By Michelle McCaughey, NAEA Director of Government Relations

When people ask me about NAEA’s advocacy, they often mean the Government Relations Committee or our amazing NAEA team. And yes, they do incredible work. But to me, advocacy is much more than a committee or a title. Advocacy is in your heart. It’s in our hearts. It’s the heart of NAEA itself.

I looked up how Google defines advocacy the other day. It says:

“Advocacy involves taking public action to support an idea or cause, often by raising awareness, speaking out, and working to influence public policy.”

That sounds right to me, but it’s also more personal. Advocacy, at its core, is about believing in something enough to speak up for it. For us, that means standing up for taxpayers, for our profession, and for each other as enrolled agents.

Every time you explain to someone what it means to be an Enrolled Agent, you’re advocating. Every time you write to your member of Congress, share a post about NAEA, or help someone understand why the U.S. Department of the Treasury federally licenses us, that’s advocacy too.

NAEA’s Capitol Hill Fly-In is one of my favorite examples of advocacy in action. Hundreds of us travel to Washington to meet with lawmakers and discuss the issues that matter most to taxpayers and our profession. It’s inspiring and energizing. Too often, though, when the Fly-In ends, advocacy ends with it.

And that’s where I think we miss an opportunity. Advocacy doesn’t just happen once a year in D.C. It happens at home— in your community, in your state legislature, and in conversations with clients, friends, and even your local elected officials. Most people, including many lawmakers, still don’t know what an enrolled agent is or does. That’s our challenge and our call to action.

This November, we’re taking advocacy to the next level with EA Advocacy Awareness Week Across the Nation (November 10–14). We’ve asked enrolled agents to meet with their members of Congress while in their home districts, and already about 130 EAs in 32 states have signed up. Each participant received a toolkit with guidance on scheduling meetings, along with messaging and talking points that highlight NAEA’s policy priorities.

EA Advocacy Week shows how advocacy doesn’t stop in Washington. By taking action in your own community and connecting directly with lawmakers, you strengthen the voice of enrolled agents nationwide and show that advocacy truly lives in your heart.

Take what’s happening in Oregon, where NAEA is working to exempt enrolled agents from unnecessary state licensure requirements. The issue isn’t hostility; it’s a lack of understanding. Too many policymakers don’t know anything about enrolled agents—who we are or the significance of our federal license. That’s exactly why every EA’s voice matters.

Advocacy isn’t only about testifying at hearings or lobbying in Washington. It’s about caring enough to speak up, to write, to educate, and to share our story. It’s about making sure that when someone asks, “What’s an enrolled agent?” the answer comes from us—and that it’s clear, confident, and proud.

Advocacy doesn’t end when the Fly-In is over, and it’s not just what happens in Washington. It’s what we do every day to make sure enrolled agents are seen, heard, and respected. One of the ways we do that together is through the NAEA Political Action Committee (PAC). The PAC gives us a voice on Capitol Hill and helps us support lawmakers who truly understand what EAs do. Fewer than 200 members currently give, but imagine the difference if more of us joined in. Every dollar helps keep that advocacy heartbeat strong—for EAs, for taxpayers, and for the future of our profession.

So, if you care about NAEA’s advocacy, don’t wait to be invited to a committee. You’re already part of it. Advocacy begins in your heart, and when you act on it, you strengthen the heart of NAEA.