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

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Sign up today for a Nonprofit Webinar. Presenter Rachel Perry of United Way America will bring Media Relations 101: Getting Attention for your Nonprofit right to your phone and desktop October 23rd.

The V3 Campaign: Voice, Vote, Value , created a new website to provide constituents with convenient access to potential candidates in local, state, and federal elections. The site efficiently produces a way for active citizens to get answers while making a difference in society and joining together to make history.

The steps are simple: go to the website, enter your zip code, click send a letter and choose who you want it sent to. Candidates respond directly to those who ask questions. By forwarding the candidate’s reply to the V3 Campaign, your question becomes part of a blog where the responses can be rated and commented on by other individuals, forming a national dialogue about the future.

It’s that simple: Get answers right at your computer with a click of the mouse and help make change happen.

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Jurisdictions across the Washington, D.C. area are trying to staff their precincts with an abundant number of workers to accommodate the influx of voters expected at the polls for the coming election. Elections officials say they are preparing for what could be a record turnout, as a higher profile election attracts a greater number of interested citizens. The Washington Post published an article that stresses anticipated statewide voter turnout in both Maryland and Virginia will exceed 85 percent in the November election. Virginia, especially, is expected to have more voters at the poll than in previous elections considering the state’s unusual position this year as a swing state.

Poll workers commonly work out of a sense of civic responsibility rather than for the money, being that they typically make only $100 or $200 a day. Responsibilities include but are not limited to checking in voters, assisting with ballots, and driving poll information to elections headquarters. Additional workers, however, are currently necessary to prevent disgruntled voters from waiting in long lines, and to prevent current poll workers from being overworked, creating the possibility that mistakes be made.

To accommodate the rising number of voters at the polls, officials are hoping to recruit thousands of workers across various counties in the Washington, D.C. area before the election.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Nonprofit leaders have engaged in a movement to simplify the language that charities use to describe their mission or goals. According to the leaders, many charities use language that does not make sense to the individuals who they are trying most to reach---those who need and can benefit from the charities' services. The Chronicle of Philanthropy published an article that highlights the 'rebellion' that is ensuing as a result of the excessive jargon used by nonprofit leaders.

Many leaders are now going out of their way to promote plain talk. They feel that jargon often gets in the way of the message. In many cases, the organization has a very laudable goal or message, but the jargon prevents individuals outside of the organization from understanding the message or the issue. Also, some nonprofit leaders feel that the use of jargon can give the impression that the person using the jargon is an elitist or thinks he or she is intellectually superior to other people.

In the Philanthropy article, Gerard Broaud, a communications consultant and former television reporter, states that jargon is sometimes used because organizations "don't want to hurt the feelings of the people they're trying to help, so they end up inventing words that aren't just hard to understand but don't really mean anything."

As a result, words and phrases such as "situational awareness," "barriers to employment," "sustainability," and "reducing disparities" are used instead of simpler phrases that would more adequately describe what the organization does or what issue they are attempting to address.

However, even though more nonprofit leaders are aware of the need to reduce jargon, they still face resistance.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

While the age old Washington practice of coddling elected officials with large sums of cash is now looked upon with great disdain, the ethical advocacy efforts of nonprofits must not be placed alongside the actions of unethical and opportunistic lobbyists. A recent op-ed in The Chronicle of Philanthropy , by David Cohen and Larry Ottinger, provides ample justification for not drawing a parallel between the advocacy efforts of big businesses and the advocacy work of nonprofits. Aside from explaining the basic components of a proposed set of ethical principles for nonprofits, this op-ed also calls for increased numbers of pro bono lobbying and a more recent review of the original ethics code.

Cohen and Ottinger remind readers that: Public interest lobbying helps ensure that our government remains a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Posted by Andrea Wilson

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Rad, an online communications firm, shares several tips on how to improve your organization’s online profile:

1. Expand Your Circle of Friends: Use the search feature to recruit more users whom might be interested in your organization.

2. Profile Maintenance: Keep your organziation’s profile “fresh” by updating it once or twice a week with new facts, stories, videos, blog entries, photos, etc.

3. Casual Replies Win the Day: Messaging should not be wonky or preachy, a casual tone shall suffice.

4. Get to the Point: With hundreds of other organizational profiles competing to get their message out, shorter messages with links to more detailed information may be preferred to more lengthy descriptions.

5. Two-Way Communications: Asking members or friends to comment on various items posted to your profile and responding to their posts helps users know someone is reading their posts.



Posted by Andrea Wilson





Friday, June 13, 2008

Democracy In Action Conference

If your organization is a member of Democracy In Action, only three days remain to register for DIA’s very fist community conference. From June 26-27, member organizations will have the opportunity to participate in several breakout sessions stemming from three common tracks:

a) Online Tools & Strategies

b) Customization & Integration of the e-Customer Marketing Relationship (CMR) tool SALSA

c) Technical Support for Customizing SALSA and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).

With a keynote address by Lawrence Lessig and guidance from nonprofit IT leaders such as the Center for American Progress, Watershed, Bullseye Interactive Media and many others, this conference will provide several opportunities to glean expert advice from online fundraising and advocacy experts. To register, click here.

Posted by Andrea Wilson





Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Grants for Clean Elections Projects


Molilize.org is seeking grant applications from groups with ideas on how to engage young voters and encourage clean elections. The deadline is June 15.

The group's statement said it is:

focusing efforts on empowering members of the Millennial Generation to develop innovative clean elections practices, emphasizing the creation of public finance reforms at the local and state level. These types of reforms are intended to give voters more control over the government by making politicians accountable to voters rather than wealthy campaign contributors








Thursday, May 29, 2008

A Cash Prize for Nonprofit Collaboration


The Collaboration Prize

Introducing The Collaboration Prize, a $250,000 prize that recognizes collaborations among two or more US nonprofit organizations that each would otherwise provide the same or similar programs or services and compete for clients, financial resources and staff.

Nomination Accepted June 1, 2008 through 5 p.m. EDT on July 21, 2008.

For details click here.




Upcoming Training on Legal Rules for Advocacy


The Alliance for Justice lists opportunities for training on advocacy rules in all parts of the country.

Upcoming events include:


• Election-Related Activity for Nonprofits Washington, DC 05/30/08
• Updated Federal Lobbying Disclosure Act Rules for Nonprofits Web Workshop Online 05/30/08
• Lobbying Rules for Nonprofits Washington, DC 06/02/08
• Foundation Funding of Local, State and Federal Advocacy San Francisco, CA 06/03/08
• Election Rules for Nonprofits Columbia, MO 06/10/08

To get details click here.