MTC Advocacy: Step 1
NEXT Missouri is making tools and resources available to stakeholders so that individuals and organizations can advocate for a restoration of state funding for the Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC).
The first step to take is to gather advocacy materials: stories and impact data that can be used to educate legislators.
Why Stories and Data?
Data lends credibility and stories personalize what can sometimes be abstract, helping lawmakers better understand an issue and move them to action.
Story Collection Tips
Focus on Real People: Identify entrepreneurs who have been directly impacted by an MTC-supported program you offered.
Emphasize Tangible Outcomes: Highlight what was at stake and what changed because of the support provided (e.g., “Without this program, the entrepreneur would have had to close their business.”).
Tie Stories to Public Value: Connect the MTC-funded services you provided or received to real economic and community impact (e.g., “This business now employs five local residents.”).
Keep it Short and Powerful: Focus on the problem, the support you provided/the entrepreneur received, and the outcome.
Data Collection Tips
Align with Policy Priorities: Choose data that legislators will care about (e.g., jobs created, new businesses started, private investment attracted, tax revenue generated).
Map Impact to Legislative Districts: If you’re able to segment your data, aggregate impact numbers to legislators’ districts so they understand what MTC-supported programming means to their constituents.
Pair with Stories: Numbers are more compelling when paired with a human example that illustrates them. If your story is about an entrepreneur creating new jobs, share a data point about how many jobs entrepreneurs who went through your program created.
Keep it Clean, Clear, and Credible: Focus on the most meaningful data and don’t overload legislators with everything. One simple, easy-to-understand data point can be more effective than a report’s worth of numbers.
Got Your Stories and Data? Time to Practice
Once you’ve identified a story or two and related data points, write them down and then start practicing for legislator meetings by sharing your stories and impact data with colleagues.