BLOG for ADVOCATES

We created this blog to share interesting advocacy related items that cross our desks. It can be anything from new research on funding for advocacy to examples of unusual advocacy strategies. If you have an item to share please send it to npaction@npaction.org.
NPAction Staff

Monday, December 15, 2008

The Knowledge Congress is hosting a live webinar on How to Avoid Revocation of Tax-Exempt Status on Dec. 15 from 1-3 p.m.

The panelists will discuss Treasury Decision 9390, which includes provisions on "the final regulations that enumerate substantive requirements for tax exemption of organizations, including measures [that] organizations should adopt in order to maintain their tax exempt status."

A copy of the webinar can be ordered by clicking here.

Friday, December 12, 2008

To help highlight the importance of community organizing as a change strategy, the Alliance for Justice has developed Resources for Evaluating Community Organizing (RECO). RECO includes detailed summaries of resources so users can find what is most useful for their evaluation needs. The resources include case studies, tools and methodologies, and theoretical approaches to evaluation.

The RECO site states; "To create RECO we scanned a large field of resources and included those we found to be most useful. Our goal in compiling this listing of resources was not to rate or rank them, and, while we have included dozens of references there are undoubtedly some that we have missed and more that will be available in the future. We invite you to share stories of how you have used specific resources and offer your feedback on their usefulness."

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published the "ABC's for Exempt Organizations" on its website. The article features links to resources from the IRS on various subjects including :

• Applying for Tax-Exempt Status
• Compliance Guide for 501(c)(3) Public Charities
• On-Line Workshops and Mini-Courses
• Annual Electronic Filing Requirement for Small Exempt Organizations - Form 990-N (e-Postcard)
• And much more

Monday, December 08, 2008

According to a press release from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), "foundations should turn to the underutilized strategy of supporting advocacy, organizing and civic engagement to be more effective at addressing social issues, recession or no recession."

A new report from NCRP "Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities," found that "for every dollar invested in the 14 advocacy and organizing groups studied, New Mexico’s residents reaped more than $157 in benefits."

"By providing financial support to those advocacy nonprofits involved in the effort to increase our state's minimum wage, foundations went beyond using a Band Aid to address poverty in New Mexico," said Terry Odendahl, president of the New Mexico Association of Grantmakers (NMAG), a partner in the study. "They realize how policy change is critical in addressing social problems."

The report details how New Mexico's economy has benefited from policy changes advocated for by local nonprofits and some successful efforts by the fourteen New Mexico nonprofits on various issues. It also describes the benefits of community building and enhanced civic participation.

You can read the report, "Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities" here.

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

The National Campaign for Fair Elections, a project of the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights, has launched an effort encouraging people to contact their congressional representatives to express their desire for universal voter registration. Under the desired proposal, voter registration would be automatic and permanent.

To learn more about the campaign's efforts and to view or sign the campaign's computer generated form, click here.