What do you think of when you hear the word lobbying?

I had an interesting conversation with a participant in one of our courses lately. I was describing how part of successful government relations is understanding what your government counterparts need in order to be successful and thinking about what you are already doing that can help them achieve their goals. This participant felt uncomfortable with this approach, feeling like it was too transactional and somehow manipulative. It reminded me that there are a lot of misconceptions about lobbying and government relations work. If you say the word lobbying, people often think that you are referring to back room deals, big money or undue influence. Or as I explained recently to a group of students working with us, you might think of Olivia Pope and Associates....

The reality of lobbying & Government Relations is much more nuanced. At JN Clarke Consulting we take an explicitly feminist and progressive approach to government relations.

This means we work with our clients to give them the skills and strategy they need to create the government relationships they need to achieve their goals. And while we are values driven, we are pragmatic and comfortable engaging with a wide range of perspectives to support our client's goals.

We are also experts at navigating & explaining the rules regarding lobbying & advocacy for Canadian registered charities.

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