Policymakers never stop working, so it’s always the right time to engage legislators and officials. Your presence ensures policymakers hear your concerns, while absence might lead to them overlooking your issues. Foundations and their trustees tend to opt out of meeting with elected officials. But not only do policymakers need to hear from philanthropists, they want to hear from you. Learn how your foundation can understand and participate in the political process and get tips for meeting with government officials in this blog.

Understand and Participate in the Political Process

Philanthropists bring money, knowledge, and many other resources to the policy table — an unusual and enviable position. Here are specific strategies from our Advocacy Field Guide that foundations can use to better understand and participate in the political process.

Know the Policymakers

The best thing foundations can do to become effective at advocacy is to build personal relationships. You may think you know how a policymaker will make their decisions, but do you really know their internal motivations? Your donors and trustees may already have relationships with local and state legislators or other officials; these can be a beginning point. The best way to establish a relationship is to visit and talk about issues you care about.

Start Early

Effective advocacy demands that foundations not show up at the last minute to a policy conversation. Smart philanthropists have learned that building long-standing and sustainable relationships with policymakers and their staff takes time and patience.

Be Relevant

Policymakers are responsive to the public. If something is important to voters, it is important to elected officials and their staff. The more topical your policy requests are, the more likely policymakers will be to engage with you and your foundation. For example, foundations have long experience working in education and disaster relief and recovery. At critical moments, that knowledge is priceless to the public sector.

Be Principled Without Being Partisan

Politicians will do their best to win you to their side. However, most also understand that your role as a foundation is to provide nonpartisan and unbiased information to all sides. Your job is not to pick winners and losers but to help solve issues important to the community.

Be Present

Politics is about presence. Never miss a chance to make your case in an official setting. You can use the political process in these settings and in these ways:

  • Monitor regulatory and administrative hearings.
  • Participate in legislative briefings and organized meetings at legislatures and other government functions.
  • Participate in city council, school board and county commissioner meetings.
  • Meet directly with policymakers at all levels of government.
  • Meet with candidates for elected offices at the county or state level.
  • Convene other funders to directly engage policymakers about shared concerns and interests.
  • Conduct town hall meetings with policymakers.
  • Sponsor candidate debates.
  • Provide and support public testimony.

As a funder, you have power and a voice that many others in society don’t have. Be aware of your power and embrace it without losing your sense of responsibility and humility. Recognize when and where lending your voice and reputation can make a big difference to advance the public good.

Read the full article about foundations and the political process at Exponent Philanthropy.