5th Floor
Increasingly, grantmakers are recognizing that investing in advocacy can make a powerful contribution to advancing their missions. Public-sector systems in education, health and human services address immediate needs, but the nonprofit sector is critical to reforming and continually improving those systems. Investing in advocacy can therefore be an exceptionally high-impact addition to your grantmaking strategy, helping to improve policies and systems in the fields you care about.
Join GWP for this engaging session with Abby Levine, Legal Director of Bolder Advocacy with the Alliance for Justice. Abby will be joined by Carolyn Duronio, Partner at Reed Smith and an expert on exempt organizations including public charities, private foundations, and trade associations. Together, they will explore a range of issues critical to funders interested in engaging in the important work of advocacy.
We will dig into the central question of why funders should engage in and fund advocacy work, including the legal considerations that must be taken into account. Key questions we will cover include:
- Why is funding advocacy important?
- What are the advocacy roles funders themselves can play, both indirectly and directly?
- What are the rules governing advocacy for foundations at the federal, state, and local levels?
We will also explore a variety of compelling "how-to" questions, such as:
- Best practices of funding advocacy, including how to develop a policy for your organization
- Making the case with your board and other key stakeholders
- How to talk to and engage grantees around their advocacy work
- How to evaluate the impact of funded advocacy work
As always, we will allow plenty of time for your questions and dilemmas. Please join us to explore how advocacy work can help funders advance positive change in our communities.
Light breakfast will be served.