Developing a Nonprofit Advocacy Agenda

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Toward a Common AgendaLaurel O’Sullivan, The Advocacy Collaborative, LLCThe Alliance for Human Services, Quarterly Meeting

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Slide Title October 23, 2013

We agreed to advocate now what?

P

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Where Do We Want to Go?

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Frehs specturm

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There’s a lot we can do,

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Advocacy

Bill/referendum/

ballot measure

Elected

official/executive office/staff

Opinion

Ask (Grassroots)

We need to know when we are lobbying

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Electioneering

Partisan Activities

Here’s 2 things we cannot do!

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Insubstantial Part

Test – Vague

501h- preferred

!

We need to track our time spent lobbying

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Let’s review what the Committee has discussed

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We will educate policymakers on implications of Funding Gap

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Proportionate decrease in funding

Increasing rates of poverty among Latinos and children

We will educate policymakers on service/needs gap

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We will support the temp income tax increase

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We need to be sure we are prepared

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The Board has a critical leadership role to play

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We need to make sure we have the right systems in place

• Policies and Systems:• Governance• Committee structures

• Position statement – process• Guiding Principles

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Leadership

Adapative Capacity

The “How” of advocacy: pre- planning

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“Who” before “What”

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People and groups that will benefit from a proposed law

People and groups that will benefit form your organization’s

success

People and groups that influence

opinion and make decisions

We need to know who our stakeholders are

We need to set the right goals that align with our mission, vision and values

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continually improving the quality of human services available in Lake County, Illinois

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To ensure the quality of life for people in our communities, The

Alliance will take a leadership role to:

Promote collaboration

Enable the delivery of innovative sustainable programs and accessible services

Advocate for the human service sector

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What’s our vision?

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Access to Health CareImmigration Reform

State Budget – more funding Alleviating income in equality

Prompt Payment

Building capacity of our members

Coordination of client services

Leadership

ServiceValue for our members

Innovation

Increasing membership

We need to set the right goals that align with our mission, vision and values

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We need to leverage our strengths and identify targets

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Why - advocacy?

Slide Title October

The landscape is changing

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Federal

Federal government shut down, diviseness over funding ACA and debt ceiling extension

State

Medicaidization of the budget, deficit, chronic budget shortfalls

Local

Vast inequalities, service gaps, growing immigrant population, static funding

It’s a strategy for impact

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Direct Service•Greater on the ground impact•Grassroots support•Channels for implementing ideas

Policy Advocacy•Greater impact through legislation•Increased credibility and influence•Government funding

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Where Do We Want to Go?

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Frehs specturm

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