YOUR FACILITATORS TODAY
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

Karen Benson, Director
of Disaster Response at
Convoy of Hope
Jihad Saleh Williams,
Government Affairs
Representative at Islamic
Relief USA
Jono Anzalone, Division
Disaster Executive at
The American Red Cross
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PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION
To gain a greater understanding of advocacy,
including lobbying, and the importance of advocacy
by National VOAD members.
Why advocate?
WHY ADVOCACY IS IMPORTANT
Advocacy is your
right
Advocacy is our
responsibility
It’s Necessary
Impact on Policy
Makers
WHAT IS ADVOCACY
 Advocacy
is any action that speaks in favor
of, recommends, argues for a cause,
supports or defends or pleads on behalf of
others (often the most vulnerable).
 Advocacy includes education, regulatory
work, litigation, and work before
administrative bodies, lobbying, voter
registration, voter education, and more.
 While all lobbying is advocacy, not all
advocacy is lobbying.
WHAT IS LOBBYING
 Lobbying
is the act of attempting to
influence legislation or spending plans
made by government officials, most often
legislators (congress, state, local), to achieve
a favorable outcome to its agenda.
 Legislation includes acts, bills, resolutions,
public referendum, ballot initiatives, and
constitutional amendments.
 Lobbying is done by many different types of
people and organized groups, including the
private sector, corporations, fellow
legislators or government officials, and
nonprofits.
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ADVOCACY: THE ESSENTIALS
Why VOADs Should Advocate
Represent the needs of communities and
people we support; help shape the debate
Further the cause of social justice by
addressing vital social and economic issues
Ensure that short and long-term needs
remain prominent
Keep focus on the “big picture” via
coalitions, National VOAD national/state
advisory committees
Likely central to your organization’s mission 7
ADVOCACY: THE ESSENTIALS
How VOADs Can Advocate
Community advocacy: Education via web
sites, publications, presentations and media-online, TV/radio, press releases and
conferences
Legal advocacy: Using lawsuits to protect or
create rights, improve services, or raise public
awareness in open courts
Legislative advocacy: Targets federal, state or
local laws, policies, or budget. May involve
monitoring, testifying, lobbying, position
papers, networks/coalitions, other activities.
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ADVOCACY: THE ESSENTIALS
Effective Advocacy Includes—
Planning Ahead: Include goals, timetable,
resources, strategy and tactics
Knowing the rules governing nonprofits
Involving staff, volunteers, service
recipients
Working in partnership, as part of
grassroots networks and coalitions
Build relationships, persuade, persist, be
flexible and resourceful
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LOBBYING: IMPORTANCE/LEGALITIES
Importance
Despite outstanding advocacy, nonprofits are
often reluctant to engage in public policy.
Nonprofit lobbying, both Direct and
Grassroots, is essential and needed now more
than ever.
Nonprofit lobbying is legal, within specific IRS
provisions.
Staff and volunteers already have the skills to
influence legislation and policies.
Your voice needs to be heard.
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LOBBYING: IMPORTANCE/LEGALITIES
Direct and Grassroots Lobbying
Direct Lobbying: An attempt to
influence legislation through direct
contact with public officials or staff at
the local, state and federal levels.

Actions include visits, calls, emails.
Grassroots
Lobbying: Asking the
general public to influence legislation
by contacting public officials or staff at
the local, state, or federal levels.

Actions include petitions, emails,
prepared messages.
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LOBBYING: IMPORTANCE/LEGALITIES
IRS Provisions
 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code allows that
organizations may engage in a limited
amount of legislative lobbying under either
the “substantial part” or “expenditure” test.


“Substantial part” test is based on facts and
circumstances, such as time by staff/volunteers
and lobbying expenditures.
“Expenditure” test (501(h)), nonprofits may
spend on Direct Lobbying and Grassroots
Lobbying based on financial formulas.
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HOW TO START ADVOCATING
 Identify
the problem, strategy and goal
 Create a legislative agenda or platform for
your organization
 Learn the history of your issue
 Gain a basic understanding of how a bill
becomes law
 Engage in an advocacy campaign
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IDENTIFY STRATEGY, ISSUE, GOAL
 Problem—The
needs action

major cause for concern that
Example: Nonprofits would be adversely affected
by potential caps or limits on charitable tax
deductions being considered by Congress
 Strategy—The
problem framed as
something you can feasibly do something
about

Example: Nonprofits urge their legislators to
preserve the charitable tax deduction.
 Goal—What

you hope to accomplish
Example: Congress retains the deduction as is
based, in part, on strong nonprofit advocacy.
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CREATE A LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM



