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This donor story originally appeared in The Stanford PACS Guide to Effective Philanthropy.
How to Impact Public Policy as a Donor —Frayda Levy¹
I believe donors can make a positive impact on public policy, though it’s a multi-part process. You have to get the right people elected, and because of that I’m on the board of Club for Growth. You need to elect people who believe in and understand economic liberty, and have a willingness to fight. Then you have to engage citizens to support and press legislators.
That’s why I’m involved in Americans for Prosperity. When people willing to stick their necks out for liberty get to Capitol Hill, they need support. And for the long haul, you need to shape culture.
Unless you have people who understand the value of economic liberty, and the dangers from losing it, you’re not going to get citizens actively involved. So you have to create a culture that educates and motivates people. The liberty movement hasn’t really had much support from culture-purveying institutions. Yet many people hold our views anyway. Can you imagine if we could engage culture well, how many more people we could bring along?
Read the full guide here.
¹ Adapted from an interview originally conducted by Philanthropy magazine
(PhilMag.com) for their Fall, 2018 issue. philanthropyroundtable.org/philanthropy-magazine/article/interview-with-frayda-levy