Efforts to protect a place are usually galvanized by a threat or an unexpected opportunity. Typically the tools are few, and the stakes are high. Nevertheless, place advocates have forged some useful strategies.
These strategies are matched to the three goals articulated in Defining Your Project. These goals are by no means mutually exclusive, but their pursuit can require different strategies.
Remember, all effective advocacy campaigns involve collaborating with stakeholders and communicating to others why your place is important. So you’ll want to use the strategies outlined in the previous sections of the Toolkit. Telling the story of your place will help you attract supporters, and communicate effectively with grant-making organizations, elected officials, and government agencies whose policies may affect your place, or who may be able to provide your place with funding or other support. Because collecting and presenting information about a place takes time, it’s a good idea to begin the process before your place is threatened.