Welcome to ProLiteracy Worldwide's Advocacy Resources Guide, where you will find information, tools and tips, and resources for further inquiry about advocacy and lobbying.

Advocacy, according to The Lobbying and Advocacy Handbook for Nonprofit Organizations, is embracing a cause and attempting to shape public opinion in order to promote the interests of your community. Effective advocacy is both an art and a science-you can learn advocacy skills and techniques, but your efforts will not be effective if you do not also have passion.

It is both a right and a responsibility of citizenship to advocate and lobby. Embracing a cause, attempting to shape public opinion, and working improve your community is active civic engagement.

UNESCO estimates that there are nearly 800 million illiterate adults in the world. About two-thirds of them are women, and we can safely say that most of them live in poverty, have poor health, and suffer from various kinds of abuse.

In the United States, nearly half the adult population, or 93 million adults according the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, has very poor or marginal literacy skills. Even if we combine all the public and private investment in adult literacy at the federal, state, and local levels there is only enough funding to serve three million adult literacy students a year. Americans spend more money on premium label ice cream each year than they do on adult basic education and literacy.

Adult literacy needs more advocates! Each of us has the potential to become an effective literacy advocate. ProLiteracy Worldwide issues Public Policy Alerts as information about Congressional legislation of interest to the adult basic education and literacy field develops.

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