Future of Advocacy · Survey Data Explorer
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BKG · Dec 2025
45%
voters contacted by an advocacy org
76%
of those took action when asked
80%
researched the issue after acting
84%
respond to personal asks from peers

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1
Background & Exposure
Who is being reached, through what channels, and how they feel about it
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45%
of American voters have been directly contacted by an advocacy organization and asked to take action
Base: All registered voters (n≈1,000). Dec 2025.
76%
of those who were contacted report they actually took action
Among those who received a direct ask. High baseline conversion rate.
How Voters Receive Advocacy Requests
Q: How did you receive the request to take action? (Select all that apply.)
Overall figures shown. Party breakdowns not available for this question.
  • Email
    59%
  • Text / SMS
    51%
  • Social media
    45%
  • In-person conversation
    43%
  • Phone call
    37%
  • Something else
    1%
How Voters Feel Receiving Advocacy Messages
Q: How do you generally feel when you receive a request to take action? (Select all that apply.)
Overall figures shown. Party breakdowns not available for this question.
  • Interested
    40%
  • Motivated
    34%
  • Curious
    31%
  • Skeptical
    21%
  • Annoyed
    18%
  • Overwhelmed
    18%
  • It depends
    12%
  • Neutral
    7%
2
Perceptions of Impact
Do voters believe their actions make a difference — and at what level?
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72%
feel their advocacy actions make a difference
72% All 76%Dem 66%GOP 73%Ind
58%
believe elected officials take grassroots actions seriously
58% All 54%Dem 55%GOP 63%Ind
64%
see themselves as active participants in civic or community life
64% All 59%Dem 57%GOP 74%Ind
Where Voters Feel Their Voice Matters Most
Q: At which level of government do you feel your individual actions matter most?
Overall figures shown.
  • Community / Local
    69%
  • State
    57%
  • National
    43%
Most Likely to Take Action — by Issue Level
Q: On which issues are you most likely to take advocacy action?
Overall figures shown.
  • Local / community issues
    70%
  • State-level issues
    64%
  • National issues
    39%
  • Global issues
    27%
3
Action & Behavior
What voters do when asked, and what they do after
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76%
of voters who were asked to take action report that they actually did so
High baseline conversion — the barrier is not apathy, it is access and friction.
80%
went on to research an issue or cause after taking action
80% All 78%Dem 82%GOP 79%Ind
Post-action research is nearly universal and consistent across party lines.
Actions Voters Take After Being Asked
Q: Which of the following have you done after receiving an advocacy request? (Select all that apply.)
Overall figures shown. Party breakdowns not available for this question.
  • Contacted an elected official
    51%
  • Signed an online petition
    48%
  • Researched the issue further
    44%
  • Told friends or family
    42%
  • Shared on social media
    39%
  • Donated to a cause
    31%
  • Attended a rally or event
    27%
Post-Action Research: What Voters Actually Do
Q: Which of the following did you do to research the issue after taking action? (Select all that apply.)
Overall figures shown. Party breakdowns not available for this question.
  • Google / search engine
    43%
  • Organization website
    41%
  • Asked friends / family
    37%
  • Social media
    34%
  • News article
    33%
  • Funding lookup / Charity Navigator
    31%
  • Reddit / online comments
    29%
  • Reviews
    24%
  • Wikipedia
    22%
  • YouTube
    21%
  • AI tools (ChatGPT, etc.)
    18%
78%
expect to hear back from the organization that contacted them
78% All 77%Dem 74%GOP 82%Ind
Silence after an ask is a broken expectation — especially for Independents.
62%
want follow-up communication after taking action
62% All 56%Dem 61%GOP 69%Ind
Democrats want follow-up least; Independents want it most.
4
Outreach Effectiveness
Which channels convert best — and why personal beats performative
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Likelihood to Respond — by Outreach Type
Q: How likely are you to respond based on how you were contacted? (% Very + Somewhat Likely combined)
Overall figures shown. Party breakdowns not available for this question.
  • Personal ask from friend or peer
    84%
  • Email from an org you know
    73%
  • Text from an org you know
    70%
  • Social media post from org
    61%
  • Social media — influencer
    55%
5
Membership & Sources of Asks
What organizations voters belong to, and where advocacy asks originate
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54%
received an advocacy request from an organization (not a personal contact)
54% All 50%Dem 46%GOP 62%Ind
Independents are most likely to receive and respond to org outreach.
Organizational Involvement
Q: Which of the following organizations are you a member of or affiliated with? (Select all that apply.)
Overall figures shown. Party breakdowns not available for this question.
  • No organizational affiliation
    36%
  • Cause-based / Nonprofit organization
    34%
  • Political party
    29%
  • Professional association
    26%
  • Labor union
    18%
  • Religious organization
    16%
How Organizations Deliver Advocacy Requests
Q: How did the organization contact you with the advocacy request? (Select all that apply.)
Overall figures shown. Party breakdowns not available for this question.
  • Email
    57%
  • Text / SMS
    43%
  • Social media
    36%
  • In-person
    32%
  • Phone call
    28%
  • At an event
    25%
6
Motivations & Barriers
Why voters act — and what stops them when they don't
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What Motivates Voters to Take Action
Q: What motivated you to take action? (Select all that apply.)
Overall figures shown. Party breakdowns not available for this question.
  • Directly affects me personally
    31%
  • Care deeply about the issue
    29%
  • Affects my community
    24%
  • Issue felt urgent
    16%
  • Felt hopeful it would work
    14%
  • It was easy / low effort
    13%
  • Trusted the organization
    11%
  • Anger / frustration
    10%
  • Saw others taking action
    8%
  • Influencer / public figure
    7%
Barriers to Taking Action
Q: What has prevented you from taking advocacy action in the past? (Select all that apply.)
Overall figures shown. Party breakdowns not available for this question.
  • Privacy / data concerns
    36%
  • Don’t believe it matters
    26%
  • Don’t know enough about the issue
    23%
  • Process too complex / difficult
    23%
  • Don’t trust the organization
    22%
  • Don’t have time
    22%
What Makes a Call-to-Action Most Effective
Q: What elements make an advocacy call-to-action most compelling to you? (Select all that apply.)
Overall figures shown. Party breakdowns not available for this question.
  • Clear explanation of the issue
    37%
  • Data / facts supporting the cause
    36%
  • Proof the action had past impact
    35%
  • Short and simple ask
    28%
  • Local / community relevance
    25%
  • Real stories from real people
    22%
  • Specific step-by-step instructions
    21%
  • Social proof (others are acting)
    16%
7
Issue Priorities & Information
What voters care about most — and where they go to stay informed
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Top Issues Voters Are Most Likely to Act On
Q: On which of the following issues would you be most likely to take advocacy action? (Select all that apply.)
Overall figures shown. Party breakdowns not available for this question.
  • Cost of living / inflation
    41%
  • Healthcare costs
    36%
  • Jobs / employment
    24%
  • Housing costs / availability
    21%
  • Taxes
    21%
  • Healthcare quality / access
    20%
  • Public safety / crime
    18%
  • Education
    17%
How Voters Stay Informed on Issues
Q: How do you typically stay informed about social and political issues? (Select all that apply.)
Overall figures shown. Party breakdowns not available for this question.
  • Email newsletter
    33%
  • TV / cable news
    32%
  • Social media
    28%
  • Word of mouth / conversation
    23%
  • Print / online newspaper
    18%
  • Websites / blogs
    17%
  • Podcasts
    12%
  • Radio
    10%