Brooks School team publishes new guide to strengthen grassroots advocacy in New York

A new guide developed by a team from Cornell University's Brooks School of Public Policy aims to make state-level policy advocacy in New York more accessible, transparent, and effective for community leaders and grassroots organizations.

The "New York State Policy Advocacy Guide: An Introductory Guide For Community Leaders and Emerging Advocates" was co-authored by Mollie Montague MPA '24 and Hattie Seten, Policy and Advocacy Fellow at the Brooks School's State Policy Advocacy Clinic. The 175-page resource offers practical tools and insights for navigating state government and influencing policy outcomes.

When Montague began designing her MPA capstone project, she wanted to build something with long-term impact-something that reflected both her experience working in the state legislatures and her engagement in the State Policy Advocacy Clinic.

"State legislatures are incredible labs of democracy and they are relatively easily accessible, but they're these secret spaces that most people don't know how to navigate," Montague said. "We wanted to do something to make grassroots state advocacy more accessible and effective."

Montague's project, which contributed to her earning the Siliciano Award-given to graduating Brooks School students who demonstrate leadership through academic excellence, public engagement, and service to the university-served as the foundation for the guide.

The work of the State Policy Advocacy Clinic caught the attention of Seten, who joined the Brooks School as a Policy and Advocacy Fellow. A Rhodes Scholar and former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) staff member, Seten has dedicated her career to advancing evidence-based social policy, rural equity, and human rights advocacy.

"When community members share their expertise and lived experience, legislators can make better decisions. Our goal is to make New York's policy process more accessible so that more people are empowered to engage in the democratic process," Seten said.

Over the summer, Seten and Montague collaborated to expand the capstone project into a full-length guide. The result is a comprehensive manual that outlines the steps of effective policy design, explains the structure and function of New York's state government, and provides detailed instructions on key advocacy processes-such as writing Op-Eds and creating one-pagers.

Seten now uses the guide as a core resource during the Clinic's training sessions with community leaders, nonprofit organizations, and students across New York State.

"These trainings are a two-way conversation that help inform policy design and lead to more successful, more effective policy advocacy," Seten said.

The New York State Policy Advocacy Guide was published online in September and is available to the public. The Brooks School's State Policy Advocacy Clinic plans to continue updating and expanding the guide as part of its mission to advance equitable, evidence-based policymaking and strengthen democracy at the state level.