Civics at Work
Lead the Future of Texas from Your Laptop
We’ve developed this step-by-step nonpartisan guide to help busy business leaders learn how to stay informed and engaged in Texas public policy — all without leaving your desk. No suit required.
Who This Is For
Texas business owners and executives
Entrepreneurs and nonprofit professionals
Communications, HR and marketing leaders
Employee resource group leaders
Anyone who wants to lead with civic confidence
What’s Inside the Playbook
We keep it straightforward and solution-focused. Playbook helps you:
Find trustworthy updates on Texas bills and committees
Recognize when it’s time to take action—and what to do
Track legislation that matters to your business, whether it’s taxes, DEI, workforce development, infrastructure, or other hot topics
Learn from other business leaders who are engaging the smart way
Build civic awareness and engagement inside your company
You don’t have to be a lobbyist or policy wonk to make a difference. You just need a plan—and this is it.
Lead with Purpose: Your 6-Step Civic Action Plan
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Understand Why Civics Belongs at Work »
Learn why civic leadership is a business advantage—and how staying engaged can engage employees, build your brand, and improve your bottom line.
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Track Legislation That Matters to YOUR Workplace »
Follow key bills without getting overwhelmed. Learn to use the Texas Legislature Online, set up alerts, and access our IGCI Bill Tracker. Then, schedule a Weekly 15-Minute Civic Check-In.
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Follow Policy Updates and Committee Actions »
Get hearing updates and stay ahead of developments from relevant committees like Business & Industry, Education, and Ways & Means.
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Engage Lawmakers »
Use our outreach templates and advocacy timelines to make your business voice heard—clearly, professionally, and at the right time.
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Build a Civic Culture at Work »
From tacos to time off, learn how to make civic participation meaningful—without politics or pressure.
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Partner with IGC Institute
IGCI brings nonpartisan civic education directly into workplaces—where millions of eligible voters spend most of their time. From the boardroom to the breakroom, we make civic participation easy, encouraged, and even fun.
1. Understand Why Civics Belongs at Work
Now more than ever, your workplace can be a force for unity, knowledge, and meaningful action. A stronger company, community, and country starts with informed employees.
Whether you're running a small business in Conroe or managing a major team in Dallas, what happens in Austin at the Texas Capitol impacts your workforce, your growth, and your bottom line. Taxes, talent pipelines, compliance risks, public image—it’s all connected to the state’s legislative policy.
Civics isn’t just about voting — it’s about building workplaces where people feel empowered, respected, and connected to their communities. When you champion civic engagement, your create a culture where everyone—regardless of their politics or background—feels valued and included.
Here’s why it matters to your business:
Protect Your Brand, Avoid Political Pitfalls
94% of executives say political risks affect their business. Promoting nonpartisan civic engagement is a smart way to build trust and reduce risk—without choosing sides.
Build Cohesive, Inclusive Teams
Civic participation opens the door to empathy and shared purpose. You don’t need another corporate training—just opportunities for real conversations and community connection.
Boost Morale and Retention
Employees are proud to work for companies that contribute to society. Supporting civic actions like voting, volunteering, or pollworking shows your people you care—and they’ll stick around longer because of it.
Enhance Customer Loyalty
81% of consumers are more likely to buy from companies that support civic engagement. Helping your customers understand ballot issues and register to vote deepens trust and drives growth.
Strengthen Our Economy
When democracy is healthy, so is business. A stable government attracts investment, drives innovation, and lays the groundwork for long-term prosperity.
Help Solve the Big Issues
Businesses are the most trusted institutions today. You have an opportunity to offer nonpartisan education that combats polarization, misinformation and lack of civics education.
2. Track Legislation That Matters to Your Workplace
You wouldn’t ignore market trends or customer data. So, don’t ignore trending legislation. What happens at the Texas Capitol affects your workforce pipeline, your taxes, your compliance risks, and your company’s public image.
It’s important to know what legislation is moving in Austin before it impacts your business at home. To avoid getting overwhelmed, plan on just tracking legislation that matters to your business, whether it’s taxes, DEI, workforce development, infrastructure, or other hot topics.
You don’t need to scroll through dense legislative websites or sit through every committee hearing. Instead, follow these steps.
Understand the Legislative Process
You don’t have to be a policy expert or have a full-time lobbyist to stay informed. You just need to freshen up your civic skills. After all, it's been a long time since our gym teachers taught the basics of government in between dodgeball sessions.
Track Relevant Bills
It’s key to have a simple system for staying informed, not overwhelmed.
Steps
Use the “Bill Lookup” feature to search by bill number or keyword (example: "workforce")
Note the author(s), committee assignment, and bill status
Add the bill to your tracker (see sample below)
Create Alerts
Click “My TLO” in the top-right corner to create a free account
Once logged in, set up a “Bill List” to track bills that matter to you
Bookmark bills or create alerts for updates (status changes, hearing dates, votes)
15-Minute Check-In
We know you're busy. Here is a simple checklist to stay engaged without burning out:
Each Monday or Friday, ask yourself:
Did any new bills get filed that affect our business?
Have any bills I’m watching moved (e.g., hearing scheduled, vote held)?
Is there a clear action I should take this week (email, call, testimony)?
Are there any key dates I should add to my calendar?
