Advocacy
About Advocacy
One of the Collaborative Action Network’s strategies for creating change is through advocacy, specifically by using our individual and collective voices and power to influence local, regional, and state policies, investments, and organizational practices.
Explore
Find all the content related to this action area in the Resource Library.
See Her Bloom — Understanding Black Girls’ Experiences with Drug Use
In 2022, PHI’s Center for Collaborative Planning commissioned the National Black Women’s Justice Institute to host conversations with Black girls throughout...
Effective Approaches to Addressing Substance Use Among Youth
PHI’s CA Bridge Youth Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) pilot project found how hospital emergency departments can help to reverse these trends.
‘Faces for the Future’ Students Learn How to Reduce Drug Overdoses
Youth with PHI’s Faces for the Future Public Health Youth Corps participated in a workshop at their local high school in Sacramento to learn about the detrime...
Case Studies & Best Practices: Strategies to Reduce Youth Overdoses
These case studies from PHI’s California Overdose Prevention Network contain concrete examples of data-driven strategies that address rising rates of overdose...
Adultism: The Training Ground for All Other Oppression
Adultism refers to the systematic discrimination and prejudice faced by young people solely based on their age, where adults hold power and authority over them....
Young and Indigenous Podcast
The Children of the Setting Suns Productions (CSSP) organization is always looking for ways to engage younger generations in their work. They began with a youth...
Recording: Elevating community voices in Advocacy – Lessons from youth leaders
This is a recording of the May 2023 Network Learning Session entitled “Elevating community voices in Advocacy – Lessons from youth leaders”
Advocacy in Action
This page provides links to success stories of nonprofits engaging in everyday advocacy across the country.
Why Should Your Nonprofit Advocate?
This webpage describes the benefits of nonprofits engaging in advocacy. It also provides examples of everyday advocacy and how nonprofits can help give citizens...
Putting Prosperity Within Reach: Advocating for Equitable Public Policies
This guide is designed to help advocates understand the “why” and the “how” of advancing public policies at all levels of government that put financial ...
What is Advocacy?: Definitions and Examples
This resource defines advocacy and how it can be utilized by nonprofit organizations. Specific examples of advocacy work and ways to get more involved in advoca...
Recording: Getting Started with Legislative Advocacy
This is a recording of the March 2023 Network Learning Session entitled “Getting Started with Legislative Advocacy”
Types of Exempt Organizations and What They May Do
This resource explains the different types of tax-exempt organizations recognized by the IRS and the activities they are permitted to engage in. It covers tax r...
Sample 501(C)(3) Organizational Policy for Election Season
The article provides a sample policy for 501(c)(3) organizations to comply with IRS rules on political campaign intervention. It covers prohibited activities an...
Keeping Track: A Guide to Recordkeeping for Advocacy Charities
This resource provides guidance on the importance of record-keeping for advocacy charities and outlines key practices to ensure compliance with legal requi...
Advocacy Capacity Tool (ACT!)
This is a self-assessment tool for nonprofit organizations, coalitions, and groups to evaluate their readiness for advocacy efforts. It assesses skills, resourc...
When the Best Offense is a Good Defense: Understanding and Measuring Advocacy on the Defense
This resource guides advocates and funders facing external threats. It emphasizes proactively identifying threats, assessing vulnerabilities, developing respons...
The Advocacy Strategy Framework: A Tool for Articulating an Advocacy Theory of Change
This resource provides a step-by-step approach to developing effective advocacy strategies. It emphasizes understanding the problem and target audience, develop...
A User’s Guide to Advocacy Evaluation Planning
This resource covers key concepts related to advocacy, such as logic models and theories of change, and offers practical advice on how to design and implement e...
Washington Low-Income Housing Alliance
As a statewide champion for housing, the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance is a coalition of diverse organizations and individuals working together to buil...
Advocacy Resources
This webpage from the Nonprofit Association of Washington lists advocacy and lobbying resources for nonprofits.
Understanding the Legislative Process
This video reviews the basics of the legislative process in Washington State.
Advocacy That Builds Power: Transforming Policies and Systems for Health and Racial Equity
This report discusses the importance of advocacy in promoting health and racial equity. The report highlights the need for advocates to understand the root caus...
Lopez Island Family Resource Center Legislative Advocacy
This resource from the Lopez Island Family Resource Center offers practical guidance for legislative advocacy.
Washington State Legislature District Finder
Use this tool to enter your street address and find your legislative or congressional district.
Network Learning Session: Getting Started with Legislative Advocacy
This is a slide deck from the March 29th Network Learning Session: Getting Started with Legislative Advocacy
What Is Lobbying Under the 501(h) Election?
Federal tax law controls how much lobbying 501(c)(3) organizations can engage in. Public charities can choose to measure their lobbying under either the insubst...
Rules of 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Lobbying
This resource provides an overview of nonprofit lobbying definitions, describes types of lobbying and summarizes rules of 501(c)(3) nonprofit lobbying.
Resources – Stand For Your Mission
This webpage provides resources intended to help nonprofit decision-makers understand the basic components of good governance and serve their organization and t...
Public Charities Can Lobby: Guidelines for 501(c)(3) Public Charities
This fact sheet describes the limits within which 501(c)(3) public charities— including houses of worship and public foundations—can lobby.
