During the recent legislative session in Illinois, the people at Donors Forum, Illinois’ State Association of nonprofits, demonstrated that nonprofit advocacy has many dimensions and can produce multiple payoffs for the people and communities served by nonprofits. The Donors Forum approach combines an organizational culture in support of advocacy with data, new tools, and relationships.

Among other things, leaders at Donors Forum demanded greater attention for issues affecting the work of charitable nonprofits by leveraging Illinois’ poor showing in the Urban Institute survey of nonprofit contracts and grants with nonprofits. Through blogs, radio appearances, newspaper articles, and an effective data sheet, Doug Schenkelburg, Donors Forum’s Vice President of Public Policy, urged “state lawmakers to create a budget that is adequate, responsive, fair, and meets the needs of the people of Illinois.”

Donors Forum also advanced its work in improving government-nonprofit contracting through the creation of a new website: Building a Better Illinois: The Public Nonprofit Partnership Initiative. The findings on the website provide a unique, in-depth look at the size and impact of charitable nonprofits in every legislative district and census tract in the state, as well as 77 community areas around Chicago. The project highlights the relationship between nonprofits and state government and it helps to ensure that policymakers truly understand the value of the sector and the challenges it faces.

Donors Forum’s comprehensive efforts to influence and build relationships with public officials are paying off: Illinois leads the nation in adapting some of the new federal reforms on grantmaking to state policies. With the anticipated signature on legislation by the Governor this week, the new Illinois Grant Accountability and Transparency Office and the Single Audit Commission will be working with nonprofits and government officials to streamline processes, reduce administrative burdens, and update regulations. Not all advocacy efforts show such an immediate or well-defined return on the investment of time and resources. But the Donors Forum approach is showing that when you focus on the ultimate goals, many tools help clear the path.