Think your foundation’s nonprofit status prevents you from supporting grantees’ public policy advocacy? Do you think your public or private foundation has to stay away from advocating for community change? Think again! In this workshop, you'll learn the basic rules for nonprofit advocacy and lobbying, as well as your foundation’s right to maximize the advocacy impact of your grantee partners.

Please join the EPIP's Bay Area Chapter and Alliance for Justice's Bolder Advocacy for Investing in Change: Foundation Support for Lobbying and Other Advocacy.

Private and public foundations can play an important role in advocacy by engaging in advocacy themselves and funding their grantees to advocate on their issues. After this workshop, your foundation will have a clear understanding of the kinds of advocacy activities you can safely engage in and best practices for grantmaking to give your grantees the most flexibility under the law for their advocacy efforts.

Not sure how to make the case for funding advocacy? Uncertain whether you can fund grantees that lobby? Wondering whether your public or private foundation can speak out on a particular issue? This training answers these questions and more! The workshop is designed for foundation staff and trustees.

Participants will learn:

• Why public and private foundations should support advocacy, and an overview of activities that constitute advocacy and public policy work;
• Various advocacy roles for foundations, from convener to capacity builder;
• The federal tax code’s definitions of lobbying;
• Activities that are exceptions to the definitions of lobbying, including those which private foundations can engage in; and
• Rules for private and public foundation grants to nonprofits that lobby, including general support, specific project, and multi-year grants.

This session complements Investing in Change: A Funder’s Guide to Supporting Advocacy.

Note: This training workshop is designed and intended for grantmakers and other staff members of philanthropic institutions.

Light refreshments will be served. Join us for an on-site happy hour networking opportunity after the workshop from 4 – 5 pm!

TRAINING REGISTRATION FEES

• EPIP Members: $20
• Non-Members: $30

No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Please contact us at [email protected] if you have financial barriers to attending.