1. How to Cultivate Advocacy Forward Board Leadership
Laurel O’Sullivan, J.D.
The Advocacy Collaborative, LLC
YWCA Capacity Building & Leadership Institute
Palm Springs, Feb 4, 2016
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.
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 or
Posted to the YWCA Resource Library spring, 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 ™

2. Our Roadmap Introductions Exploring the Gap Exercise
3 Steps to Engaging Your Board
What Does Your Board Need to Know About Advocacy? (Educate)
What’s Your Advocacy Context (Motivate)
Developing Your Organizing Strategy
4. Exercise: Develop Board Engagement Strategy
Insert the roadmap visual or the overview of the entire curriculum.
February 4, 2016

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

4. Strong Boards are Essential to Strong Advocacy Organizations
New Board Source Campaign launched in 2015
Goal: change norms.
Advocacy is now one of 10 Functions of high performing boards.
Show Them What’s Possible
This helps mitigate against the earlier concerns.
February 4, 2016

5. Yet...We Create Barriers Between Advocacy & Our Missions
Fail to see “greater good”
Risk Averse Culture
Lack of Knowledge
Mission
First thing we do wrong---we put up barriers between Advocacy and Our Mission. So Before we can talk about integrating advocacy across an organization, we need to build awareness of The first common level of challenges
Most prevalent are perceived as external....but want to challenge this?
Show of hands....whose my common barriers are? 1) Funding? 2) Risk Averse Culture, Board, Uncertainty About legal Rules? 3) Lack of Staff Skills?
FUNDING-It turns out there is a significant correlation between budget size and public policy engagement.
90% of organizations with budgets less than $1 million are unlikely to engage in public policy.
As budgets increase the more likely they are to engage in Lobbying.
And the more likely it is that someone else besides the Executive Director is responsible for advocacy.
Receiving government funding appears to dilute advocacy. First, perception that government can then “shape” your advocacy efforts by placing additional demands on nonprofits and out of a fear there may be retribution.
When it comes to foundations funding advocacy there are several major hurdles for nonprofits: (SLIDE24)
First, while it is slowly changing, many foundations are still reluctant to fund advocacy. And they minimize it or ignore which is evidenced by such practices as:
Unnecessarily restricting advocacy in their grant agreements, which is not legally required.
Insisting on using the word “education” in place of the word “advocacy”
Second they don’t often provide ongoing support because their boards are impatient and want quick results. The practice of applying outcome evaluation to advocacy doesn’t work. We need to embrace both qualitative and quantitative markers to talk about our impact
2) Staff turnover is an ongoing problem in the nonprofit sector, especially when it comes to finding and recruiting policy staff, in part because there aren’t as man of them. .
February 4, 2016

6. And We Fail to Plan.... February 4, 2016
First thing we do wrong---we put up barriers between Advocacy and Our Mission. So Before we can talk about integrating advocacy across an organization, we need to build awareness of The first common level of challenges
Most prevalent are perceived as external....but want to challenge this?
Show of hands....whose my common barriers are? 1) Funding? 2) Risk Averse Culture, Board, Uncertainty About legal Rules? 3) Lack of Staff Skills?
FUNDING-It turns out there is a significant correlation between budget size and public policy engagement.
90% of organizations with budgets less than $1 million are unlikely to engage in public policy.
As budgets increase the more likely they are to engage in Lobbying.
And the more likely it is that someone else besides the Executive Director is responsible for advocacy.
Receiving government funding appears to dilute advocacy. First, perception that government can then “shape” your advocacy efforts by placing additional demands on nonprofits and out of a fear there may be retribution.
When it comes to foundations funding advocacy there are several major hurdles for nonprofits: (SLIDE24)
First, while it is slowly changing, many foundations are still reluctant to fund advocacy. And they minimize it or ignore which is evidenced by such practices as:
Unnecessarily restricting advocacy in their grant agreements, which is not legally required.
Insisting on using the word “education” in place of the word “advocacy”
Second they don’t often provide ongoing support because their boards are impatient and want quick results. The practice of applying outcome evaluation to advocacy doesn’t work. We need to embrace both qualitative and quantitative markers to talk about our impact
2) Staff turnover is an ongoing problem in the nonprofit sector, especially when it comes to finding and recruiting policy staff, in part because there aren’t as man of them. .
February 4, 2016

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

8. 3 Steps to Engaging Your Board
Educate
Motivate
Organize!
February 4, 2016

9. 1.Educate Your Board Regularly About Advocacy
Its important to both provide them with information while anticipating and responding to their concerns.
Emphasize Leadership Position
February 4, 2016

