How to Move Your Organization’s Funding for AdvocacyForward™ A Presentation by The Advocacy Collaborative, LLC YWCA Capacity Building & Leadership Institute Palm Springs, Feb 4, 2016 ™

Copyright © 2015, The Advocacy Collaborative. All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2015, The Advocacy Collaborative. All Rights Reserved. No part of this presentation or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author.   This presentation was provided by Laurel O’Sullivan at the 2016 YWCA Leadership and Capacity Building Institute. Laurel O’Sullivan, is the Principal and Founder of the Advocacy Collaborative, LLC., For more information about Advocacy Collaborative services, please contact Laurel at laurel@advocacycollaborative.com or 847 401 9672. Posted to the YWCA Resource Library spring, 2016 Please note: this information is presented as a resource, not advice. YWCA resource materials are reserved for YWCA use only and copyright restrictions apply. For the development of any major agreement or plans, be sure to engage appropriate counsel.

Our Roadmap Introductions Assessment Exercise: Exploring the Gap 5 Pre Proposal Considerations 5 Steps to A Successful Proposal Exercise Insert the roadmap visual or the overview of the entire curriculum. February 4, 2016

Laurel’s Background Practice Lawyer, Policy Advocate Capacity Building Architect, Social Justice Board Member Theory Writer, Teacher, Speaker Advising, Consulting & Coaching 

Policy Advocacy - def A leadership strategy for advancing mission that requires taking a public position on a cause or issue to influence decision making.

5 Pre-Steps to Preparing Advocacy Proposal 1. Know Your Value! 2. It’s All About Them - Understand Your Funders! 3. It’s All About You! 4. Identify & Prepare Your Team 5. Arrive at Shared Understanding of Project Goals

Know Your Value! Stakeholders Past Success? Reputation? Positioning/Access? Recent Media Coverage Programs Are you a collaborator, deal maker, influencer? Self awareness is important Psychologicall this is important for all fundraising, it’s the foundation and basis for all that follows. And be clear on this is should rive and influence the process and proposal. Be consistent and undrstand how that translates into the proposal. February 4, 2016

How Does Advocacy Fit in Their Mission? Know Your Funder Private Foundation? Community Foundation? Individual Donor? How Does Advocacy Fit in Their Mission? file:///.file/id=6571367.3020752 You know one foundation, you know one foundation Lsat year 25, 639 private foundations in the US gave away $6.3 billion. This is $11,000 a second. Donors will give money to meet their needs and interests, not yours. The name of the game is to find a good marriage. Their Mission The Type of Foundation Their Experience with Advocacy Their Need for Outcomes

Remember....Its a Mutual Relationship Leadership Position Advancing Your Mission –Impacting public policy For most nonprofits, government funds > 50% of total Look at Annual Report (available online in most cases) or annual budget materials provided to board members How would your agency respond if this sector’s funding for core programs was cut dramatically February 4, 2016

Your Homework Before Meeting 1. Know the legal rules 2. Know their policies on funding advocacy 3 . Do meet in advance to decide on direction & general scope of proposal, including terms.

Core Management Functions Don’t Silo Advocacy DIT not....DIY! Core Management Functions Finance Fundraising Program Strategy Board Development Advocacy . 1. Share Donors Forum Story about siloing Advocacy was added to the mission, but we weren’t aligned across the organizaiton That meant there was a separate “dept” responsible for advocacy, supporting it---with communications, all our funding, grants, programming was separate rather than leveraging programming staff. Forces for Good statistic – on cost. Dramatically reduced costs of position by spreading responsibility across more than one position. Spent 8% of budget by spreading across organization and were able to leverage resources from across organizaiton AND it meant there was greater awareness.

