29 Digital Advocacy Better Days Ahead The Internet has opened up a whole new world of advocacy opportunities. While they’re available to all of us, they may be especially valuable for people who have limited ability to travel outside their residences.Today, you can raise awareness, educate others, connect with lawmakers, mobilize supporters, and host fundraisers without ever leaving your home. What do you need to do? 1 Network. Participate in the online life. That can include communicating with family and friends, joining online groups with others with MS, or connecting with alumni groups, Greek organizations, civic organizations, or trade organizations that are appropriate for you. Don’t forget groups for hobbies and interests. Not only will these groups provide intellectual stimulation and social contact, but you never know when opportunities will come up to reach out to these online friends for support for the cause. 2. Learn the rules. Sharing advocacy content on your own page, profile, or feed should never be a problem. But when sharing on other people’s digital space, be sure to learn their rules and preferences. Most online groups will welcome information designed to raise awareness, as long as the reason for sharing it is clear. But some groups have strict policies about sharing political actions or fundraisers. When in doubt, ask. 3. Learn the tools. For raising awareness, you may want to gather and share information from MS Focus, the MS Coalition, and other MS or disability organizations, so get familiar with our websites and social media profiles. For fundraising, sites such as Crowdrise.org and Facebook.com allow you to easily create an online fundraiser for MS Focus or another charity, while sites like GoFundMe and YouCaring are popular for fundraising for yourself or another individual in need. For political advocacy, Congress.org and Change.org have helpful features. 4. Use your voice. Just like other forms of advocacy, feeling a personal connection is going to motivate people to get involved. Help people feel connected by sharing your thoughts, opinions, and experiences. Remember, much of digital advocacy takes place on social network sites, so don’t forget that important social component to engage people with the MS cause.