In 2022, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., or CLINIC, launched the CLINIC Action Network, or CAN, to help CLINIC affiliates fully realize the advocacy power of their organizations individually and of our network as a whole!

All CLINIC affiliates interested in raising their organization’s individual voices and engaging in federal advocacy collectively with the full CLINIC network are invited to join. There is no limit on the number of staff members who can join the CLINIC Action Network. 

Our first step is building a communication platform where CLINIC Affiliates and CLINIC’s Advocacy team can share resources, opportunities, action alerts, and discuss advocacy and policy. We will help affiliates build advocacy skills by providing an easy-to-use process. Importantly, the listserv will also allow CLINIC affiliates to interact with each other and build advocacy ties.  

Now is the time to share this information with your organization’s leadership to determine who can authorize your involvement with the CLINIC Action Network. Then, verify who can authorize your organization being listed among those who support a specific “call to action.” Recent examples of “calls to action” include requesting an end to Title 42, improved access to naturalization, request for TPS extensions, and more. 

Think of this service, which is free for affiliates, as a federal advocacy “easy button.” CLINIC’s Advocacy team will be doing the leg work for you — finding relevant topics that matter to you and providing you with a way to sign-on to large-scale efforts in a few easy clicks. By providing specific language to tweet and sharing important sign-on letters with your organization, CLINIC Advocacy becomes YOUR advocacy support system! As a CLINIC affiliate, you will have the resources of one of the most influential nonprofit immigration advocacy teams at your fingertips.

In addition, adding advocacy to your program can also be beneficial when seeking funding opportunities. As a member of the CLINIC Action Network, you will be able to point to specific federal advocacy efforts that your organization has joined through sign-on letters and days of action when you submit applications for grants and funding that involve an advocacy component. Not only do you get the chance to strengthen your advocacy skills, but you also have the chance to strengthen your overall organization by showing an expanded capacity for a new service.

Communication from CAN may include sample language for social media to promote the network or information regarding a specific call to action. We will provide general advocacy resources once a month in the Affiliate Newsletter and on the CLINIC Action Network listserv. We will also keep an open line of communication to hear major federal advocacy concerns from CLINIC affiliates.

Ready to join the CLINIC Action Network? Questions about how this affiliate service will work? Email advocacy@cliniclegal.org with your name, title, and organization to join CAN or request more information. 

There is advocacy power that only resides in the collective. The strength of one voice is amplified with each voice that adds to the chorus. In the coming months, we hope that you find renewed strength in knowing that CLINIC’s Advocacy team will be helping to empower your advocacy efforts and ensure your voice is heard on the issues that are most important to your organization.

Please note that the CLINIC Action Network will only focus on federal administrative advocacy. If you have questions about State and Local Advocacy issues, please contact our State and Local Advocacy Team at StateAndLocalAdvocacy@cliniclegal.org.