Persuading Decision-Makers
Recreation directors frequently need to get municipal council and senior managers on board with making activities inclusive and accessible for everyone. This usually means asking for funding, spaces, staff, and time to help break down barriers for persons with disabilities. Winning support takes time—you’ll need strong communication, lasting relationships, and facts that show the value of inclusion.
Decision-makers often include elected people like the mayor or councillors, as well as managers appointed to run departments. Community groups and local advocates also play an important part in leading change through their influence and teamwork.
How These Strategies Were Developed
These strategies were shaped using a research method that lets organizations adopt existing guidelines exactly as they are, adapt them by making some changes, or develop new recommendations from scratch. All the advice below was adapted from the Influencing Decision-Makers Toolkit. The toolkit is based on proven approaches, including Rogers’ Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation theory, and resources from the University of Kansas and the University of Alberta. A consensus panel decided which parts to include based on their professional knowledge, lived experience, and academic expertise. They also helped revise the drafts, making sure that all changes were based on both evidence and the panel’s real-life experiences.
Executive Summary
While the tips in this section are specific to persuading council members of a municipal government to support, fund, or invest in the many evidence-based areas of practice as outlined in this Guide, they could also be used in other situations where you are soliciting grants or seeking funding and support from leaders in the community, through charitable giving and grants, local partnerships and corporate sponsorships. These strategies for persuading decision makers are divided into the two groups below:
General Practices
Here, you will find broad strategies that you can consider when planning to speak or write to your council.
Principles of Persuasion
This section offers specific persuasive tactics that you can use in varying persuasive contexts, both written and oral.
