Nonprofit Advocacy: How Your Org Can Drive Positive Change

Can nonprofits engage in advocacy activities on behalf of their cause or beneficiaries?

If you’re unsure how to answer the question above, you’re not alone. Many organizations believe that advocacy (and lobbying, a form of advocacy) isn’t allowed for registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits, especially when it involves weighing in on political issues. Additionally, some nonprofit professionals feel that their organizations should avoid taking a strong stance on political or social issues, focusing instead on providing services to and driving impact for the beneficiaries they serve.

Here’s the truth: Advocacy can be a natural extension of your nonprofit’s mission, and as long as you adhere to the guidelines set forth by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regarding advocacy and lobbying activities, you can absolutely make your voice heard on issues relevant to your organization. In fact, advocacy may be one of the best ways you can drive positive change for your community.

Still, the landscape of nonprofit advocacy can be confusing, especially if you’ve just started circulating petitions and encouraging supporters to write to local legislators. In this guide, we’ll walk through the basics of nonprofit advocacy, including:

• Nonprofit Advocacy: An Overview
• Understanding Legal Regulations
• 7 Elements of a Successful Nonprofit Advocacy Campaign
• Examples of Nonprofit Advocacy

No matter your organization’s specific advocacy goals, you will need the right technology solutions to achieve them. At Team DNL, we specialize in helping nonprofits do more good with their technology, and we can guide you in strengthening and using your technology stack to advocate for what you believe in.

Ready to learn all about advocacy? Let’s dive in.

Nonprofit Advocacy: An Overview

What is nonprofit advocacy?

Nonprofit advocacy refers to any action your organization takes to raise awareness of larger issues related to its cause and speak up on behalf of the communities it serves in order to influence decisions within political, economic, or social institutions.

However, advocacy does not mean your nonprofit supports a specific political party/candidate or engages in electioneering. Instead, nonprofit advocacy activities often look like:

• Educating the public, media, or decision-makers (like legislators or business owners) about your cause or an issue related to your cause
• Forming coalitions with other organizations or communities to amplify your organization’s core messages and encourage action
• Encouraging voter engagement and participation in a nonpartisan way
• Mobilizing your supporters to take actions like participating in rallies, contacting legislators, or signing petitions
• Lobbying to legislators to support or oppose specific laws or policies that impact those you serve (more on this below)
• Engaging in litigation to challenge policies or practices that are unjust and unfair

At the heart of nonprofit advocacy is the understanding that your nonprofit can’t change the world alone. Instead, you need to amplify your organization’s message and encourage people in power to make positive, far-reaching, systemic changes that benefit your beneficiaries—whether those are low-income single mothers, homeless pets, or endangered wildlife.

Advocacy vs. Lobbying

As you research advocacy, you’ll likely come across the term lobbying. Lobbying is an activity that falls under the broader advocacy umbrella. It involves influencing government bodies or agencies to make certain decisions about specific pieces of legislation.

There is a common misconception that nonprofits can’t participate in lobbying, but that’s not true. Registered 501(c)(3) organizations can lobby as long as they stay within certain restrictions set forth by the IRS. (More on this below.)

There are two types of lobbying to know:

• Direct lobbying, which involves an organization contacting legislators directly
• Grassroots lobbying, which involves organizations working to influence legislation indirectly by encouraging the public to reach out to legislators to influence their decisions

The Current State of Nonprofit Advocacy

Advocacy can be an excellent way to work toward lasting change for those you serve, but it’s an area of nonprofit operations that is often misunderstood and underutilized.

Take a look at these eye-opening statistics about the current state of nonprofit advocacy from the Independent Sector report “The Retreat of Influence: Exploring the Decline of Nonprofit Advocacy and Public Engagement”:

• In 2000, 54% of nonprofits knew that they could support or oppose federal legislation, compared to just 32% of nonprofits in 2023.
• Only 31% of nonprofits report that they engaged in advocacy or lobbying over the last five years.
• About 70% of policy-engaged nonprofits report their mission encourages their policy engagement.
• 56% of nonprofits who do not engage in policy say it doesn’t apply to their mission, while 18% say their mission discourages advocacy.
• 57% of nonprofits in local, state, or national coalitions advocate or lobby, compared to only 12% of nonprofits who do not belong to a coalition.

Independent Sector identifies several reasons why nonprofits may or may not engage in advocacy, from budget size to the level of supporter involvement organizations have to work with. A general misunderstanding of IRS regulations or a desire to avoid coming close to breaking any rules may also be at play.

