attention to the PR benefits of proactive advocacy. Increasingly, local groups are making this effort and seeing the benefits of establishing a dialogue and cultivating positive relationships with the policymakers who regulate your business.

Q. What do I do if I hear about an issue that may affect FPA members in my state?

A. Time may be of the essence. Please contact Karen Nystrom (KNystrom@OneFPA,org) so the FPA advocacy team can help you with your issue. If the issue warrants grassroots action, we will consider what the appropriate position is during an Advocacy Committee meeting and recommend next steps.

Also, if you or someone in your local group is knowledgeable about the issue, we strongly encourage you to contact us with any information that is helpful, such as relationships with certain legislators on the committee taking the vote, etc.

Q. Do I need to register as a lobbyist if my chapter becomes really active on an issue in our state capitol?

A. Rarely would you be required to register. However, lobbying laws vary by state. Typically, only professional lobbyists who are compensated for their activity or who spend a significant amount of time in contact with government officials have to register. Some states allow a limited number of contacts with public officials before requiring registration as a lobbyist. Information on lobbying requirements is available from your state legislature, attorney general or secretary of state. The FPA can assist you in locating information on current state lobbying/disclosure laws.

FPA Advocacy and Government Relations Contacts:Toll-Free Number: 1.800.322.4237

Karen L. Nystrom

Director of Advocacy

1.800.322.4237 Ext. 7194

Daniel R. Green

Advocacy Manager

1.800.322.4237 Ext. 7160

FPA Office

7535 E. Hamden Ave

Suite 600

Denver, CO 80231

Fax: 303.759.0749

Office: 1.800.322.4237

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