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Caught Our Eye

Crowdsourced lobbying group introduces new advocacy model

Posted by Keturah Hetrick on Aug. 29, 2016

Lobbyists 4 Good isn't the first crowdsourced advocacy group to lobby the federal government. But its funding methods might be unique.

According to the Lobbyists 4 Good website, the group relies on donations from individuals (no more than $5,000 per person) to fund its advocacy efforts. The group "use[s] 100% of the donations to pay the hourly fee of our lobbyists in D.C."

The organization explains, "We calculated that it will take about an hour and a half for a lobbyist to do the [necessary] background work, schedule and conduct the meeting, and properly follow up with a member of Congress or their staff... Every time we reach the $500 mark for a certain issue, we will instruct our lobbyists to proceed with conducting a meeting with the right congressional office to advocate on our behalf in person."

Lobbyists 4 Good lists "restoring democracy," "promoting peace" and "fighting addiction" as the issues that its board of directors chose for the group's advocacy efforts, and "the public" will vote on future issues, their website proclaims.

For now, the group has filed lobbying papers on campaign finance reform and funding for the Peace Corps and Institute of Peace.