The country’s general political climate may leave nonprofits wanting to avoid advocacy, too. In fact, Quorum’s 2024 State of Government Affairs Survey found that 74% of nonprofits feel that the U.S.’s political polarization makes advocacy and lobbying more difficult.

However, with a clear understanding of the legal regulations surrounding advocacy and a clear strategy for your advocacy campaigns, you can join the ranks of nonprofits that have used advocacy to do more for those they serve.

Understanding Legal Regulations

So, what is and isn’t allowed when it comes to advocating as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit? Here’s what you need to know about the IRS guidelines:

What Your Nonprofit Can Do Without Jeopardizing Its 501(c)(3) Status

• Educate the public about important issues related to your cause.
• Lobby legislators to influence policy decisions related to your mission.
• Encourage your supporters to take action on specific issues by contacting their legislators, attending rallies, and participating in other grassroots activities.
• Conduct research to inform discussion about policies related to your mission.
• Host candidate forums or debates or have candidates appear at events where all candidates are given equal opportunities and treated fairly and impartially.
• Conduct voter education efforts, get-out-the-vote campaigns, and voter registration drives in a nonpartisan manner.

To sum up: Your nonprofit can participate in advocacy (including lobbying) if it does so in a nonpartisan, educational manner.

What Your Nonprofit Can’t Do Without Jeopardizing Its 501(c)(3) Status

• Directly or indirectly participate in or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of/in opposition to a specific political candidate.
• Contribute or solicit political campaign funds on behalf of/in opposition to a specific political candidate.
• Endorse or rate political candidates.
• Give public statements (verbal or written) on behalf of/in opposition to a specific political candidate.
• Conduct voter education or registration activities that clearly demonstrate your organization favors/opposes a specific political candidate.
• Conduct lobbying that constitutes a substantial part of your overall activities or represents an expenditure of a certain amount.

To sum up: Excessive lobbying and partisan activity are not permitted for 501(c)(3) organizations.

If your nonprofit engages in activities that go against IRS regulations, you may lose your tax-exempt status and be subject to an excise tax on the funds your organization spent on those activities.

Some nonprofits with large advocacy goals and substantial resources may form an affiliate 501(c)(4) organization that can engage in an unlimited amount of lobbying and some political activity. Save the Children Action Network, the advocacy arm of Save the Children, is an example of a nonprofit’s affiliate 501(c)(4) organization.

Want to explore the IRS’s resources on nonprofits and advocacy activities for yourself? Check these out:

• Lobbying (Article)
• Political Campaigns and Charities: The Ban on Political Campaign Intervention (Video Course)

7 Elements of a Successful Nonprofit Advocacy Campaign

Now that you know advocacy is an acceptable activity for your nonprofit to engage in and you’re clear on the boundaries set forth by the IRS, you’re probably wondering how to start advocating for your mission.

To advocate successfully, design a nonprofit advocacy campaign with these key elements:

1. Clear Goals and Objectives

Goals and objectives give advocacy campaigns a clear direction and allow your entire team to be aligned on what you want to achieve through your various advocacy activities.

To determine your campaign goals, ask yourself the following:

• What are we aiming to influence or change?
• What is the desired outcome of the campaign? (Policy changes, shifting public opinion, raising awareness, etc.)
• Who are the key decision-makers we need to influence?
• What is the timeframe for the campaign? Is the issue time-sensitive?
• What resources can we devote to the campaign?

Answering these questions will allow you to determine broader campaign goals, such as “Influence public opinion about deforestation” or “Inform our community about the potential negative impacts of the new environmental protection bill and encourage action.”

Then, you can create smaller objectives nested under those goals that will get you closer to achieving your desired outcome. For example, you might decide on “Create an educational video about the environmental protection bill” or “Collect 2,000 petition signatures” as smaller objectives to help you achieve your goals.

2. Thorough Research to Guide Your Activities

To become a key player in the advocacy scene, make substantial progress toward your goals, and grab your target audience’s attention, you’ll need to conduct thorough research that helps you fine-tune your approach and make your campaign relevant.

