Want Influence? Eliminate Your Blind Spots

When organizations are working to change policies, change a behavior, or mobilize people to action, they all need one thing to succeed: influence. Once they know who can make their desired change a reality they need to determine how to actually influence that individual or group to do what they need them to do. Without an influence strategy, organizations risk being overtaken by blind spots that can derail their efforts and ultimately lead to failure. Fortunately, these blind spots can be eliminated – if groups spot them early enough. Based on Spitfire Strategy's latest report of the same name, this session led by Spitfire's Vice President Pete Rafle will detail the top blind spots that prevent groups from successfully wielding influence and offer a few tried and true strategies for overcoming these challenges to create real progress. 

Featured Speaker

Peter A. Rafle, Jr., Vice President

For more than 20 years, Pete Rafle has specialized in smart, strategic advocacy communications, guided by the organization’s mission and driven by its legislative, political and policy objectives. His resume includes campaigns on issues as diverse as climate and energy legislation, agricultural policy, wilderness protection, health care access and school discipline.

Pete leads Spitfire’s ongoing work with the Heinz Endowments, helping advocates in western Pennsylvania mount a collaborative effort to secure “the air we need, for the healthy economy we want.” He has helped a diverse coalition of public health advocates, business leaders, academic research institutions, and local and regional environmental organizations develop and implement a long-term communications plan that spotlights the human health costs of air pollution and the economic benefits of cleaning up the air.

Pete also directs the Spitfire team working with the Colorado Trust to build public support for expanded access to health care. Through tailored coaching and training, messaging guidance and other strategic counsel, Spitfire is building the communications skills and capacity of more than a dozen of the Trust’s grantee organizations.

Maximum-impact campaign planning and strategy is Pete’s specialty. He captains Spitfires’ “Planning to Win” campaign strategy workshops, which provide social-change leaders with a multi-day bootcamp on the fundamentals of effective preparation for multi-faceted sustained advocacy campaigns.  

Pete came to Spitfire from the United States Senate, where he was communications director for the Environment and Public Works Committee, providing strategic counsel to Senator Barbara Boxer during her first four years as chairman of the committee. In addition to acting as primary media strategist for the committee’s legislative docket – including toxics and children’s environmental health rules, comprehensive climate change legislation, clean energy job creation, clean air and water bills, and transportation policy – he worked extensively with the senator’s in-state staff on California environmental and infrastructure issues. He also consulted on a volunteer basis in Washington and in California as part of the senator’s successful 2010 re-election campaign. Read more here.

About Spitfire Strategies

Spitfire Strategies is a national consulting firm offering nonprofits and foundations top-notch strategic communications and campaign planning, training, counsel and tools to make a real impact. Visit them at SpitfireStrategies.com 

When
Wednesday, April 16, 2014 through Wednesday, April 16, 2014
1 PM - 2 PM

Where
Webinar

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