Lighthouse program

Informed. Engaged. Effective.

Lighthouse Program: Lifting up Horticulture's Voice

We think everyone in horticulture should have a strong voice on Capitol Hill. AmericanHort advocates for the interests of green industry employers on federal legislation and regulation, day in and day out. In fact, AmericanHort has a dedicated team of full-time professional staff and expert advisors located in Washington, D.C., where the decisions are shaped. We work hard to sustain a reputation for integrity and credibility, and to build important relationships. Still, politics are local too, and the voices of voters and constituents matter a lot. The Lighthouse Program green industry grassroots partnership is designed to strengthen the industry’s voice and influence, and to raise awareness of critical and emerging industry issues.

how it works

State partners enroll their active, in-state members and pay a per-member participation fee of $10.

Primary benefits include:

Access to the Member Voice, a tool to connect with your elected officials

Timely, customized grassroots alerts when Congress or federal agencies need to hear from us

Articles every two weeks providing issue updates and interpretation for partners to publish in newsletters, on social media, or web

Access to AmericanHort’s advocacy staff team

“We believe in building strong partnerships. The Lighthouse grassroots partnership is vital in helping us keep our leaders and members informed on the evolving issues and challenges facing our industry, and to be prepared to act in our shared interest when the time is right.”

Joe Khayyat

Executive Director, Illinois Green Industry Association

strength in numbers

A single letter, email, or tweet will not get a lawmaker’s attention. But dozens of messages on a single issue can make a difference. And hundreds – or better yet, thousands – are even more likely to. With 40 state association partners as well as the National Christmas Tree Association, we are now nearly 15,000 business voices strong. That means thousands of businesses that can be activated to quickly respond to threats or opportunities. For business owners and managers, our goal is to make it easier to stay informed, get engaged, and be effective.

Share your voice with our MemberVoice program. If you are a member of a state association or other national organization that is also a member of the Lighthouse program, you will receive alerts through the MemberVoice program informing you of opportunities for you to reach out to your representatives on key issues, all to help amplify our collective voice.