Through our advocacy efforts, the Junior League of Pasadena (JLP) is committed to serving the needs of women in our community. Like many nonprofits, the Junior League of Pasadena conducts two primary types of advocacy: community and legislative.

Community advocacy involves changing ideas and attitudes of the public. This is typically accomplished through educational programs that may include GMM presentations, advocacy training and webinars, social media, and direct mail.

Our legislative advocacy is when the target for change is a federal, state, or local law, school board policy or budget allocation, etc. Non-profit advocacy influences on legislation may involve legislative monitoring, contacting offices of elected representatives, letter writing campaigns, bill analysis to understand sponsored legislation, organization of coalitions or a variety of other activities. JLP is a proud sponsor of state legislation that creates opportunity and betters the lives of women and children.

The JLP’s history of advocacy includes a variety of internal and external initiatives such as:

• Voter education trainings
• Voter registration drives
• Supporting national efforts such as 2020 Census
• Visiting the Pasadena City Hall and attending a council meeting
• Connecting with local elected officials
• Bill analysis training
• Field Trip to City Council and Commission on the Status of Women meetings
• Film Screenings
• Letter writing campaigns
• Participation at local Assemblymember’s events
• Sponsoring legislation that impacts our community and/or the State of California
• Participating in the California State Public Affairs Committee (CalSPAC) which represents 17 leagues throughout California serving over 8,500 women
• Understanding the CalSPAC issue areas of Health, Education, Family Support, Violence Prevention, Anti-Human Trafficking
• Sending delegates to the quarterly CalSPAC conferences throughout the state
• Attending the annual Day at the Capitol in Sacramento with the CalSPAC

Collectively, these opportunities serve as a training ground for our members to learn about the role of advocacy and how to engage in public policy.