Advocacy in Action

Late last year, the Census Bureau proposed changes to its American Community Survey’s questions on disabilities. The backlash was swift and profound.

Congress may be on the verge of enacting a package of tax breaks that would help low-income families and many businesses, but currently fails to include restoration of the non-itemizer (universal) charitable deduction, a major priority of the nonprofit sector.

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that legislative victories, while important, are only the beginning of the process to make real progress. Advocates must turn quickly to implementation, education, and evaluation to ensure the law lives up to and/or exceeds expectations.

Here at the beginning of the New Year, we remind ourselves and share with you why we write this publication and reiterate the principles on which it stands.

Thousands of webpages are devoted to explaining every nuance of lobbying limitations and advocacy activities. This simple post by the Florida Nonprofit Alliance cuts through all of that clutter to make the basic point that yes you can advocate on behalf of your mission.

New York nonprofits are taking to social media with a two-pronged plan to get the facts and finances used to justify the draconian cuts and raise awareness about who they are and what they do.

It is certainly harder to take a position on an issue in which your voice must be heard when there is no consensus or there are profound disagreements over the “correct answer.” How is an advocate to proceed when the answer is not black or white, but gray?

Advocacy is the art of advancing policy priorities through the appropriate policymakers in the appropriate forum using the appropriate tools in the advocacy toolbox.

Advocacy in Action Essay explaining the importance of ensuring advocacy efforts serve more than one function.

Essay in the "Using the Powers You Have" series.