Professor’s Commentary:
Advocacy and lobbying are two areas of nonprofit activity that are often misunderstood and wrapped in myth. It is often believed that nonprofits cannot lobby but this is untrue. Because of this belief, many nonprofits are reluctant to even engage in advocacy. The Council for Nonprofits Everyday Advocacy was started in the 1990s to counter the Istook amendment in the U.S. Congress which would have severely limited the use of private funds by nonprofit organizations and governmental units in political advocacy according to Cox and McClosky. The CLPI merged with the National Council of Nonprofits in 2012 and the National Council is now the primary source for advocacy and lobbying guidance. Please see this web site:
https://www.betterevaluation.org/en/resources/guides/Center_for_Lobbying_in_Public_Interest
What is advocacy?
Nonprofit advocacy is educating persons about issues that impact on them. It is not asking lawmakers to vote in a particular manner but rather to give them information about the clients being served and how their actions might impact those clients. Please see “Why is Public Policy Advocacy?”, which discussed advocacy and its importance to nonprofit activity in a powerful way.
What is lobbying?
If lobbying is about education, lobbying is about explicitly asking persons (citizens, elected officials, and appointed officials) to specifically back legislation or vote in a particular way. The best advice for a nonprofit in this regard is to take the 501(h). Please go to the Council of Nonprofits and read about the election and what it means for a nonprofit engaging in lobbying.
When lobbying the Federal Government, one must register and file quarterly reports if the lobbyist meets certain criteria and has a certain level of activity. See this web site:
Just as the federal government requires registration and reporting of lobbyists, so do the states. (See “50 State Lobbyist Registration Requirements.”)
One should pay special attention to the way that states define lobbying. Be sure to check out the requirements for your state.
Some Best Practices and Guidelines
Practically speaking, how do you do advocacy and lobbying? Please see this web site of the National Council on Aging.
Final Thoughts on Advocacy and Lobbying
To bring closure to the discussion of advocacy and lobbying, please go to this web site and t this short article from the Nonprofit Quarterly:
