Engaging Your Board in #Advocacy

Transcription

1 Engaging Your Board in #Advocacy A Special Presentation for Nonprofit Missouri January 16, 2015 Lindenwood University Patrick D. Walker, JD,MBA

2 #Advocacy Workshop Outline: Advocacy 3D: Definition, Do s, Don ts Your Mission PDW S ABCs Excellent Advocacy Behavior THANK YOU/Q&A

3 TWEET WITH DURING #advocacy

4 SIDEBAR: BEFORE ENGAGING YOUR BOARD IN ADVOCACY

5 Patrick D. Walker, What motivates your board members to serve?

6 Patrick D. Walker, Other than your organization s mission, what ISSUES are your board members passionate about?

7 Patrick D. Walker, ADVOCACY 3D: Definitions

8 Patrick D. Walker, Advocacy: When nonprofit organizations advocate on their own behalf; seek to affect some aspect of society, whether they appeal to individuals about their behavior, employers about their rules, or the government about its laws. Lobbying: Lobbying refers specifically to advocacy efforts that attempt to influence legislation.

9 Patrick D. Walker, A 501(c)(3) non-profit cannot: Endorse or directly campaign for a candidate, party or ballot initiative. Contribute directly or in-kind to a candidate, party or ballot initiative. Distribute materials aimed to influence the outcome of an election.

10 Patrick D. Walker, Lobbying Limits On 501(c)(3)s: IRS regulations allow 501(c)(3) organizations to spend an insubstantial amount of money on lobbying.

11 Nonprofit Advocacy: Patrick D. Walker, Arguably, the most important public policies we have in the United States have come from nonprofit organizations lobbying for their causes. These achievements may be largely attributed to the strong leadership of executive directors and board members who knew that direct service alone would not change the flawed or missing public policies that contributed to the problems their organizations were trying to alleviate. --David F. Arons, in Nonprofit Governance and Management -

12 Nonprofit Advocacy: Patrick D. Walker, Most of the major movements that have changed America have their roots in the nonprofit sector. Nonprofit organizations have brought us child labor laws, food regulation, women's right to vote, the civil rights, equality for LGBT communities Commons

13 Nonprofit Advocacy: Patrick D. Walker, According to the Alliance for Justice: While all lobbying is advocacy, not all advocacy is lobbying. Advocacy is any action that speaks in favor of, recommends, argues for a cause, supports or defends, or pleads on behalf of others.

14 Nonprofit Advocacy: Patrick D. Walker, Members of exceptional boards extend the reach of the organization by actively using their own reputations and networks to secure funds, expertise, and access. They bring social and political capital to the organization, thereby enhancing its reputation and capacity. They use their personal and business relationships to expand awareness of the organization and actively participate in cultivating partnerships and collaborations. The Source: Twelve Principles of Governance that Power Exceptional Boards, BoardSource

15 Nonprofit Advocacy: Patrick D. Walker, Advocacy is a broad term, range of activities, systemic social change; One form of advocacy is lobbying attempts to influence specific legislation through direct or grassroots communications with legislators or their staff; advocacy also includes executive branch activities, issue organizing, and nonpartisan voter engagement ADVOCACY SHOULD INVOLVE YOUR BOARD

16 Patrick D. Walker, ADVOCACY 3D: Do s, Don ts

17 Advocacy: Patrick D. Walker, Five Advocacy Tips for Nonprofit Boards By Nancy Amidei 1.Create an environment where advocacy can flourish Everyone - executive director, board members, and staff - must demonstrate strong, consistent support for engaging in advocacy. Is advocacy discussed at board meetings? Is there an advocacy or government affairs committee? Organizations with advocacy-related board committees are significantly more likely to engage in public policy matters -- and with greater frequency

18 Advocacy: Patrick D. Walker, Five Advocacy Tips for Nonprofit Boards By Nancy Amidei 2. Establish procedures that make policy decision-making easier -streamlined decision-making, organization can quickly decide whether to act and, when needed, take quick action. -E.g., if the board has to approve all staff actions on policy matters, and only meets quarterly, key advocacy opportunities will be missed. Options: (a) the board sets broad policy direction, leaving it to the executive director to execute policy decisions (b) board committees agrees to meet via conference calls or via ; (c) board committees can be authorized to make decisions between board meetings.

19 Advocacy: Five Advocacy Tips for Nonprofit Boards By Nancy Amidei Patrick D. Walker, 3. Make sure at least one person, other than the Executive director, has advocacy responsibility Assigning public policy responsibility to at least one person in an organization significantly increases the likelihood of engagement in public policy. Not the executive director: his/her other responsibilities typically push public policy advocacy to the back burner.

20 Advocacy: Five Advocacy Tips for Nonprofit Boards By Nancy Amidei Patrick D. Walker, 4. Belong to Associations that can represent you before government. 5. Get training It s been noted that advocacy is like exercise.

21 Advocacy: Patrick D. Walker, Essentials for Advancing Nonprofit Advocacy: Board Leadership WRITTEN BY MARCIA AVNER Nonprofit Quarterly As with any campaign, those working to engage boards in advocacy need to consider key questions:! What is the opportunity?! What are our goals?! What are the problems and barriers?! Who makes the decisions and how can we influence them?

22 Advocacy: Patrick D. Walker, Essentials for Advancing Nonprofit Advocacy: Board Leadership WRITTEN BY MARCIA AVNER Nonprofit Quarterly Recruit board members with interest, experience, and political savvy. Involve board members in policy planning and decision-making. Create a policy committee that enables your most interested and talented advocates board, staff, and allies to drive strategy and planning for your organization s work. Create a Rapid Response Team, led by your key advocacy staff member and involving at least two engaged board members. This team makes decisions that have to be addressed in the high-pressure timelines that mark most national, state, and local legislative decisions.

