Advocacy and Lobbying

This Content Collection features a series of guides and resources on advocacy and lobbying from Learn Foundation Law, a free first-of-its-kind resource for private and family foundations, as well as NCFP webinars and other resources on advocacy grantmaking strategies. Also included is research on the rate of return on investing in advocacy strategies, as well as case studies of a number of family foundations, both small and large, that have used advocacy as a core part of their giving strategy.

Please see the NCFP Content Collection on Systems Change for related information and resources.

Start Here: Learn Foundation Law Course List

Advocacy and Lobbying Rules for Private Foundations

Video

The legal staff at the Packard Foundation, Gates Foundation, Hewlett Foundation and Moore Foundation developed this free, first-of-its-kind resource, which covers the basic legal rules around what staff are allowed to fund and engage in at a private foundation. It takes less than an hour to complete and features “Maya,”…

Electioneering Rules for Private Foundations and Public Charities

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The legal staff at the Packard Foundation, Gates Foundation, Hewlett Foundation and Moore Foundation developed this free, resource, which covers the basic legal rules around the electioneering prohibition. It takes about ninety minutes to complete and features "Maya," a program officer that helps participants through the course.

Expenditure Responsibility Rules for Private Foundations

Video

The legal staff at the Packard Foundation, Gates Foundation, Hewlett Foundation and Moore Foundation developed this free, resource, which covers the basic legal rules around expenditure responsibility. It takes less than thirty minutes to complete and features “Maya,” a program officer that helps participants through the course.

Working with Government Officials: Rules for Private Foundations

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This free resource covers the rules for private foundations related to working with government officials and takes approximately 60 minutes to complete. The training features “Maya,” a program officer that helps participants through the course in a way that reflects actual experiences.

Case Studies of Families and Funders

The Story of How the Civil Marriage Collaborative Helped America Embrace Marriage Equality

Report

There were many forces at work in this historic change: tenacious leaders and litigators, coalitions of diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organizations, straight individual and organizational allies, elected officials, celebrities, and most important, hundreds of thousands of individuals, couples and families at the grassroots level.

Additional Research and Perspectives

Policy Influence: What Foundations Are Doing and Why

Report

Among its key findings, Policy Influence shows that foundation leaders clearly believe in influencing policy as an important lever for change. This report seeks to provide foundation staff, leaders, and boards with data and insights that will spur them to candidly discuss philanthropic involvement in public policy — and help…

Sixteen Grantmaking Characteristics to Effectively Support Public Policy Advocacy

Report

Created by Bolder Advocacy in partnership with Dr. Sara Watson, this resource outlines the sixteen characteristics of grantmaking that best supports effective policy education and advocacy.  Grantmaking that effectively supports the difficult task of informing and advancing policy change has specific characteristics. Learn about the 1) technical funding structures, 2)…