Your nonprofit sometimes needs to influence policy to make the change that your community needs. Get the advice you need for effective advocacy with these tools shared on 4Good and available through ConnectVA’s Knowledge Center.

Is Advocacy Needed?

Your first step should be finding out what kind of advocacy your community needs, if any. Is your school system being overlooked? Are there unnecessary regulations that prevent you from maximizing your fundraising opportunities? Check out The Six Hour Community Problem Solving Conference to get started!

Running a Successful Campaign.

Once you’ve identified what kind of advocacy your community needs, it’s time to make sure you run a successful campaign. The difference between a successful campaign and an unsuccessful one often times involves compelling and well crafted communication. Check out Montana Advocacy and Communications Nonprofit Toolkit for helpful suggestions.

Am I Lobbying?

Advocacy can sound a lot like lobbying, so it’s important to know when your efforts turn into lobbying. If you’re going to be lobbying, there are a number of laws you need to know about. For more information on this, watch Advocacy and Lobbying: The Rules of the Road for Nonprofits.

How Can I Pass a Law?

If you learn best by seeing examples, read Breaking the Tire Cycle SB 167 to learn about the steps you may need to take to pass a particular law.

How Can I Fund Advocacy Efforts?

Often times you can find funders who will support advocacy. Get your questions answered in What Makes an Effective Advocacy Organization? Once you read that, go ahead and download Innovations in Cultural Competency:  Seeking Justice, Building Capacity for advice on how your organization can support advocacy work beyond grants.

Do you have any advocacy advice for organizations interested in lobbying? Do you have any success stories? Sign-in and post them on the ConnectVA Message Board!