Question
Our non-profit organization advocates for affordable housing in a medium sized city in Southern New England. We are in the middle of a lot of development. Our Executive Director issues regular hard hitting press releases documenting the usual array of insider dealing between developers and city officials that just get “categorically denied” in a days worth of press if we’re lucky. We applied for a foundation grant to train and organize neighborhood activists to pressure the Mayor, the Board of Aldermen and the various city agencies that have anything to do with approving development projects, and we got it. BUT the Foundation’s award letter says we can’t use any of the money for lobbying!! What’s that about? What are we supposed to do – train them, mobilize them but don’t let them actually talk to any public official? It’s very frustrating.
Hecate’s Answer
Hecate thinks you should take a deep breath, sit down, sign the award letter and write a nice thank you note to the President of the Foundation telling him or her that with their generous grant you are going to be able to empower your grassroots members to make their voice heard at city hall this year, and sign the award letter. Then Hecate thinks you should use the money to hire an organizer to train and mobilize your board volunteers, neighborhood folks and allies. Your Executive Director should continue to issue her press releases and visit public officials at city hall always accompanied by trained neighborhood folks and board volunteers who do all the talking while she and the paid organizer smile in the back of the crowd. That’s called empowering folks to making their voices heard and it’s NOT lobbying. You can google the Alliance for Justice if you don’t believe me. Your Executive Director will find her power of persuasion has been converted to the Persuasion of Power.
Who is Hecate?
Hecate is a Greek Goddess who served as a guide and coach at the crossroads of Hades, where after crossing the River Styx, Greek souls found themselves facing three choices: the Elysian Fields, abode of the great and heroic; the Fields of Asphodel, for all who had led a blameless but ordinary life; or to Tartarus, a sunless land of punishment for criminals.
Hecate's best known role in Greek mythology was guiding Persephone, the goddess of spring, on her annual journeys between Hades and Earth. In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Hecate is portrayed as a nurturing and protective guide for Persephone on those annual journeys.
