Are you looking for ways to garner support for your local chapter or association? In this two-part series, we explore techniques to grow your membership, strengthen the support systems around your members and leverage resources to ensure awareness and continued support for our division. Advocacy is “Supporting a cause or policy by arguing for, recommending, or supporting a particular issue.”
This first part of the series will focus on local advocacy options and how individuals in your network can help expand your chapter’s reach. These include community leaders beyond your campus and students, faculty and administrators who can provide support at the ground level.
Academic and College Stakeholders
During executive officer calls this year, we’ve consistently emphasized one crucial point: you’re not trying to sell your school on DECA. Instead, you’re showing what your chapter can do for your school. This approach is key when promoting advocacy campaigns aimed at administration and school officials.
- Tailor Your Advocacy to School Goals: Prepare a list of ways Collegiate DECA aligns with your institution’s goals and values. For example, at Butler University in Indianapolis, experiential learning is a core focus. We highlighted how DECA’s competitive events provide hands-on business experience that complements the university’s mission.
- Leverage DECA’s Impact Data: Use the "Our Impact" tab from the DECA website to present statistics and real-world evidence of how DECA benefits members worldwide.
- Focus on Benefits: Clearly articulate how DECA supports student career readiness, leadership development and experiential learning, which align with institutional priorities.
Student Leaders
Student leaders are one of the most critical groups to be involved in advocacy. Collaborate with other business organizations on campus to create partnerships that boost membership. For example:
- Work with National Organizations: Partner with groups like the Financial Management Association (FMA), which hosts events and has chapters nationwide. Collaborate with FMA chapter officers to create joint initiatives, such as allowing FMA members to participate in DECA’s competitive events while FMA hosts guest speakers.
- Share Membership Opportunities: By working with other clubs, you can offer dual-enrollment opportunities and foster cross-organization engagement.
Student Governments
When advocating for student governments, you often request financial support. To strengthen your case:
- Highlight DECA’s Value: Explain the benefits of DECA membership and how it enriches the student experience.
- Provide Transparent Financial Details: Break down the costs of operating a chapter and explain how funding benefits members directly.
- Include Testimonials: Bring DECA members to share their experiences and explain what DECA means. Their stories add authenticity and help build a stronger connection with your audience.
Local Businesses and Your Community
As mentioned in many of our team’s previous articles, we know the importance of our local businesses and community members. To get these members involved and to advocate for your cause, make sure to:
- Discuss Intern and Job Pipelines: Our DECA members are ready to hit the ground running when they join the workforce. Talk about how important DECA is to continuing a strong recruitment lineage and how supporting your chapter can help companies create those strong connections with outgoing students,
- Guest Talks and Recruitment: In addition to the job and internship pipelines, discuss how your chapter can host numerous opportunities for community members and local businesses to become involved on your college campus.
While advocating, always bring your data and facts to life through storytelling. Numbers are important, but remember, colleges and admissions offices deal in what is known as “storytelling.” Try to match your numbers with your experiences and sell how much DECA has impacted both yourself and your other members. It will go a long way as you advocate for our division.