10. Barrier #1: Most Board Members Don’t “get” Advocacy
Eliminating Racism
Advocacy
Research/Analysis
Regulatory Advocacy
Public education
Educating Policymakers
Coalition building
Grassroots Communication
Media Outreach
Lobbying
Improving Health & Safety of Women & Girls of Color
You need to help them “see” advocacy
Bring in peer organizations & other experts
Empowering Women& Girls of Color
February 4, 2016

11. Key Board Concern #2: We Can’t Lobby
Remember it’s a two way street.
February 4, 2016

12. Distinguish Lobbying from Advocacy
Yes We Can!
Distinguish Lobbying from Advocacy
Any communication
About a Specific Piece of Legislation
To an Elected Official OR The Public
Call to Action (grassroots)
Lobbying
Express specific view (Direct)
As defined by federal tax law, lobbying is any attempt to influence specific legislation.
Regulations divide lobbying into two types: direct and grassroots.
Direct lobbying is any attempt to influence legislation through communication with any member or employee of a legislative body or any other government official who may participate in the formulation of legislation.
Grassroots lobbying is any attempt to influence legislation by swaying the opinion of the general public. In this case, the organization encourages the public to lobby.
Here is a quick 4 point check on lobbying
Direct Lobbying Grassroots – same + call to action
Communication
with a Legislator
that expresses a View about Specific Legislation
February 4, 2016

13. Key Board Concern #3: Confusing Politics with Policy (Do - Share with them IRS Rule Prohibiting Partisan political activity)
Remember it’s a two way street.
February 4, 2016

14. Key Board Concern #4: It Will Create Conflict!
Remember it’s a two way street.
February 4, 2016

15. Key Board Concern #5: Risk Management Concerns: Will we lose funding
Key Board Concern #5: Risk Management Concerns: Will we lose funding? Draw unwanted attention? Make stakeholders unhappy?
Remember it’s a two way street.
February 4, 2016

16. Educate Board Members On Their Role
Connect Governance Duties with Advocacy
Remind them their first loyalty is to the mission.
Help them to see themselves as community leaders. Provide opportunities for showing.
What Assets are they Willing to Leverage?
Executive Director’s Roles:
Agency lead in advocacy & lobbying
Guides & supports Board members’ advocacy
Provides data & insight on budget & policy issues
Serves as primary link to advocacy coalitions
…and a lot of other stuff
Board Members’ Roles:
Setting overall direction & scope (Board Advocacy Committee?)
Strategic leveraging of community connections & resources
Lobbying!
February 4, 2016

17. 2. Motivate Your Board February 4, 2016 Show Them What’s Possible
Remind them the position your org occupies
February 4, 2016

18. Connect the Dots for Them
First the “Why”...
Connect the Dots for Them
External Landscape
Are Programs enough?
Our Role?
What Do They Need?
Constituents
Mission
Contrast with earlier graphic.
Here are the reasons why we should engage in advocacy
Funding for Victims of Domestic Violence cut by $1.5 billion
Always Start with mission – 1) any language speak directly? 2) how does
February 4, 2016

19. Establish Shared Understanding
Then the “What”...
Establish Shared Understanding
What are our advocacy goals?
How do we define the community we serve?
What issues are of concern to them? Do we regularly hear from the community?
What does your community need from your Board?
As community leaders---where can we make a difference?
Show Them What’s Possible
This helps mitigate against the earlier concerns.
February 4, 2016

20. 3. Organize Your Board
A precursor to taking action
February 4, 2016

21. Who Is On Your Advocacy Team?
Board members are part of a Unified Team – each with a unique perspective but all speaking the same message
Whom else would you want to include on your agency’s advocacy team –
Residents/clients
Neighbors
Faith community
Business leaders
Media stars
Former electeds
And whom else???
Elected Official
Staff Lead
Board Members
Other Community Voices
Define Staff’s Roles
February 4, 2016

22. Recruiting Board Members
Recruit Board Members with Advocacy experience
Create a Board Member Job Description & Include advocacy
Peer – to Peer Education Best
Establish expectaions early
February 4, 2016

23. Know Who Is On Your Board
The Worrier
The Agnostic
The Champion
And what they need?
February 4, 2016

24. What Are Your Board’s Strengths?
Agenda setting, Strategic & tactical advice, staffing and resources.
February 4, 2016

25. What Structure Will Best Support Your Ongoing Advocacy Efforts?
February 4, 2016

26. It’s a Partnership....What Do They Need From You?
Remember it’s a two way street.
February 4, 2016

27. Exercise! Using the 3 Steps Develop a Board Engagement Strategy for Your Organization With a Partner. Time: 10 minutes Then Report Out & Sharing
Remember it’s a two way street.
February 4, 2016

28. Questions, Comments--- Let’s Stay in Touch
Laurel O’Sullivan, J.D.
Principal & Founder
The Advocacy Collaborative, LLC –
Contact:
@npoadvocacy.com
Connect on Linked In!