Specifically, look into:

• Existing policies, laws, or regulations surrounding the issue
• Key stakeholders involved in the issue, such as legislators, government agencies, corporations, and communities
• Previous advocacy efforts related to the issue and their results
• Current public opinions on the issue
• Any broad social, cultural, or economic trends that may impact people’s view of the issue
• Any other external factors, including critical events or deadlines (such as the ending of a legislative session or an election day that may impact the timing of your campaign)
• How the media portrays the issue
• Potential collaborators for your campaign
• How the issue currently affects your organization’s beneficiaries

The more informed and targeted your advocacy campaign is, the more likely it is to result in favorable outcomes for those you serve. Ensure that you take the time to brief the whole team on the larger findings of your research, and keep a living document that you can update with additional information moving forward.

3. A Clear Understanding of Your Target Audience

Your supporters will be key in helping your nonprofit achieve its advocacy goals. This means you need to design your campaign around them, considering who they are and what sorts of messaging and actions will encourage them to get involved.

To cater your campaign to your supporters, ensure you understand your target audience before jumping into your campaign. Use your organization’s data solutions, such as your constituent relationship management (CRM) software or data warehouse, to review the following information about your supporters:

• Demographics like age, gender, income levels, education levels, occupations, and geographic location
• Psychographics like values, beliefs, motivations, pain points, and opinions
• Communication preferences like preferred channels and timing
• Involvement history like past donations, volunteering, event attendance, and advocacy work

You may also want to investigate what might prevent them from engaging with your campaign and how much time and effort you can expect them to give. To gain insights into these areas, consider surveying your supporters or conducting a focus group. Doing so will allow you to go into your advocacy campaign with realistic expectations about your supporters.

4. A Robust Technology Stack

To boost your campaign’s reach and effectiveness, you’ll need the right technology on your side. Though every campaign will be different based on its goals and scale, here are some common tools you may want in your technology stack to help with advocacy activities:

• A CRM system: You can use your CRM to maintain detailed records about your supporters and their involvement throughout the campaign. You can also use the data stored in your CRM to help with your marketing efforts. For example, you might segment your supporters into groups based on shared characteristics to create more effective marketing materials.
• Various marketing tools: Use what you know about your community and its communication preferences to decide which marketing tools you’ll use for the campaign. You may want to use email marketing software, social media management tools, a text messaging platform, or virtual event tools. You should also consider the role of your nonprofit’s website in your advocacy campaign. Consider creating a page dedicated to your advocacy efforts or your campaign. Then, direct people to it to kickstart their involvement.
• Advocacy software: With dedicated advocacy software, supporters can more easily take action on behalf of your organization by doing things like contacting legislators or signing petitions. Blackbaud Luminate Advocacy (part of Luminate Online) is a great option, and when paired with DNL OmniMedia’s MobileAction! mobile app, it can make it easy for your supporters to take action right from their mobile phones.
• Legislative tracking software: If your campaign involves influencing legislators’ policy decisions, you may find it useful to have legislative tracking software (such as FiscalNote, LegiScan, or GovTrack) that provides timely updates on legislative developments.
• Fundraising tools: Any online fundraising tools you use regularly will also come in handy for your advocacy campaign. Pay special attention to your online donation form and the giving experience it provides donors to ensure they can quickly donate.
• Internal project management and communication platforms: Your team members will need to stay organized and aligned to make your campaign successful. Ensure that all the tasks and deadlines associated with your campaign are reflected in your project management software and that you have clear protocols for using your communication platforms for the campaign’s duration.

Your technology stack may need some refining ahead of your advocacy campaign. Consider working with a nonprofit technology consultant who can critically evaluate your tools and make tailored recommendations for improvements to your technology stack and how your team uses its solutions. Some consultants may be able to build custom solutions or integrations tailored to your advocacy needs.

5. Effective Communications

Getting the word out about your campaign and encouraging your community to get involved will require a strong communications strategy. Here are some tips to follow as you design your communications materials:

• Take a multichannel approach. To reach as many people as possible (including both current and potential supporters), spread your communications efforts across several channels that you know your target audience uses frequently. For example, you might post about your campaign on Facebook and Instagram, send out email streams, and spread printed flyers and posters around your local community.
• Root your communications in a clear and compelling central message. Working from your campaign’s goals, create a clear, focused central message that you want to be sure comes across in your communications. For instance, a nonprofit focused on serving low-income single mothers might have a central message like, “New state legislation is threatening single moms’ access to community services—help us preserve access by contacting your local legislator!”
• Use your branding. Your brand includes everything that makes up your organization’s unique identity, including components like your logo, color scheme, and typography, but also more intangible elements like your tone of voice and approach to your mission. Ensure that your communications align with your organization’s current branding to ensure supporters can connect your messages to your organization and its larger mission.
• Personalize what you can. 72% of consumers today say they’ll only engage with personalized communications. Ensure that your supporters feel seen and valued as individuals by personalizing your messages where possible. In many cases, you will be able to automate personalization in communications like email newsletters or text messages using your marketing tools.
• Always include a call to action. Advocacy campaigns only work when people do. In every message you send out, include a next step for supporters to take, whether that’s registering for an event, signing a petition, or writing an email to a legislator. You can increase the likelihood that supporters will take action by including clear instructions for doing so.

