Even now, as surprising as it may sound, the idea that philanthropy should stay away from policy and advocacy persists in many corners of the field. We tend to think of the trend toward policy work as relatively recent, but it’s not new. It’s not uncontroversial, either.

Philanthropy and  Equitable Policymaking

Supporting more equitable policymaking is not simply an “opportunity” for philanthropy; it’s a responsibility. Funders should use their resources to help address deep and persistent social challenges at all levels of government. And for all funders, whether they are brand new to policy and advocacy or have robust and sophisticated policy strategies, there are more options than ever to deepen their knowledge and practice.

3 Advocacy Resources for Donors

These include:

  • Bolder Advocacy: For new-to-advocacy funders and their staff, the best starting place is the Alliance for Justice’s Bolder Advocacy program, which provides easy-to-understand legal and compliance trainings for funders and nonprofits engaging in advocacy for the first time.
  • Issue and movement affinity groups: I am still surprised when I hear funders say they don’t know of any affinity groups in their field. Groups like Grantmakers In Health, Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation, Neighborhood Funders Group, and dozens of others are more than just places to convene. Increasingly, they also provide co-strategizing and co-funding opportunities for likeminded donors.
  • Philanthropic Policy Leaders Learning Community: The growth in philanthropy staff dedicated to policy and advocacy has been so fast and so pronounced that demand among this group has swelled for opportunities for professional development. In response, in partnership with Blue Shield of California Foundation and five other sponsors, Arabella launched and manages a new learning community for practitioners in philanthropy to come together across issues and discuss policy and advocacy and its relationship to evaluation, partnerships, power-building, and democracy. This group is a good fit for folks who have prior experience in policy and philanthropy and are looking for support with strategy, approach, and organizational design.

Read the full article about advocacy resources for donors by Andrew Peters at Arabella Advisors.