Mission Clarity
 Identify guiding principles and overarching goals
 Identify priority issues for your organization
What are all the current challenges/opportunities?
 Is there consensus on the top?
 Discuss with your Board of Directors
 Consider creating an Advocacy Committee
Can these challenges be addressed as advocacy
efforts (grassroots, lobbying or education)
 Identify all the ways in which a challenge can be
addressed short-term and/or long-term
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RESEARCH YOUR ISSUE
 Get

the facts
Why did this come about; who wanted this to
happen; what has been its impact; who else is
working on the issue.
 Create

Outline arguments from both sides.
 Find

a support and opposition list
out what has happened already
What legislative relationships have been built;
has legislation been introduced; who are your
legislative allies
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ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS








Mobilize your base
Strengthen your coalition
Set goals & prioritize
Strengthen your knowledge
Analyze and use your power
Build relationships with legislators
Communicate with legislators & staff
Monitor the issue
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BASICS OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
Referral to
other
chamber
Conference
committee
action
Referral to
committee
Voting
Final
House/Senate
votes
Subcommitt
ee
review/mark
-up
Discussion
Amendments
Presidential
signature/ve
to
Full
committee
review/mark
-up
Committee
reports bill
to full
chamber
Veto
override
efforts (if
necessary)
Introduction
COMMITTEES
Budget
Appropriations
Authorizing
• Receive
President’s
budget request
• Set spending
limits
• Produce bills that
allocate funding
• Program
development and
oversight
• Hearings, studies,
and reports
• Establish dollar
ceilings
THE PROCESS
President’s
Budget
Request
• Outlines
priorities
•Recommends
spending
levels
Budget
Resolution
•Receives
budget request
•Sets spending
levels
Appropriations
Process
• Allocates
funding
STATE RESOURCE DECISION-MAKING
 State
e.g.—





Legislative Disaster Committees,
Budget
Housing
Economic development
Infrastructure
Small business
 Regional/County
Emergency Planning
Committees (similar issues as above)
 Judicial Leadership
 Business Roundtable
 Chamber of Commerce
 Others
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STATE ADVOCACY BEST PRACTICES
 Step




Who has an interest in housing recovery?
What are the interests, cultures of groups?
How much collaboration can we achieve?
How can we pool achievements “as one”?
 Step




One: Organize a Base
Two: Understand the Process
Conduct Research: available funds, decision-makers
and process
Engage Power Analysis: potential allies &
opponents
Understand Context: pace of recovery,
administering agency
Develop Your Position/Argument: outcomes,
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evidence, sources
STATE ADVOCACY BEST PRACTICES
 Step



Testify at public hearings
Prepare Speakers—create “talking points,”
influencers, data points
Build relationships with key staff
 Step




Three: Take Action
Four: Keep Organizing
Apply best research actions/best practices
Develop your argument
Take action
Ongoing evaluation (plan, act, evaluate)
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NVOAD ADVOCACY
COMMITTEE SUPPORT
 Help
de-mystify the advocacy process
 Additional webinars in 2013
 Establish support via the National VOAD
website, e-newsletter, best practices,
contacts
 Make accessible a “toolkit” of products
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NEXT STEPS
 Actions
already underway to address issues
Survey VOAD partners to establish baseline
 Presentations (e.g., webinar)

 Core
Team building your feedback into its
planning process
Communications that will reflect one VOAD
voice
 Establish a manageable number of
goals/priorities
 Distinguish operating norms from our stated
(behavioral) norms, i.e. “walking the talk”

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ACTIVITY
Setting
 Your member of Congress is holding a public
forum/town hall meeting to address a recent flood
in your community.
 Choose your issue



Options for this exercise: Housing, Case Management, Volunteer
Engagement, Immigration, Workforce, or choice own issue
What are your goals?
 What do you hope to get out of the meeting?
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ACTIVITY

Advance Preparation
Identify key messages (one a 3x5 index card)
 Two or three

Easy to grasp
 Free of jargon
 Demonstrate local impact
 Clear action required

Designate a spokesperson
 Prepare your talking points and a short 60 second
elevator speech

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QUESTIONS???
The National VOAD Advocacy
Committee
advocacy@nvoad.org
www.nvoad.org
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SELECT REFERENCES
 Alliance
for Justice
(http://afj.org; http://bolderadvocacy.org)
 National Council on Nonprofits
(http://www.councilofnonprofits.org)
 Independent Sector
(http://independentsector.org)
 Interaction (www.interaction.org)
 Learning to Give
(http://www.learningtogive.org)
 LANO Nonprofit Advocacy 101 (Elisabeth
Gehl and Ashley Herad)
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