During North Carolina’s 2017 legislative session, the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce successfully came to the defense of an issue close to the heart of the community: the Plastic Bag Ban.
About a decade ago, state legislators banned the use of plastic bags along the Outer Banks, a decision that was supported by the business community. In 2017, new legislation to repeal the plastic bag ban was introduced. The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce sprang into action and mobilized both its members and supporters through Muster, inspiring them to send over 900 emails to decision-makers through the advocacy alert and from the over 10,000 visits to the action center. The Chamber’s CEO enhanced member-driven advocacy efforts by using Muster to share compiled documents of members’ emails directly with the various legislative committees.
Transcripts of the committee meetings revealed that the documents carried weight during the legislative process! The Chamber’s successful digital advocacy approach strengthened its role in the community as a leading organization that smaller nonprofits and advocacy groups look to for online advocacy guidance.
