If this is your first time preparing a pre-budget submission or you’re looking to sharpen your entry, Jo Scard, CEO and founder of Fifty Acres, has collated some handy tips to give organisations the best chance at achieving advocacy goals.

Federal budget time is a key opportunity for not for profits to lobby for funding or build support for a broader advocacy campaign. With the federal election having to be called by May next year and with a budget expected in March (with the possibility of it being even earlier), now is the time to jump on your federal pre-budget submission to ensure a strong entry into 2022.

Key players

It’s worth familiarising yourself with the key players that are instrumental in the budget process as these are the people you’ll want in mind whilst preparing your submissions. Do your research and really tap into those things you know they care about, or change their mind on things they don’t.

The people you’ll want in mind whilst preparing your submission are: treasurer, finance minister, the treasury ministry team and their advisers, federal departments of Treasury and Finance, opposition and crossbench and finally the interpreters, that is, media and the social and corporate sectors.

Framing your asks

Frame your asks in the context of success, it needs to contain a win-win, including outlining ways that acting saves the government money. Allow input from others to help – from speaking to relevant advisers/ministers and meeting with the right people in the department to discuss your proposal, this will help you develop pitch specific funding requests that have the best chance of being supported. It is also vital to have options to deploy for different situations and stakeholders.

Read the full article on Pro Bono News.

Looking to work with a PR and communication agency that can help you navigate government engagement? Get in touch with our team at info@fiftyacres.com to learn more.