Events
Webinar Series
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Foundation Support for Lobbying and Engaging Policy Makers—Bolder Advocacy Series
October 23, 2024 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm PDT
Join us for a webinar series exploring how funders can effectively support a wide array of advocacy strategies within a food and agriculture context. Organized in partnership with Alliance for Justice’s Bolder Advocacy Program, these 4-sessions will provide funders with practical information and skill building opportunities in supporting election season advocacy and policymaker engagement, and how to structure policy related grants.
We encourage attendance at all four webinars to maximize learning, though recordings will be made available for those unable to attend live. SAFSF will host a concluding reflection session to synthesize insights, discuss integrating learnings into 2025 funding strategies, and address ongoing challenges.
This webinar series is available as a benefit for SAFSF members. Not a member? Join our community by contacting our Senior Membership Associate, Holly Enowski at [email protected] to receive an application or for an information call.
Goals
This virtual programming series will enable SAFSF members to:
- Understand why engaging in policy advocacy is essential for foundations and investors to achieve their missions;
- Build support across the foundation for policy advocacy engagement;
- Understand characteristics of grantmaking that support effective policy advocacy;
- Understand how to comply with lobbying restrictions and build relationships with policymakers;
- Build relationships and learn from peers engaged in policy advocacy funding.
Outcomes
After attending this virtual programming series, SAFSF members should feel confident in:
- Recognizing the broad scope of activities and strategies that can be considered policy advocacy;
- Initiating or continuing conversations with foundation board members about prioritizing policy advocacy; and
- How to support grantees engaged in policy advocacy.
Part 2
Private and public foundations can play an important role in influencing policy, such as the farm bill, by engaging in advocacy and funding their grantees to advocate on their issues. This workshop will provide your foundation with a clear understanding of why including policy advocacy as a deliberate organizational strategy can help you achieve your goals, the kinds of advocacy activities you can safely engage in, and how to build effective relationships with policymakers.
Not sure how to make the case for funding issue advocacy? Wondering whether your public or private foundation can speak out on a particular issue? This training designed for foundation staff and trustees will answer these questions and more.
SAFSF Members will learn:
- Why public and private foundations should support advocacy and build relationships with policymakers to advocate for a sustainable food system;
- An overview of activities that constitute advocacy and public policy work;
- Various advocacy roles for foundations;
- The tax code’s definitions of lobbying;
- Activities that are exceptions to the definitions of lobbying, including those which private foundations can engage; and
- Rules for private and public foundation grants to nonprofits that lobby, including general support, specific project, and multi-year grants.
Speaker:
Tim Mooney is senior counsel with the Bolder Advocacy Program at Alliance for Justice. He provides one-on-one technical assistance for nonprofit advocates, teaches nonprofit and election law workshops and writes on these issues for Bolder Advocacy publications. This is his second tour with Alliance for Justice, having previously served as senior counsel from 2001-2006.
Tim began his legal career as co-founder and counsel for Columbia Riverkeeper, working to protect and restore the largest watershed in the Pacific Northwest. Following his first five years with Alliance for Justice, Tim was senior counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. He spent the next decade as general counsel and director of operations for Tranquil Space yoga studios and later consulted on legal, tech and business operations for entrepreneurs and nonprofits. Tim serves on the board of directors of Pigs & Pugs Project, a charity that supports pig sanctuaries and pug rescue organizations.
Tim earned his B.S. in Environmental Studies from Syracuse University/SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and his J.D. from Pace University School of Law.
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