Making an Impact

Member Engagement is Critical to ELFA’s Government Relations Strategy

ELFA is the equipment finance industry platform to advocate on public policy issues. This platform combines all 575 member companies’ interests to create one industry voice that increases our impact on pressing public policy issues. 

Capitol Connections 2022 is scheduled to be in-person on Wednesday, May 25, in Washington, DC. We are thrilled that ELFA members will be able to once again gather in our nation’s capital to advocate on behalf of the equipment finance industry. This year will definitely be different due to the ongoing pandemic and the fluid security status of the Capitol Complex, but ELFA is working to make sure that participants are still able to have that memorable “DC experience.” Registration for Capitol Connections will open soon at www.elfaonline.org/events. We will be announcing issue briefing dates and other related programming in the coming months. 

Capitol Connections is just one part of the association’s government relations strategy. This strategy is a three-legged stool of direct advocacy, grassroots mobilization and political involvement. By merging the three into our government relations strategy, we create a united voice for our industry. 

Direct Advocacy

Direct advocacy is often called lobbying, which is an expression of our right to “petition the government,” as stated in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. ELFA’s direct advocacy falls into two categories: education and advocacy. 

Elected officials come from diverse backgrounds that directly reflect the diversity of our country, and because of that, they do not always know the subtle details of every industry. As a result, most of ELFA’s direct advocacy efforts focus on education about the industry. If elected and appointed officials don’t understand the role the equipment finance industry plays in the U.S. economy, they are less likely to take actions that support our industry. 

When ELFA’s advocacy team is determining whether or not to advocate for any given matter, they first turn to the ELFA membership. ELFA members provide invaluable insight that helps to determine how current policy is working for the equipment finance industry. Additionally, ELFA staff work with member companies to review proposals, laws, regulations and rules. 

 Once a policy issue has been identified, ELFA staff, often in coordination with member company volunteers, engage directly with Members of Congress and their staff to educate them about the issue. Once that base level of education is achieved, ELFA can advocate for the path that will lead to the best result for the equipment finance industry. 

Grassroots Mobilizations

 Lobbying by the ELFA staff is not always enough to convince government officials that a policy is the correct one to pursue. It takes a local voice or industry expert to relay the message. This is where ELFA’s grassroots network comes into play. ELFA’s grassroots program brings industry voices to elected officials by giving a firsthand account of how policies affect the day-to-day of member companies. Sharing your voice with elected officials by inviting them to meet with your employees who work in their districts increases the volume and helps us stand out. 

Political Involvement

Political involvement is knowing which candidates understand and support the industry and helping them get reelected. Civic engagement goes beyond just voting. It can be volunteering on a campaign or assisting a candidate in your area by introducing them to community members. These activities can propel a candidate into elected office and make them recognize you as a valuable resource when they need to know how a proposed policy will impact the local economy. 

Just like growing a business takes capital, so does running a campaign. A political campaign takes funding to pay staff, run political advertisements and travel around the district. To help create a united voice, ELFA has its own political action committee, LeasePAC, to collect voluntary contributions from hundreds of employees at ELFA member companies and pool those funds to contribute to candidates. LeasePAC is guided by the LeasePAC committee, which is composed of employees from ELFA member companies and oversees all PAC activities. To learn more, visit the LeasePAC website at www.elfaonline.org/leasepac. 

Engaging with those who represent us is important, so our policy priorities are known and acted on. Your participation is critical to helping ELFA deliver the equipment finance message to policymakers. With that in mind, if you would like to build a relationship with your Member of Congress in advance of Capitol Connections, please reach out to ELFA’s federal advocacy team.