Search Results

publication Oct 2016

Primer on Social Welfare Organizations: Using 501(c)(4) Organizations for Good

The primer covers the big questions that advocates and funders ask, including how 501(c)(4)s are unique, what kinds of activities they can undertake, who donates to them, and what rules govern donor disclosure. Brief descriptions of real-world examples help illustrate how (c)(4)s have played key roles in advancing causes such as marriage equality and immigration reform.

By Alliance for Justice

publication Oct 2016

No More Half Measures

Funders can get better at designing grantmaking strategies that meet the dual demands of advocacy capacity needs and the realities of the policy and political landscape. This brief explores how funders can support policy campaigns while also building advocacy capacity, instead of just picking one approach or the other.

By Scott Downes

insight Sep 2016

Could Foundations Have Mounted A Better Defense of the Affordable Care Act?

The Atlantic Philanthropies sought to explore what supportive funders did to advance the ACA’s odds of success following enactment. The author focused on a mix of national funders and those that worked in selected states, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Community Catalyst, The California Endowment and The Atlantic Philanthropies itself.

By Michael Booth

publication Aug 2016

Evaluating Legal Advocacy: A How-To Guide for Evaluators, Funders and Advocates

This brief by TCC Group introduces an evaluation framework for legal advocacy, along with information about how legal advocacy evaluators can use various approaches to evaluate these strategies.

By Jared Raynor, Deepti Sood

publication Aug 2016

Stepping into the Fight: A Guide for Nonprofits to Understand and Engage in Legal Advocacy

TCC Group describes how legal advocacy can be a synergistic partner to other advocacy strategies, including legislative advocacy, grassroots mobilizing, public awareness and education, and media campaigns. The guide dives into how advocacy organizations can think about engaging in legal advocacy and look at their own readiness to engage in this work.

By Jared Raynor, Deepti Sood

publication Aug 2016

Stepping into the Fight: A Funder’s Guide for Understanding and Supporting Legal Advocacy

This guide from TCC Group introduces funders to the concept of legal advocacy, what questions funders should ask themselves to know if the foundation is ready to fund legal advocacy, and how to best support legal advocacy.

By Jared Raynor, Deepti Sood

publication Apr 2016

Measuring Political Will: Lessons from Modifying the Policymaker Ratings Method

Advocates often seek to move political will as a way to build champions who will drive their issue through the policy process. This brief shares three scenarios where a method for measuring political will was modified. It offers lessons about the tool, the process, and the kinds of products that can be created.

publication Jan 2016

Beyond The Win: Pathways for Policy Implementation

When a policy moves from “the win” to implementation, the opportunity is ripe to inform and impact the policy outcomes. This brief provides strategies and tactics for advocates, funders, and evaluators to achieve and measure desired policy outcomes during the implementation phase.

By Sarah Stachowiak, Melanie Maltry, Leonor Robles, Eritrea Habtemariam

publication Jul 2015

Tilling the Field: Lessons About Philanthropy’s Role in School Discipline Reform

Anyone concerned about how the futures of millions of children are jeopardized because of discipline practices that unfairly exclude students from U.S. public schools will be heartened by this story about how transformative change can happen. It’s a story of how students and parents, civil rights advocates, academics, policymakers and government came together – with help from philanthropy – to advance reform.

By Leila Feister

publication Jul 2015

Network Evaluation in Practice: Approaches and Applications

What are success factors in building a network? What should funders support when they design network grants? How can network builders and funders tell how well a network is doing? This Foundation Review article offers a three-pillar framework for evaluating networks focused on network connectivity, health, and results. 

By Julia Coffman

publication Mar 2015

The Advocacy Strategy Framework

Our most downloaded resource, this brief offers a simple one-page tool for thinking about the theories of change that underlie public policy advocacy strategies. It also offers six questions that advocates, and funders working with advocates, can work through to better articulate their theories of change.

By Tanya Beer, Julia Coffman

publication Mar 2015

Four Tools for Assessing Grantee Contribution to Advocacy Efforts

Advocacy takes place in a complex and crowded political environment with many organizations trying to move policy on the same issue at the same time. This brief offers four tools that funders can use to get a better handle on a grantee’s contribution to an advocacy effort. 

By Tanya Beer, Julia Coffman