23 Advocacy: Patrick D. Walker, Essentials for Advancing Nonprofit Advocacy: Board Leadership WRITTEN BY MARCIA AVNER Nonprofit Quarterly Listen to board members to determine their interest, their concerns, and the ways they are most likely to add value to your advocacy initiatives; find your shared priorities. Provide training on governance roles for advocacy, lobby law, and advocacy skills for board members. Tap local infrastructure organizations that have such training ready to go. Just do it. Ask board members to take specific steps, provide some guidance to coordinate strategy and message, and let them make the case for your causes.

24 Present information: must not be biased and must permit an individual or the public to form an independent opinion or conclusion. Provide forums for candidate debates, town halls and forums as long as offered to both sides (whether at the same time or not) Support voter registration efforts

25 Take positions on legislation and budget issues Take positions on ballot initiatives (subject to lobbying limitations) such as general obligation bonds and other matters of direct impact to institution

26 Know your audience - Do Your Homework Who are they? How does the issue relate to their district, constituents, voters and communities? Choose the right or best messenger(s) for effort Anticipate and be prepared to address opposing arguments, questions Repeat your message over and over!

27 Create a succinct message! Yes We Can/Si Se Puede A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste Just Say No

28 Champions Allies Fence Sitters Mellow Opponents Hard Core Opponents

29 The Do s State the bill number/budget item and your position in the first paragraph Address only one issue per letter Explain how the bill impacts you and the Member s District Use a personal story when possible

30 The Do s Include your return address (legislators often discard mail from non-constituents). Keep the letter to no more than two pages; preferably one. FAX letter the same day mailed to Members

31 The Don ts Do not copy sample letters verbatim; personalize Do not use negative, condescending, threatening or intimidating language. Do not enclose extra material

32 The Do s Make an appointment tell the scheduler what you want to discuss and who will be attending the meeting Be Prepared bring a one-pager on the bill you seek to address Know your audience: member district, voting history Appoint a spokesperson

33 The Do s Be assertive but polite and respectful Make a clear ASK of the Member, staff Send a thank you note Don t forget staff too! Another chance to confirm the ASK

34 The Don ts Turn down meetings with staff Rude, argumentative and threatening people will be remembered but not for the right reason Don t be late

35 Do s Be polite, respectful of all staff Make introductions, provide card for future contact, reference during the meeting Give the staffer background information Note questions and make sure to follow-up

36 Alumni Advocacy Community, Business Leaders People of Influence Donors/Supporters

37 Develop partners interested in common issues, outcomes Build a broad coalition Think organizations outside of education Who would influence your audience? Different types of influence Grassroots, grass tops Who DON T the members want to oppose?

38 SOCIAL MEDIA!!!!! Media influences voters, communities, and elected officials Both Proactive and defensive strategies can be used Tell a story make it personal, local Media events should be provocative, exciting Why is your story better than another, or of greater interest to reporters and their readers? Keep it timely Press releases One page

39 Patrick D. Walker, #advocate ABC S of ADVOCACY: Always channel the 3S technique Becoming excellent advocates is a journey Constantly FRIEND-raise & network

40 The 3S TECHNIQUE (Helps board members become better advocates for policy issues): Systems Structures Sustainability

41 Patrick D. Walker, 4 Questions to ask nonprofits: (So you want to be a better nonprofit ADVOCATE?) 1. SYSTEMS: What SOCIAL VALUE are you creating? 2. STRUCTURE: What is your BUSINESS MODEL? 3. SYSTEMS/STRUCTURE: How do you SCALE? 4. How do you stay SUSTAINABLE?

42 Creating Social Value Patrick D. Walker, " Value most often measured in terms of profit " Social Value measures impact- ability to generate positive externalities " Examples: Enhancing human capabilities, increasing freedom, build levels of trust " Competitive Advantage: What do you do and create that has more value to society? " KEY: Be able to measure it in quantifiable terms

43 Business Model Patrick D. Walker, The rationale of how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value How do you operate? How do you make money? Who pays you? Who is your client? Who is your costumer?

44 Patrick D. Walker,

45 Going to Scale Scale: Expanding the impact and reach of your organization to effectively solve the problem Drivers for Scale** Staffing Communications Alliance-building Lobbying Earnings-generation Replication Stimulating market forces Patrick D. Walker, **

46 Patrick D. Walker, Sustainability the capacity to endure and meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs Financial Operational Remaining relevant Evaluation, Assessment, more Innovation

47 Always Channel the 3S technique Becoming excellent=journey Constantly FRIEND-raise & network ADVOCACY=repeat steps A,B,C

48 ADVOCACY: Failing forward Lessons: Fundraising vs. Friend-raising Lessons: Boards Lessons: Community/ Legislative Relationships Truly learning from mistakes

49 ADVOCACY: Run to/support the ISSUES that scare you most CHARACTER Dream beyond your imagination The only thing to fear is What if it DOES work out? What if you DO succeed?

50 ADVOCACY: Focus on being faithful, not successful Never give up Undefeated Positive mental attitude Stay true to your MISSION, your BRAND

51 THANK YOU!

52 References: Stephanie Barksdale, Tulane University Andrea Chen, Founder and Director, Social Entrepreneurs of New Orleans (SENO) Liz McCartney, Founder, St. Bernard Project Tim Williamson, Founder and Executive Director, The Idea Village Beth Stelson, Volunteer, Outreach, & Marketing Coordinator, The Green Project CAN Advocacy/Lobbying Guide: EFCraftingcommunication.pdf#search='crafting%20your%20message Erica M. Romero and Karen Y. Zamarripa, Hispanic Association of Colleges & Univesities