Amplifying Our Voice to Build Connections Member involvement is critical to ELFA’s government relations strategy B Y R I C HA R D S HA N A HA N ELFA IS THE PLATFORM for the equipment finance industry to advocate for public policy issues at the federal and state levels. This platform effectively takes the interests of more than 575 member companies and creates one loud voice that strengthens our impact on policy issues. The platform is like a three-legged stool balancing lobbying, grassroots mobilization and political involvement in the formation of the industry’s voice. Merging all three legs into our government relations strategy not only provides us with a loud voice in the process, but helps us build meaningful connections with elected officials. GRASSROOTS MOBILIZATION: Sometimes, lobbying by ELFA staff isn’t enough to convince a government official that a policy is right or wrong for the industry and country. It takes a local voice, or industry expert, to relay the message. This is where ELFA’s Online Advocacy Information Center and Capitol Connections programs create the next leg on our stool. The Online Advocacy Information Center provides member companies’ employees with information about the people and policies that impact their jobs and the broader industry. It also provides resource tools for employee advocates to shape political and policy outcomes. Capitol Connections brings the voice of our industry to Wash-ington, D.C., and right into the offices of Executive Branch agen-cies and Members of Congress, giving first-hand accounts to poli-cymakers on regulations that affect the everyday lives of member companies’ employees. Elected officials like and need to hear from those who man the front lines of our economy each day. Sharing your voice, and partnering that with all the other voices from our industry companies, increases the volume and helps us stand out. POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT: Educating policymakers and en-couraging local constituents to speak up for our industry are vital to promoting our industry, but if the right people aren’t elected in the first place it can all be for naught. That is where the third leg of our stool comes into play: political involvement. Political involvement at the minimum is knowing which candidates running for office understand and support the industry and then voting for those candidates. If the elected official is predisposed to hear our point of view, and sympathize with it, we are further along the process and can spend more time helping to shape legislation rather than reacting to what is being published. The Three-Legged Stool LOBBYING: Lobbying is the education of government officials on the impacts of a policy on our industry. Elected officials come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and most of them are not from the equipment leasing and finance sector. Because of this variety, they do not always know the subtle details essential to operating an equipment finance company. It is up to our ELFA legislative staff to monitor proposed laws and rules, know the impact of the financial standing of our industry and then tell elected and administrative officials, as well as their staff, how a proposed law could be interpreted. Join ELFA members in Washington, D.C., for Capitol Connections, May 18-19 34 SHUTTERSTOCK MARCH/APRIL 2016 EQUIPMENT LEASING & FINANCE MAGAZINE