FAQ

Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the website and program. For additional questions, contact us.

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Membership

How do I become a member of the Climate Advocacy Lab?

Lab membership is open to climate and clean energy advocates of all stripes, and those who support the climate movement. Our community includes climate advocates, organizers, activists, policy wonks, campaign managers, others working in the field, as well as social scientists, data analysts, funders, and consultants. To apply for Lab membership, please fill out our intake form.

Can I join the Lab if I am a government employee, elected official, or political candidate?

At this time, we are unable to accept government employees, elected officials, or political candidates (and those affiliated with their campaigns) into the Lab’s membership. Still, we encourage you to take advantage of the many Tools and Resources available on the public-facing Lab website.

Funding

Does the Lab provide funding to climate and clean energy organizations for testing and experimentation?

The Lab is not a traditional grantmaking institution, but each year we try to make some funds available for organizations committed to using evidence-based advocacy to test tactics and share those learnings back with the field. Contact Us to inquire.

Resources

Can you help me find a specific resource, or resources on a specific topic?

The Lab’s Resource Library was developed precisely for this purpose. You can also use our Advanced Search function for more specific searches, and relevant videos from past trainings will also appear in your search. Check out our other Tools to help you find additional data, public opinion polling, and more evidence-based resources that may also be of use to you.

What does each topic tag mean?
TACTICS & APPROACHES:
  • Audience Segmentation: Whom should you engage? Resources that categorize the American public by demographics, geographic location, and other criteria.
  • Canvassing &  Phonebanking: Script language tests, and best practices for patch-throughs, deep canvassing, etc.
  • Events & Turnout: Best practices for organizing in-person rallies, protests, hearings, etc.; how to reduce flake rates and increase attendance.
  • Narrative: The stories that we tell about our values, beliefs, ideology, and aspirations for the future.
  • Media:  How to obtain coverage, which messages to use, and general studies describing how the media covers climate, and the impact of that coverage on public opinion.
  • Persuasion: How to change hearts and minds on climate, turning doubters and the disengaged into supporters of our positions.
  • Recruiting & List-building: How to increase your base of support and turn passive supporters into active advocates and action-takers.
  • Social Media & Digital Outreach: Everything Facebook, email, websites, search engines, Instagram, SMS, online organizing tools and beyond.
  • Visuals, Videos & Images: Includes research, best practices and tools to create visuals.
  • Volunteer Engagement: How to keep activists taking action and recruit and develop volunteer leaders, along with resources on people-powered movements.
  • Messaging : Advice on messages, messengers, and framing, from tests, surveys, and focus groups.
  • Strategy & Movements: 'Big picture' takes on campaign design, and creating and sustaining powerful social movements.
RESEARCH TYPES:
  • Field research: What's working on the ground? Studies conducted in the 'real world' of advocacy (not via surveys nor in social science labs).
  • Experiments: Answer questions with tests. Carefully-designed studies—such as A/B tests—that rigorously compare versions of a message, tactic, or program, or determine if they are effective.
  • Case studies: Learn from others' examples. Descriptions of individual advocacy campaigns or programs, and lessons learned from them.
  • Social science research: Answer the 'why' questions of climate advocacy. Studies published in academic journals in fields such as psychology, political science, and sociology.
  • Polling and Surveys: What's the state of public opinion? We've collected reports from both public and private projects.
  • Evaluation & Measuring Progress: Is our movement having an impact? Studies determining the effect of individual campaigns/programs, as well as 'big picture' looks at changes in the advocacy landscape, public opinion, etc. over time.
EQUITY & JUSTICE:
  • Environmental/Climate Justice: Research and resources  with and from the  movements for  environmental and climate justice 
  • Principles & Processes: Tools to help guide and support you and your organization in the personal and interpersonal work needed to realize values of equity and justice in your climate advocacy.
  • Organizational Development: Tools and resources to support Lab members in organizational and institutional change toward more just and equitable outcomes in the climate advocacy field.