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Elected officials decide policies
and budgets that affect nonprofits and foundations,
so it is critical to educate them about the unique value
and role of the philanthropic sector. Read on for tips
on mapping out your advocacy strategy.
Donors
Forum Policy Update
The Donors Forum Policy Update
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and legislation that affect the nonprofit sector.
- Learn about the latest policy
developments in Washington, D.C., and Springfield.
- Get tips and tools to keep
you connected with policy makers and elected officials.
- Receive legislative updates
and action alerts.
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Engaging
in Advocacy and Lobbying
The new charities law passed by
Congress is a strong reminder of how legislators can
quickly and powerfully affect philanthropy, and of how
important it is for grantmakers to engage effectively
with public officials to represent and protect the interests
of the field. Grantmakers have historically tended to
shy away from advocacy activities, in part because of
the strict and sometimes confusing federal laws. But
with the growing legislative scrutiny of the charitable
sector likely to continue in the new congressional session
and beyond, and with more funders getting involved in
public policy work, it's worth reviewing the
basics (pdf) of how foundations can engage in advocacy
work.
Contact
Your Elected Officials
At the state and national level,
elected officials decide policies and budgets that affect
nonprofits and foundations. Part of an organization's
advocacy strategy is working to educate public officials
and legislators about the unique value and role of foundations
and nonprofits - and how the sector affects lives and
communities throughout the state.
Find Your State and Federal
Elected Officials:
How
Can I Make Sure Elected Officials Know about My Organization?
Start by writing a letter to your elected representatives
and introducing yourself. Describe your organization
and the role it plays in their district, and let them
know what services you can provide to their staffs.
Invite your elected officials to visit your organization
next time he or she is back in the district so they
can see nonprofits and foundations in action. Remember,
it's best to establish a relationship with your elected
officials and their staff before you need something
from them.
If your elected official is unable
to visit your organization, make an appointment to visit
them or their staff in their office. Call the elected
official's office and speak to the secretary or scheduler.
Request a meeting to introduce your organization to
the representative and suggest possible dates to meet.
On the day of the meeting, be punctual and positive.
Introduce yourself and mention any common acquaintances
you may have or thank them for a supporting vote or
action in the past. Spend a few minutes describing your
organization and the role it plays in the community.
Answer any questions or offer to gather additional data
or information. Delivering this material may give you
the opportunity to speak with the elected official again.
Thank the elected official for their time, leave your
card and some materials about your organization, and
be sure to follow up with a thank you note. See the
Donors Forum's
Lobbying Guidelines for further information.
Send
a Letter about an Issue or Legislation
Send a letter to your elected official about pending
legislation or an issue of concern to your organization.
Be sure to make your letter personal and relevant to
their district.
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Write
to Your Local Newspaper
Writing to your local newspaper
is a simple and powerful way to make your voice heard
on issues affecting charitable giving, nonprofits and
foundations. Look in your newspaper for the postal address,
fax number, or e-mail address for letters to the editor,
and note any additional instructions or guidelines.
Any issue that is of concern to you, your family or
your community is a valid topic for a letter to the
editor. Click
here to find newspapers in Illinois.
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Useful
Public Policy Links
- Alliance
for Justice: Nonprofit Advocacy Project
- The Nonprofit Advocacy Project works
to strengthen the voice of the nonprofit sector in
important public policy debates by giving tax-exempt
organizations a better understanding of the laws that
govern their participation in the policy process.
- Alliance
for Justice: Resource for Lobbying Questions
- The Alliance for Justice provides
one-on-one technical assistance to nonprofits via
phone (866-NP-LOBBY) and email (advocacy@afj.org).
Experts can answer a wide range of lobbying questions
from "What IRS form do I need to elect 501(h)?"
to "How can a 501(c)(3) produce and distribute
a voters guide that describes the candidates?"
- Public
Policy Reports
- List of recent public policy research
and reports gathered by the Donors Forum.
-
- Illinois
Legislative Information
- Offers summary information and legislative
calendars. Allows you to track the status of bills
in the Illinois General Assembly.
-
- Illinois
Federal Clearinghouse
- Posts information on federal funding
opportunities, federal grants flowing into Illinois
and contacts for key agencies.
-
- Thomas
- Tracks federal legislation and provides
direct links to congressional directories and other
federal agencies. Search for bills by number, keyword
or sponsor.
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- NPAction
- Explains rules governing policy
participation and identifies key resources for nonprofit
advocacy. Read examples of successful and unsuccessful
policy efforts.
-
- Project
Vote Smart
-
- Identifies your federal and state
elected representatives. Provides contact information,
e-mail links, background, bios and voting histories.
-
- Center
for Lobbying in the Public Interest
- Provides information on nonprofit
lobbying regulations, permissible activities, and
several tools and resources. Download the Nonprofit
Lobbying Guide.
-
- Public
Policy Grantmaking Toolkit
- Developed by Northern California
Grantmakers, this online guide helps funders build
their capacity to engage in public policy initiatives.
The online toolkit presents strategies of public policy,
legal parameters, and case of studies of public policy
funding.
-
- Center
for Tax and Budget Accountability
- The Center for Tax and Budget Accountability
is an Illinois bipartisan, nonprofit research and
advocacy think tank that promotes fair, efficient,
and progressive tax, spending and economic policies.
-
Funding Advocacy: The Philanthropy of Changing Minds
- GrantCraft's guide explains what's
legally permissible in foundation advocacy and how
to work with grantees who lobby, build a constituency,
prepare for opposition and measure success.
-
- OMB
Watch
- Contains legislative summaries and
alerts on issues affecting charitable giving, nonprofits
and advocacy.
-
-
- Independent
Sector
- Contains useful policy information.
Indpendent Sector is a membership organization for
foundations, corporate giving programs and nonprofits.
-
- Stateline
- Provides for every state a biography
of the governor, information on the political composition
and salaries of the legislature, and dates when the
lawmakers are in session. Includes economic and demographic
data that can be used to compare one state to another
state or group of states.
-
- Worry-Free
Lobbying for Nonprofits (pdf)
-
- Describes how nonprofit groups,
and the foundations that support them, can take advantage
of the clear and generous provisions in federal law
that encourage their lobbying activities From The
Alliance for Justice.
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Policy
Resources