Decode Harrisburg with Capitol Compass

Are you working on an issue that needs a legislative remedy, but don’t know where to start? Do you get overwhelmed by the bureaucracy in Harrisburg? Do you wish you had a decoder ring to translate insider lingo or a guide to help you navigate the PA General Assembly?

Capitol Compass can help!

Why Capitol Compass?

THE PROBLEM

The Pennsylvania General Assembly is a large bureaucracy with complicated processes. It is confusing by nature and sometimes by design. Those with power and money can hire people to show them the way, while the rest of us struggle just to make our voices heard, wondering how to effectively influence votes and move the needle on policy.

THE SOLUTION

Capitol Compass is designed to decode the Pennsylvania legislature. As a group of professional legislative organizers, Capitol Compass offers a platform to share our lobbying expertise with allies, help them better navigate the General Assembly, and skill up their strategies via technical assistance and training within a cohort of allied advocates.

WHAT WE DO

Capitol Compass works in three capacities.

As a Navigator

We provide technical assistance that runs the gamut—whether your organization needs help getting started with legislative advocacy or you have a specific parliamentary question, Capitol Compass can help you navigate the bureaucracy and decode the process.

As a Trainer

We offer virtual courses to train staff who want to level up their state government lobbying tactics. Our training curricula and materials begin with the basics, take you deep into the legislative weeds, and walk you through detailed planning and deliverables.

As an Incubator

We also function as a community of allied legislative organizers. Capitol Compass serves as a lobbying incubator—a place where newly minted staff can get oriented, seasoned staff can share and exchange tips and tactics, and our collective power grows.

WHO WE ASSIST

Capitol Compass is structured to help:

  • Community organizations led by directly impacted people

  • 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations

  • Public interest law firms involved in advocacy

  • Institutional stakeholders

WHAT WE DON’T DO

But just to be clear, Capitol Compass:

  • Does not offer federal lobbying expertise

  • Is not a membership or issue-based group

  • Does not set issue-related strategy

  • Assists organizations, not people in an individual capacity

  • Does not run or manage legislative campaigns

  • Does not lobby on your behalf

  • Should not substitute for onboarding legislative staff

More about Capitol Compass

Read more about Capitol Compass in our 2-page overview of our goals, services, and resources.