Lobbying and Advocacy - “If We’re Not at the Table, We’re On the Menu”

Fundraising is advocacy (and in more ways than you might think, advocacy is fundraising). Most nonprofit leaders have absorbed the false notion that "nonprofits can't be political", but politics is no more and no less than how we, as a society, determine priorities, set budgets, and decide on the rules. While 501(c)(3) organizations cannot be partisan, policy conversations at all levels of government and community would be greatly improved by stronger involvement from - and leadership by - nonprofits. Who knows more about the problems and challenges we face than those with first-hand experience? We, as nonprofit leaders, can turn that knowledge into compelling stories that lead to positive change. And in the current political environment, nonprofit advocacy is more important than ever.

In this session, we'll cover:

• The "rules of the road" for 501c3 nonprofit engagement in lobbying and advocacy

• How to harness our communities’ love of nonprofits for better policy outcomes

• Strategies for nonprofits from the ABCs to advanced advocacy programs

• Recent policy successes led by the nonprofit sector

• The current policy environment in Sacramento and Washington DC and how nonprofits are making positive change

• The many connections between fundraising and advocacy