Giving Compass' Take:

• Nonprofit VOTE, the Council on Foundations, and Independent Sector created a toolkit of resources to help funders understand how to successfully implement their public policy and voter engagement efforts.

• Why are small staffed foundations better suited to do voter engagement work? 

• Read about how donors can support a robust democracy. 

To help more foundations get involved with policymaking, candidate education, and voter engagement, Nonprofit VOTE worked with the Council on Foundations and Independent Sector to create resources that would illustrate best practices and put to rest concerns. The result is The Voter Engagement Toolkit for Private Foundations and The Voter Engagement Toolkit for Community Foundations.

Democracy is more than an idea; it is a goal that requires not only constant rigor to achieve but constant vigilance to protect. And more often than not, it is philanthropic organizations—private and community foundations large and small—that are doing the good, hard work of making sure people can reach the levers of democracy to better their lives and their communities.

Many foundations are still unsure how to successfully execute or fund public policy and voter engagement. Others are hesitant, wary of how to start for fear of appearing partisan. And that’s what concerned

The core of each toolkit explores four strategies that get at the heart of voter engagement:

  • Communications
  • Nonprofit trainings and funder collaborations
  • Language in grant agreements and RFPs
  • Voter engagement grantmaking

Having deep ties to local communities, small-staffed foundations are perfectly positioned to engage and empower citizens. We hope these resources will be useful as you continue to strengthen democracy and uplift voices often left out of the nation’s policymaking and political processes.

Read the full article about how funders can influence policy and engagement by James Hill at Exponent Philanthropy