What is Advocacy?
Advocacy encompasses a range of activities that seek to build relationships and influence actions in Congress. It involves communicating with your elected officials to shape their priorities, including how they allocate funding.
For Global Ties U.S. and the nationwide Global Ties Network, advocacy means elevating the value of public diplomacy and international exchange programs, especially the flagship International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), by helping policymakers understand their contributions to advancing U.S. foreign policy priorities and their benefits for local U.S. communities.
Our Advocacy Priorities
The Global Ties Network advocates for strong continued bipartisan support and federal funding for international exchanges, particularly the IVLP, and other public diplomacy programs.
How to Get Started
- Action Center
Quickly write to your elected officials on key advocacy issues at the moment.- Visit the Action Center HERE
- Advocacy Resources
This curated collection of tools helps Global Ties Network members and supporters engage their communities and elected officials. It includes outreach materials, templates, and guidance to support advocacy for international exchange programs.- See Advocacy Resources HERE
- Share Your Story
The stories and experiences of constituents carry a lot of weight with congressional offices. Global Ties U.S. invites Network members and supporters to share how international exchange programs have made a difference in their lives and communities.- Share your impact of exchange HERE
- Advocacy Virtual Workshop
Each year, Global Ties U.S. hosts a virtual advocacy workshop for Global Ties Network members to help prepare for Advocacy Day. The session includes a review of how the appropriations process works in Congress, key advocacy messages, and best practices for engaging with elected officials.- Access the slides from the 2026 workshop HERE (login required
For a more in-depth guide to getting started with advocacy, explore our:
- Advocacy Toolkit HERE (login required)
- Advocacy Course: “GOVT 100: Federal Advocacy & Understanding the Legislative Branch” HERE (login required)
Questions?
Please contact Advocacy@GlobalTiesUS.org.