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

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The U.S. Supreme Court decided in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that corporations and unions may now directly and expressly advocate for the election or defeat of candidates for federal office, as long as they do not coordinate their efforts with campaigns or political parties. The impacts of the decision may be immense, both for nonprofit voter engagement and political discourse as a whole.

In response, many groups are working for effective campaign finance reform. One avenue to counter this decision would be to reduce the undue influence of special interest money in politics through implementing a system of public financing of elections. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) introduced the Fair Elections Now Act (S. 752), which would allow congressional candidates to run a campaign on public funds and unlimited small contributions. A similar bill sponsored by Reps. John Larson (D-CT) and Walter Jones, Jr. (R-NC) was also introduced in the House (H.R. 1826).

You can take action and send a letter to Congress in support of the Fair Elections Now Act. Sign the petition from FairElectionsNow.org and tellCongress to fight back.

For more information visit FairElectionsNow.org, a national effort to raise awareness on the Fair Elections Now Act and the public financing of elections.

According to a report by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), "if more local foundations were to support advocacy and organizing, communities could achieve even greater impact." The report estimated that for every dollar invested in the work of advocacy, organizing and civic engagement, there was $91 in benefits to local residents. This is the latest in NCRP's Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities series, focused on 15 nonprofits engaged in various socials causes in Los Angeles. Read the report in full here.

In addition, a recent article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy ($$) highlights advocacy efforts amongst charities, identifying the benefits of lobbying and the difficulties when it is completely new to an organization. Many nonprofits may have previously avoided lobbying out of resource or expertise concerns. However, the article notes, "that may be changing." Budget cuts at local, state, and federal agencies may have pushed charities to seek a more active role in government decision making.

Friday, March 12, 2010

NPR reports that foundations and nonprofits are taking an active role in promoting the census and making sure there is an accurate count. One of the organizations highlighted in the article is Voto Latino, which tries to encourage civic engagement by Latinos. Voto Latino is also one of two dozen groups splitting more than $1 million as part of the Illinois "Count Me In" campaign, which is funded by ten foundations.

One of Voto Latino's strategies was to develop a new mobile phone application to be used in Los Angeles County. Users download it, learn about the census and then take a quiz on what they've learned. Then they get to download five free songs by top recording artists, such as Pitbull and Morrissey. And the more they forward the link to friends, the more likely they'll be among a thousand people invited to a free "secret" concert somewhere in the L.A. area.

Those that nonprofits often serve, have the most to benefit from the census, but are also the least likely to participate. It is very important to educate the public that the census helps determine which communities get government funding for things like education and mass transit. "Charities also say an accurate census helps them with their own work, by giving them a better idea where the greatest needs are and how they might spend their charitable dollars in the years ahead."