Tip: You can use IGCI’s bill tracker template to stay on top of everything.
3. Follow Policy Updates and Committee Actions
You wouldn’t ignore market trends or customer data. So, don’t ignore trending legislation. What happens at the Texas Capitol affects your workforce pipeline, your taxes, your compliance risks, and your company’s public image.
Follow Policy Updates
There is a lot of misinformation out there. Get ahead of the curve with curated policy digests from trusted sources. Here are some that we recommend:
Visit Texas Tribune and sign up for their “The Brief” newsletter
Subscribe to the Quorum Report (paid) for insider updates on legislative developments
Visit or subscribe to IGCI Insights
Sign up for email updates from coalitions, chambers and other business groups focused on the issues that matter to your workplaces
Stay Connected to Key Legislative Committees
To ensure you're always informed about critical developments and decisions that impact your workplace.
On TLO, navigate to “Committees” > “Committee Meetings”
Choose committees like: Ways & Means, Business & Industry, Education, or State Affairs depending on your interests
Subscribe to receive hearing notifications by email or RSS
Join IGCI Private Online Community
Spend less time searching, scrolling and stressing.
IGCI Online is a private place where you can learn, share, connect, and participate in civic activities. Join to get the resources and support you need to build a nonpartisan, respectful, civil culture at your job.
4. Engage Lawmakers
Take quick actions that make your business voice heard.
You don’t need a government affairs title or a lobby badge to build relationships with your representatives. You need timing, clarity, and a business point of view. Lawmakers want to hear from real-world employers.
Legislative Look-Up Table
Understanding the key steps in the legislative process is crucial for timely and effective advocacy. Use this table to know when and how to act at each stage, ensuring your voice is heard and your interests are represented.
Outreach Templates
Engaging with your legislators through well-crafted emails and testimonies is essential for advocating your business interests. Use these templates to clearly express your support or opposition to legislation that impacts your community and industry.
Email to a Legislator (Support or Oppose)
Subject: Support/Opposition for [Bill Name/Number] from Local Business Owner
Content:
Dear [Representative/Senator Last Name],
As a local business leader in [City], I urge you to [support/oppose] [Bill Number], which would [one-line summary of what the bill does].
This legislation would directly [benefit/harm] our workforce by [brief explanation of business impact].
Thank you for your leadership and service to our community.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Business Name]
Short-Form Testimony (Support or Oppose)
Hello, my name is [Name], and I’m the [Title] of [Business Name] in [City].
I’m speaking today in [support of/opposition to] [Bill Number] because [1–2 sentence reason].
This bill would [help/hurt] businesses like mine by [brief business case]. Thank you for considering our perspective.
5. Build a Civic Culture at Your Work
Make civic participation accessible, encouraged, and fun. It’s important to empower your team to engage in making their communities better without pressure or politics.
At a time of deep polarization and widespread misinformation, your workplace has the power to be a force for unity, knowledge, and positive action. At the IGC Institute, we believe building a civic culture at work is not about politics—it's about people. It's about giving employees the tools, time, and trust to engage in their communities meaningfully.
Did You Know?
71% of voters encounter misinformation monthly
America is one of six “severely polarized” countries
Democracy in the U.S. is at risk—downgraded from “full” to “flawed” since 2016
Yet: Employees trust their employer more than any other institution
Now is the time for businesses to lead with purpose—and civics is a powerful way to do it.
Start with Education
Civic knowledge is shockingly low. Less than 50% of Americans can name all three branches of government. Employeers offer basic and advanced training on how the government works, what ballot items mean, how elections happen, and why engagement matters.
Workshop content available
Train-the-trainer programs
Custom briefings by industry and region
Make Participation Easy and Fun
From tacos to time off, small gestures can drive big civic progress and increase employee engagement.
✔️ “Turn Out for Tacos” team voting events
✔️ “I Voted” sticker selfie campaigns on your intranet
✔️ Paid time off to vote or volunteer policies
✔️ On-site deputy registrar trainings
Support Advocacy (Without Picking Sides)
Employees have strong opinions on issues (and offer don’t agree). Employers must navigate civic advocacy in ways that stay true to company values—without alienating employees or customers.
Field trips to the Capitol
ERG guidelines for issue advocacy
Philanthropy aligned with corporate mission
Host Civil Discourse Roundtables
Tackle the hard stuff—together. Just like other key business skills like negotiation training, it’s key for your leaders to be able to discuss real issues with empathy, respect, and structure.
Proven Results
A Fortune 500 technology leader partnered with IGCI to implement a comprehensive civics culture-building program that resulted in the following:
95% CEO approval rating on Glassdoor
Boosted employee satisfaction around community engagement to 92%
Won national recognition as a Best Place to Work and featured in business press
Forged new business and nonprofit partnerships
6. Partner with IGC Institute
Ready to lead with civic confidence? We can help.
IGC Institute (IGCI) brings nonpartisan civic education directly into workplaces—where millions of eligible voters spend most of their time. From the boardroom to the breakroom, we make civic participation easy, encouraged, and even fun. Our data-driven guidance, custom programming, and nonpartisan values makes a real impact.
We work with:
Corporations
Chambers of commerce
Nonprofits
Academic institutions
Coalitions