This is probably my biggest personal crusade–to get nonprofit organizations that are doing great work with individuals, families, and communities to also get involved in advocacy. I have included on this page a lecture with some of what I’ve learned from the wonderful folks at the Alliance for Justice (www.afj.org–call them, read their stuff, use them!) and from my work with nonprofit organizations over the past decade. It should help you figure out how to use your persuasive skills to get your organization’s powers that be on board with the dive into advocacy and how to do so safely, so that you don’t endanger your preferential status as a 501(c)3. I’m not a lawyer, but that’s the great news–you don’t have to be a lawyer to figure out how to navigate this adventure. I’ll return to this over and over and over, with examples of how nonprofit organizations have made a huge difference with relatively minimal investment, and I’ll include discussion about when you might need a 501(c)4 and how those work, and what to do with the inevitable backlash from some of your colleagues, and how to sustain yourself during what can sometimes be long and difficult fights. But you can do it, and, in fact, you must!
Materials:
For more information:
Classroom to Capitol 