​Building Your Chamber's Voice in Government

​A practical, ready-to-use toolkit for chamber leaders who are building or strengthening a government relations program — especially designed for chambers with limited staff capacity. Developed by ACCE and WACE, this toolkit walks you through the full lifecycle of effective advocacy: making the case internally, setting up the right structure, engaging your members, and building the relationships that make your voice count.

2026 ACCE WACE Government Relations Toolkit
File Size:	966 kb
File Type:	pdf

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What's Inside

This toolkit is organized into five modules that build on each other, though you're welcome to jump straight to what you need most:

1. Why Government Relations Matters — The business case for advocacy, and how to separate it clearly from partisan politics
2. Getting Started — Low-lift entry points, budgeting basics, and building internal support
3. Creating a Structure — Governance, committee design, and building a legislative agenda
4. Informing and Engaging Your Membership — Communications strategy and measuring your impact
5. Relationship and Coalition Building — Working with policymakers, the press, and unexpected allies

​Each module includes a strategic overview, practical steps, key principles, and discussion questions for your board or leadership team — plus callout boxes with scaled-down guidance for smaller chambers.

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Templates & Tools

Ready-to-adapt documents to help you put the toolkit's guidance into practice right away.

Government Relations Maturity Assessment
A self-assessment to help you gauge where your chamber's advocacy program stands today and identify your next priority steps.

Govt Relations Maturity Assessment
File Size:	20 kb
File Type:	docx

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Public Policy Committee Charter Template
A starting framework for defining your policy committee's purpose, membership, term limits, and decision-making authority.

Govt Relations Public Policy Committee Charter Template
File Size:	18 kb
File Type:	docx

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Position-Taking Decision Framework
A structured tool for evaluating whether and how to take a position on a policy issue — especially useful for contested or sensitive topics.

Govt Relations Position-Taking Decision Framework
File Size:	18 kb
File Type:	docx

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Board Briefing Template
A ready-made format for keeping your board updated on government relations activity and outcomes.

Govt Affairs Board Briefing Template
File Size:	17 kb
File Type:	docx

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Program Budget Framework
A worksheet for building a government relations line item into your annual budget, covering staff time, research, travel, communications, and events.

Govt Relations Program Budget Framework
File Size:	16 kb
File Type:	docx

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Issue Intake Form
A simple form for capturing and triaging new policy issues as they're raised by members, staff, or your committee.

Govt Relations Issue Intake Form
File Size:	16 kb
File Type:	docx

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