Prepare Your Team Who is Needed to Complete the Work? Ideally cross departmental team Leverages Resources Demonstrates full organizational support to funders Leadership Position Advancing Your Mission –Impacting public policy For most nonprofits, government funds > 50% of total Look at Annual Report (available online in most cases) or annual budget materials provided to board members How would your agency respond if this sector’s funding for core programs was cut dramatically February 4, 2016

Arrive at Shared Understanding Questions: What Are Your Agreed Upon Goals? What Does Success Look Like? What are Everyone’s Roles? February 4, 2016

Exploring the Gap Exercise Take the Assessment & Score Line up! Where Is Your Organization in terms of Fundraising Readiness for Advocacy? Level 1: 1-10 Level 2: 11-19 Level 3: 20-29 Level 4: 30-40 February 4, 2016

5 Steps to Preparing A Winning Advocacy Proposal Engage – tell your story Leverage Your Assets - Connect the Dots with Your Strategies Be Accountable By Being Clear & Realistic Be Credible – Define Clear Outcomes Don’t Undersell Yourself Know Your Costs! In some ways advocacy is not unique from other fundraising, but there many things that make it unique February 4, 2016

What is a Proposal? A representation of your program – you don’t get second chances! A request – don’t forget to ask for the money! A persuasion A promise A plan Purpose: Gives you opportunity to get very clear on project idea by organizing concepts and ideas DO: February 4, 2016

Engage Funders With Your Compelling Story Introduce Your Organization Define the Problem Describe the Change you Seek Define Success This becomes your outline or template Introduce org - Highlight Your Thing of Value 2- data to demonsrate as proof Objectives Includes 3 things: methods, & means for evaluating success

Leverage Your Resources – Connect Your Organizational Dots for Funders Advocacy Strategic Plan Operations Programs Funding The Board Connect to strategy & Operations February 4, 2016

Be Accountable – Define Your Outcomes & How You will Measure Them Evaluation is the collection & measurement of data. It has two purposes: Learning & Impact. Decide Its ok to start simple with data collection Being clear and specific is most important Interim outcomes become important! Contribution not Attribution Unique characteristics of advocacy can make it challenging....anticipate & demonstrate to funder some knowledge and willingness to adapt. Complexity & attribution 2)Extended & often unending timeframe 3)Changing Milestones 4)Shifting context and strategies 5)Tight resources Implications for Advocacy: 1)Complexity & attribution February 4, 2016

A Helpful Framework for Demonstrating Accountability Lack of specificity about who will change and how they will change Sticking to outputs—or even outcomes—that are no longer relevant Assuming that “more” is better Mismatch between the tactics used and the outcomes expected Unrealistic expectations for change within the measurement period Establish your contribution Focus on interim outcomes & progress Use an approach that is quickly adaptable Re-think how you interpret success Consider timing and keep burden low February 4, 2016

A Helpful Framework to Avoid Common Mistakes in Measuring Advocacy Lack of specificity about who will change and how they will change Sticking to outputs—or even outcomes—that are no longer relevant Assuming that “more” is better Mismatch between the tactics used and the outcomes expected Unrealistic expectations for change within the measurement period Establish your contribution Focus on interim outcomes & progress Use an approach that is quickly adaptable Re-think how you interpret success Consider timing and keep burden low February 4, 2016

Be Accountable! Know Your Costs Salaries & Benefits ABC Foundation Contribution to Budget Other Sources CEO 10,000 5,000 Advocacy Director 30,000 Communications Staff 20,000 Office Supplies $1,000 $2,000 Travel 2,000 1,000 Consultant TOTAL $25,000 60,000 The budget "should be a realistic estimate of all costs involved in implementing and operating the project Cost estimates should be broken down into logical categories, such as salaries, supplies, rent, etc."  A budget not only outlines how the requested funds will be spent, but also how the money received from other sources will be allocated.   Example: February 4, 2016

4 Reasons Proposals Don’t Get Funded 1. Funders don’t believe you understand the problem 2. Funders don’t believe in your solution 3. Funders don’t believe in your qualifications 4. Funders don’t believe or trust your budget So much of this comes back to relationsihps

Exercise! Briefly Discuss 4 Part Proposal With a Partner & Identify One Key Challenge & How to Address. Bring Challenge to the Group Time: 10 minutes Sharing-10 Minutes Remember it’s a two way street. February 4, 2016

Questions, Comments--- Let’s Stay in Touch Laurel O’Sullivan, J.D. Principal & Founder The Advocacy Collaborative, LLC – www.advocacycollaborative.com Contact: laurel@advocacycollaborative.com 847 401 9672 @npoadvocacy.com Connect on Linked In! www.linkedin.com/in/laurelosullivan Copyright © 2015, The Advocacy Collaborative. All Rights Reserved. No part of this document or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author.