Definition: A generally non-legally binding declaration by a President, governor, tribal chief, county executive, mayor, or other government executive about an issue. A proclamation may help raise awareness about an issue.
Example: A proclamation by the governor declaring April 2020 Child Abuse Prevention Month in North Carolina (HTML)
Why you may want to consider a proclamation:
- Effective for raising awareness and promoting your issue or organization
- May be easier and less resource-intensive to accomplish than other policy approaches
- Can have a relatively quick turnaround
- Can be done on an annual basis, if desired
- Official's signature shows support for the issue to the broader constituency
- Can be secured at the Federal, State, county, city, or tribal levels
Why you may not want to consider a proclamation:
- With few exceptions, no force of law behind it
- Is usually symbolic in nature and may have little lasting impact on the issue
- Impact dependent on marketing the proclamation to the public
Other points to consider:
- Determine whether the issue and/or your organization is ready for this type of publicity