Many nonprofits want to engage in advocacy in relation to their work. Whether it is supporting or opposing the passage of state-level legislation that will make a difference to their stakeholders, engaging in budget discussions, or working at the federal – or even municipal – level for visibility or legislative advocacy. However, many questions often face nonprofits when thinking about engaging in this work, perhaps creating wariness of participating in any form of political advocacy.

This workshop is intended as a one-day introduction to provide nonprofits or public sector leaders with tools for effective non-partisan advocacy and lobbying. We will cover the difference between advocacy and lobbying, laws and other regulations that constrain particular activities, and how the three levels of government (municipal/local, state, and federal) can be approached. We will also provide information on when to register as a lobbyist, disclosures that may be required, how government entities can lobby government, and some basics related to campaign finance and gift rules. We are also planning a panel discussion with bipartisan legislators (to be confirmed) to discuss how they have engaged effectively with nonprofits and public sector leaders. Participants will leave with the tools to begin to engage in advocacy or lobbying as a nonprofit or public sector leader, with effective building blocks to be impactful in the public policy arena at the local, state, or national level.