Achieving our Mission Through
Policy and Advocacy
Abby Levine, Legal Director of Bolder Advocacy,
Alliance for Justice
James Head, Vice President of Programs,
The San Francisco Foundation
Colleen M. Cotter, Executive Director,
The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
501(c)(3)
Private Foundation
501(c)(3)
Public Charities
501(c)(4)
Examples
Tax
Treatment
Lobbying
Activities
Electoral
Activities
Tax-Exempt
Tax-Exempt
Contributions
tax-deductible
Contributions
tax-deductible
PROHIBITED
LIMITED
Tax on foundation
& managers
Insubstantial Part or
501(h)
Cannot support or
oppose a candidate
for office
Cannot support or
oppose a candidate
for office
Tax-Exempt
UNLIMITED
Secondary activity
Follow federal and
state election law
Avenues for
ADVOCATING CHANGE
Community
Organizing
Educate
Legislators
Get to Know
Legislators
Public
Education
Nonpartisan
Voter Ed.
PARTISAN
POLITICAL
Lobbying
Exceptions
Educational
Conferences
LOBBYING
Influence
Corporations
Regulatory
Efforts
Litigation
Research
Training
Foundation Involvement in
Advocacy: Continuum of Roles
Capacity
builder
Funder:
General
Support
Responder
Convener
Funder:
Specific
Project
Advocate:
loudly
Advocate:
quietly
No
involvement
Fund
Engage
Lobbyist
Lobbying
Public charities, including community
foundations, may lobby:
• Insubstantial part test
• 501(h) expenditure test
DIRECT
Communication
Legislator
Expresses a view
about specific
legislation
GRASSROOTS
Communication
General public
Expresses a view
about specific
legislation
Call to action
What is
Lobbying ?
Community Foundations may
FUND grantees that lobby
$$$
General
Support
Grants
Earmarked
For
Lobbying
Specific
Project
Grants
WEST COAST
Alliance For Justice
436 14th Street
Suite 425
Oakland, CA 94612
510-444-6070
EAST COAST
Alliance for Justice
11 Dupont Circle, NW
2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20036
202-822-6070
advocacy@afj.org
866.675.6229
www.bolderadvocacy.org
@AFJBeBold
@Alevineafj
www.facebook.com/BolderAdvocacy
Community Foundation
Policy and Advocacy Examples
Research
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation Report on the
Statues of Payday Lending in California (2009)
• The San Francisco Foundation Research on Minimum
Wage increase efforts in the Bay Area (2014)
Grantmaking
• Alliance for Justice work to educate nonprofits on
advocacy and lobbying requirement
• Legal Aid Society of Cleveland work to provide
individual and issue advocacy to address economic
and social disparities
Direct Community Foundation Involvement
The Issue
Proposition 8
• Amends the California Constitution to provide that
only marriage between a man and a woman is valid
or recognized in California
• Prop 8 intent of unequal treatment for California
Residents on the basis of sexual orientation
• How TSFF got involved
San Francisco Foundation Response
• $250,000 contribution (grant) to the Equality for
All Campaign (a 501c4) organization
• Co-sponsored a donor briefing on the issues
• Provided mini-grants for a Get Out The Vote
(GOTV) education campaign targeted at young
voters
• Documented and reported all staff, grant, cost of
our involvement to the IRS
Strategic Plan Goal 1:
Improve Safety and
Health
Improve Safety and Health - Family
Case Types, Cases Handled (2013)
Divorce
8%
Selected Outcomes
•
Increased safety 100%
•
Eliminated/reduced risk to
child 98.9%
Housing 16%
Consumer
38%
Family
22%
Domestic
Abuse 8%
HEWII 21%
Other 3%
Support 4%
Custody
Visitation
Other Family
1%
1%
Total Cases Handled
1,414
Total Financial Impact:
$4,741,127
Improve Safety and Health - HEWII
Case Types, Cases Handled (2013)
Housing
16%
Work
10%
Family
21%
HEWII
20%
Consumer
39%
Other
4%
Selected Outcomes
•
Increased safety in 100%
•
Secured access to health
insurance 88.6%
Health &
Public
Benefits
5%
Immigration
3%
Education
2%
Total Cases Handled
1,866
Total Financial Impact:
$1,097,414
• Appellate case to set standard for issuing civil
protection order
• Advocacy with courts to ensure they waive fees for
people with low income
• Advocacy to allow those with U- and T-Visas
(immigrant victims of serious crimes or human
trafficking) to pay in-state tuition
• Advocacy on utility rates and to ensure due process in
utility terminations
• Working in partnership to overcome Affordable Care
Act enrollment issues
Safety and Health- Advocacy
Strategic Plan Goal 2:
Promote Education
and Economic Stability
Promote Education and Economic Security - HEWII
Case Types / Handled (May 2013-April 2014)
Selected Outcomes
•
Education
3%
Housing
16%
Consumer
38%
96.9%
•
Others
3%
Employment/
Work
10%
HEWII
21%
Family
22%
Total Cases Handled
1,910
Increased or Maintained Income
73.6%
•
Immigration
2%
Public Benefits
(Health)
2%
Public Benefits
(Income)
4%
Removed Barriers to Employment
Removed Barriers to Education
86.7%
Total Financial Impact:
$1,203,389
Promote Education and Economic Security- Consumer
Case Types / Handled (May 2013-April 2014)
Selected Outcomes
•
and Saved the Home 73.3%
Others
3%
Bankruptcy/De
btor Relief
28%
Housing
16%
HEWII
21%
Consumer
38%
Family
22%
Foreclosure Prevented
•
Reduced/Avoided Debt 88.9%
•
Preserved/Increased Assets
82.9%
Foreclosure
6%
Other
Consumer
4%
Total Cases Handled
3,477
Total Financial Impact:
$22,823,696
• Cashland v. Scott – Ohio Supreme Court case
challenging Ohio’s pay day lending scheme
• Bradberry v. City of Bedford – Appeal concerning
standard for sealing criminal record
• Complaint resulting in school district now sending
progress reports to parents with children with special
needs
Economic Security and EducationAdvocacy
Strategic Plan Goal 3:
Secure Decent,
Affordable Housing
Secure Decent, Affordable Housing- Landlord/Tenant
Case Types / Handled (Sept 2013-April 2014)
Family
22%
HEWII
22%
Others
4%
Housing
16%
Consumer
36%
Selected Outcomes
•
Evictions Prevented 98.5%
•
Secured Subsidized Housing
Fed
Subsidized
Housing
5%
Private
Landlord/
Tenant
9%
95.6%
•
Reduced Rent/Fee 100%
Public
Housing &
Mobile Homes
2%
Total Financial Impact:
Total Cases Handled
1,414
$614,518
Secure Decent, Affordable Housing- Landlord/Tenant
Case Types / Handled (Sept 2013-April 2014)
Selected Outcomes
•
Foreclosure Prevented and
Home Saved 75%
Family
22%
HEWII
22%
Others
4%
Foreclosure
5%
Housing
16%
Consumer
Not FCL
31%
Pending
Foreclosures
5%
•
Extended Client’s Stay in
Home 98.9%
All Others
(Aff Lit,
Judgements,
Mortgage
Problems)
<1%
•
Default Judgment Averted
82.9%
Total Financial Impact:
Total Cases Handled
490
$11,627,490
• Federal appellate case challenging the way housing
authority calculates portion of rent due from tenant
• Advocacy with housing authority regarding bans on
persons with prior convictions
• Advocacy with state agency to ensure people with
low income benefit form tax-supported developments
• Advocacy with courts to establish mediation
programs for foreclosure
Housing - Advocacy