DANA Advocacy Academy: Crafting a Message That Moves People to Action

October 20, 2026 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM (EDT)

Description

Knowing what you are advocating for and who your target audience is are critical components of a successful advocacy strategy, but it’s the “how” that connects everything. Understanding how to create and deliver that message effectively is essential to success. 

Crafting a Message that Moves People to Action is designed to help you achieve that goal. It is the second workshop in the DANA Advocacy Academy. While this session builds on concepts introduced in Nonprofit Advocacy 101, you do not need to attend the first workshop to participate. This session is designed to stand on its own and is open to anyone interested in strengthening their advocacy messaging skills. 

Effective advocacy depends not only on having an important issue, but on communicating that issue in a manner that is clear, relevant, and compelling to the people you are trying to reach. Nonprofit leaders and advocates often have deep knowledge of the challenges facing their communities, but translating that knowledge into a concise message with a clear call to action can be difficult. 

This interactive session will help participants move from identifying an advocacy issue to developing a message that connects with policymakers, partners, community members, and other key audiences. 

Participants will explore how to frame an issue, identify what matters most to a specific audience, use stories and data effectively, and develop a clear and actionable ask. Through guided exercises and peer feedback, participants will have the opportunity to draft, test, and refine an advocacy message they can use in their own work. 

In this training, you will learn to: 

1. Identify the essential components of a clear and effective advocacy message. 
2. Tailor an advocacy message to the interests, priorities, and role of a specific audience. 
3. Use stories, data, and examples to communicate why an issue matters and who is affected. 
4. Develop a concise, compelling message with a clear call to action. 
5. Practice and refine an advocacy message for use in conversations with policymakers, partners, and community advocates.

About the DANA Advocacy Academy | The DANA Advocacy Academy is designed to equip nonprofit leaders, staff, board members, and advocacy professionals with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to engage effectively in public policy. Each workshop will engage participants with a different component of the advocacy process, from the fundamentals of nonprofit advocacy through Delaware’s legislative and budget processes, effective message development, and practical preparation for meetings with policymakers. 

Presented by Melissa Hopkins, CEO, DANA

Speaker Bio: Melissa Hopkins serves as the CEO of DANA, the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement, where she leads the statewide organization working to strengthen nonprofits and advance the systems and conditions they need to thrive. She also serves as Founder and Executive Director of the Delaware Nonprofit Action Network (DNAN), DANA’s affiliated 501(c)(4), launched to expand the sector’s collective voice and advocacy capacity for advocacy. 

For more than 15 years, Melissa has worked at the intersection of nonprofits, public policy, and government, experiencing advocacy from nearly every side of the table. She began her public policy career working in local and state government, including as a Legislative Aide to Delaware House leadership. She later served as Director of External Affairs for the Rodel Foundation of Delaware, leading bipartisan engagement and coalition-building on statewide education policy. 

At DANA, Melissa has helped build a stronger advocacy infrastructure for Delaware’s nonprofit sector. She has led statewide policy campaigns, convened nonprofit leaders, testified and briefed policymakers, and cultivated relationships across the General Assembly, Governor’s Office, Cabinet agencies, and Delaware’s Congressional Delegation. 

A self-described public policy nerd, Melissa believes effective advocacy is about people: understanding what matters to them, building authentic relationships, and making a compelling case for change. Her approach combines policy knowledge with storytelling, strategy, and a strong belief that nonprofits should have a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect the people and communities they serve. 

Melissa holds an M.S. in Management with a focus in Public Administration from Wilmington University and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Delaware. She is a 2013 Leadership Delaware Fellow and has held numerous nonprofit governance and civic leadership roles.