Advocacy and policy

Sixteen Grantmaking Characteristics to Effectively Support Public Policy Advocacy

Posted on July 6, 2022 by Sara Watson, Alliance for Justice

illustrated image of US Capitol building in red on a blue background; Bolder Advocacy report cover
Created by Bolder Advocacy in partnership with Dr. Sara Watson, this resource outlines the sixteen characteristics of grantmaking that best supports effective policy education and advocacy.  Grantmaking that effectively supports the difficult task of informing and advancing policy change has specific characteristics. Learn about the 1) technical funding structures, 2) the content of what gets funded, and 3) considerations across… Read More

Nonpartisan Advocacy in Partisan Times

Posted on June 6, 2022 by Christine Chen, Natalie Roetzel Ossenfort, Stacey Faella

Black and white photo of the United States Capitol building
Election years provide a great opportunity for foundations and their grantees to highlight issues and interact with candidates and the voting public. However, 501(c)(3)s cannot support or oppose candidates, and must avoid the appearance or reality of electioneering and other partisan activity. This salon will highlight some common pitfalls and provide suggestions and tips for avoiding them. Participants will learn:… Read More

Families Funding Advocacy and Policy Change

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Julie Fernandes, Sara Watson, David Addams

Hands in air_protesting_advocacy
Advocacy is an important tool for funders seeking to address systemic inequalities ingrained in our policies and practices, and it can be the sole focus of an organization or an additional strategy employed to create lasting change. Many families pursue advocacy because of a founder’s interest or legacy, while others have introduced advocacy into their grantmaking portfolio after listening to… Read More

Policy Influence: What Foundations Are Doing and Why

Posted on June 8, 2020 by Center for Effective Philanthropy

Among its key findings, Policy Influence shows that foundation leaders clearly believe in influencing policy as an important lever for change. This report seeks to provide foundation staff, leaders, and boards with data and insights that will spur them to candidly discuss philanthropic involvement in public policy — and help guide their own practices to engage in policy efforts more thoughtfully as they work to achieve their goals… Read More

“Pretty Good Tools” for Collaboration, Strategy, and Partnership

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Audrey Haberman, Lisa Galaites

If you’re a philanthropy practitioner — staff member or trustee — these tools should be useful. The Giving Practice works with foundations and philanthropy organizations of all types and sizes, and they hear common questions and dilemmas. The Giving Practice's consultants are developed Pretty Good Tools to help you with the more challenging aspects of your job… Read More

The Story of How the Civil Marriage Collaborative Helped America Embrace Marriage Equality

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Proteus Fund

There were many forces at work in this historic change: tenacious leaders and litigators, coalitions of diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organizations, straight individual and organizational allies, elected officials, celebrities, and most important, hundreds of thousands of individuals, couples and families at the grassroots level… Read More

How Social Justice Giving Honors Our Roots and Strengthens Communities – NCRP

Posted on July 21, 2016 by National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy

In this paper, we offer a snapshot of family philanthropy as it often is practiced today, including what makes traditional family philanthropy different from other forms. It is our hope that our suggestions will be considered when developing strategy, both by family funders for whom our research rings true, and for those whose experiences differ. … Read More

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