The updated Essentials of Policy Advocacy for Grantmakers training will help foundation staff use their resources effectively to advance public policies that support the greater good. This training is designed for private foundation staff with a basic understanding of policy but also serves as a refresher for staff at all experience levels whose work touches policy advocacy.
Participants will leave with actionable tools, a refreshed understanding of compliance, and a blueprint for bringing policy work into your organization. The training will dive into practical strategies that blend direct services with advocacy, learning how to leverage available resources, from convening power to community partnerships, to create lasting, meaningful impact.
Who should attend:
- Private foundation staff with a basic understanding of policy work
- Foundation staff of all experience levels that incorporate policy advocacy into their work - such as those in leadership, communications, grants management, or strategic planning
Topics:
- Why engaging in policy advocacy is essential for foundations to achieve their goals
- A refresher on legal rules governing grantmaker funding and actions
- How staff roles across the foundation can support advocacy, and how to build internal buy-in for this work
- Characteristics of grantmaking that support effective policy advocacy
- How to leverage a foundation's assets, including reputation and relationships, to advance policy
- Vocabulary and framework to discuss risk strategically, moving from a binary "safe/unsafe" view to a "managed risk" mindset
- Funding vehicles that support effective policy advocacy
- Building strong, effective relationships with nonprofit partners and grantees
- How to evaluate partner contributions and navigate real-life challenges
- Action planning for integrating these strategies into your foundation's work