Racial Equity and Policy Toolkit
This resource promotes racial equity in policy creation. It centers five principles to help promote racial equity in policy, both as an outcome and as a process...
Principles for Racially Equitable Policy Platforms
This resource advocates for racial equity across political policy platforms. It centers five principles to help promote racial equity in policy: fixing systems ...
Nonprofit VOTE
This webpage provides nonprofits with nonpartisan tools and resources to help the communities they serve participate in voting and democracy.
Monterey County: From Disenfranchisement to Voice, Power, and Participation
This report from Monterey County, California explores key questions that can be used to inform racial equity efforts in communities across the country. It offer...
Lobbying Under the Insubstantial Part Test
This resource defines and describes the “insubstantial part test” which is the default test that applies if your organization does not make the 501(...
Lobbying Flowchart
This graphic flowchart can help determine if your communication is considered lobbying under federal tax law rules for electing 501(c)(3) organizations.
Legal Tips on Using Social Media for Advocacy
This resource offers guidance on how 501(c)(3) organizations can legally use social media for advocacy and policy change.
Coalition Checklist
This resource is designed to guide organizations through the process of forming and working in coalition. It includes information about common forms of coalitio...
Build A Movement!
This resource was created to support nonprofit organizations in building capacity for advocacy work. It includes four different sections that detail different t...
Build a Movement: Using Public Policy to Achieve Your Mission
This guide offers information on how nonprofit organizations can advocate in policy settings. It identifies four foundational areas of focus needed to equip a n...
Build A Movement: Introduction and Groundwork
This guide provides an overview of the Build A Movement! framework, along with basic information on public policy, advocacy, and civics. It is intended for use ...
Build A Movement Templates and Sample Documents
This resource provides templates and sample documents
Advocacy Checklist
This self assessment checklist is designed for public charities to examine organizational policies and procedures that support their ability to conduct policy a...
501(h) Lobbying Limit Calculator
This downloadable Excel spreadsheet helps calculate the amount a 501(c)(3) organization can spend on lobbying per section 501(h). Users can enter an organizatio...
Practical Guidance: What Nonprofits Need to Know About Lobbying in Washington
This guide offers practical advice for nonprofits navigating rules and regulations related to lobbying. The guide includes a list of lobbying activities that re...
Build A Movement: Guide to Step-It-Up Advocacy
This guide provides information for nonprofit organizations in Washington state that are seeking to engage in lobbying. It details the rules and requirements fo...
Advocate – Nonprofit Association of Washington
This webpage provides reports, fact sheets, action alerts, quarterly public policy calls, and other resources to help keep nonprofit organizations in Washington...
Training and Events – Bolder Advocacy
This webpage lists upcoming training sessions, webinars, and events intended to help nonprofits and foundations advance their missions and serve their communiti...
Washington Ballot Measure Advocacy Chart
This fact sheet provides 501(c)(3)s with information in determining which ballot measure activities count towards an organization’s IRS lobbying limit, and wh...
Washington Voter Registration
This guide outlines Washington state voter registration law, including deadlines, photo ID requirements, and voter registration drives.
Washington Lobbying Disclosure
This guide outlines Washington state lobbying law, including registration and reporting requirements, and lobbying restrictions.
Washington Campaign Finance and Ballot Measure Guide
This guide describes campaign finance and ballot measure law in the state of Washington, including contributions, expenditures, and registering/reporting as a p...
Boulder Advocacy Technical Assistance Request
Complete this form to request advocacy-related technical assistance from Boulder Advocacy.
Bolder Advocacy
Resources and expertise to help nonprofits engage in advocacy work. Bolder Advocacy promotes active engagement in democratic processes and institutions by givin...
Black Lives Matter: A Movement in Photos
This gallery depicts the violence, rage, and protests of the Black Lives Matter movement across the country.
This is The Wake-Up Call for Nonprofits and Foundations To Get Political
This publication argues that the only way make a dent in social justice is if progressive nonprofits and foundations overcome their disdain of politics and full...
Eight Keys to Bridging Our Differences
As part of the Greater Good Science Center’s Bridging Differences initiative, this article explores the concept of bridging and provides eight key principles ...
Bridging or Breaking? The Stories We Tell Will Create the Future We Inhabit
This article by john a. powell implores readers to move past inclusion to belonging. This article also introduces two main types of stories—bridging stories, ...
The Problem of Othering: Towards Inclusiveness and Belonging
This article by john a. powell and Stephen Menedian explores the concept of “othering”, which encompasses all prejudices on the basis of group ident...
Why Leaders Should Cultivate Employee Groups to Foster Inclusion and High Performance
Highlighting the importance of creating communities within a community, this article advocates for companies to create employee groups for women, veterans, the ...
LGBTQ+ Health Equity Library
LGBTQ+ people belong everywhere. They deserve to live open, authentic lives without fear of discrimination, harassment, judgement, or violence. Despite decades ...
Unleashing the Power of the People: Lessons on Public Engagement for Environmental and Climate Justice
This report is a collection of case briefs which profiles five NAACP units with significant achievements in environmental and climate justice advocacy.
Data-Driven Policy Making In An Age Of Anecdotes: What Happens When A Foundation Creates A Policy Center?
This blog post focuses on the need for independent, nonpartisan public policy research centers. It features The Healing Trust’s journey to develop a polic...