In addition to responding to emergent advocacy opportunities, the Board annually identifies areas of proactive advocacy where the Alliance would benefit from taking a leading role in framing or defining goals around a specific issue. This is intended to allow the Board and Executive Director to allocate time and resources strategically, in advance of other advocacy opportunities that may emerge.

In the first two months of the fiscal year, the Board discusses areas of potential advocacy and identifies any issues to place on an annual advocacy agenda. In preparation for this Board discussion, the Executive Director prepares a brief environmental scan of current and emerging issues at both the regional and national level for Board consideration. This includes a review and update of items from the previous year, with indications of: which issues are ongoing or new; which issues may best align with current Alliance strategic priorities; and any areas in which advocacy work could function as an initiative to advance a strategic priority. A draft of the scan is shared at the July Council meeting for feedback on which issues are of greatest significance to members, or which Alliance engagement may create local challenges for members and require careful consideration.

For any issues selected by the Board for attention, the Board Chair and Executive Director then collaborate to identify specific opportunities for action, and bring these to the Board for evaluation.