6. Mobilization of Supporters

Mobilizing your supporters can significantly amplify your advocacy campaign’s impact. To determine what actions you need your supporters to take, consider your campaign’s goals and needs. Here are some examples of activities you might end up asking supporters to participate in:

• Signing a petition
• Sharing campaign messages, stories, and educational content on social media
• Contacting representatives or other decision-makers
• Participating in events like rallies, marches, or other public gatherings
• Fundraising for the campaign by hosting events or sharing online fundraising pages
• Boycotting organizations that oppose your cause
• Engaging in door-to-door campaigns or community meetings to spread your campaign message
• Volunteering with your campaign
• Voting or registering to vote

Remember, when you ask supporters to participate in an activity, it should be educational and bipartisan to ensure your nonprofit adheres to the advocacy rules set forth by the IRS.

7. Flexibility

As with other types of campaigns or projects your nonprofit runs, an advocacy campaign can involve many twists and turns as you work toward the desired outcomes your organization envisions.

Public opinions may shift, the political landscape may change, and unforeseen events may occur. This will require your nonprofit to be flexible throughout its advocacy campaign so that you can adapt your strategy and messaging to your changing environment. Doing so will be critical to maintaining momentum and achieving your goals.

Examples of Nonprofit Advocacy

One of the best ways to prepare for your advocacy campaign is to study other nonprofits’ advocacy efforts. In this section, we’ll explore a few different examples of advocacy work to inspire you to work toward positive change for your own beneficiaries.

National Partnership for Women & Families

The National Partnership for Women & Families works to improve the lives of women and families by achieving equality for all women.

This organization engages in advocacy in several ways, such as using a team of congressional relations specialists to communicate policy positions and bringing together top employers in its Business Working Group for Gender Equity (BWG) to strengthen gender equity in the workplace. The National Partnership also hosts special events with prominent public figures and provides tools for its supporters to complete tasks like contacting their legislators.

The National Partnership has worked with Team DNL to achieve their advocacy goals. We’ve helped them build their website, which serves as a critical communication tool for their advocacy priorities. We also developed a custom web application that empowers users to easily contact their representatives through X.

Save the Children Action Network

Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) is the advocacy arm of Save the Children, a prominent nonprofit dedicated to children’s rights. SCAN is a 501(c)(4) organization, which means it has more freedom to lobby and engage in some political activity.

SCAN is an active player in advocating for political policies that help children live their best lives. Here are some of the results the organization has achieved at the national level since its creation in 2014:

• Secured major investments ($1.6 billion total) across eight states to expand early learning programs and prevent child hunger
• Mobilized supporters to elect 30 total bipartisan champions for children
• Sent 6.5 million messages to lawmakers over the last 10 years

The American Civil Liberties Union

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonpartisan nonprofit with a rich history of defending individual rights and freedoms in the United States.

In particular, the ACLU is extremely active in the courts, taking on litigation cases that often result in landmark Supreme Court rulings. Here are some recent cases the ACLU is/has been involved in across the country:

• Sixth District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church v. Kemp: A federal lawsuit against a Georgia law that makes it much harder for all Georgians to vote
• Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L.: A federal lawsuit against a Pennsylvania high school’s cheerleading rules that limit students’ free speech
• Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region et al., v. Ohio Department of Health, et al.: A lawsuit in Ohio challenging laws that restrict access to abortion in the state

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Advocacy is a complex and often misunderstood part of nonprofit operations. But when your organization understands its purpose and how to navigate the legal regulations surrounding nonprofit advocacy, you can open up a world of possibilities for driving positive change for those you serve. Use this guide to kickstart your advocacy journey and make your voice heard by decision-makers.

Looking for more information about nonprofit strategy or technology? Check out these resources from Team DNL:

• Strengthen Your Nonprofit Fundraising Strategy: 8 Key Steps
• Building Your Nonprofit’s Digital Strategy: A Full Guide
• Nonprofit Website Design: An In-Depth Look at the Process
• Blackbaud vs. Salesforce: A Full Comparison for Nonprofits