Independent Sector to Host Expert Panel on Charitable Sector Advocacy As number of nonprofits reporting participating in advocacy drops, Independent Sector will host panel to help organizations strengthen their influence and impact (WASHINGTON, April 24, 2026) – Today, Independent Sector President and CEO Dr. Akilah Watkins announced the creation of a Principles Panel on Advocacy […]
nonprofit advocacy
Highlights from the 14th Symposium on Public Policy for Nonprofits
The 14th Annual Symposium on Public Policy for Nonprofits was hosted by the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), Independent Sector, and Nonprofit Policy Forum on September 12, 2025. This year’s theme, “Breaking Through the Noise: Assessing and Communicating the Impact of Nonprofits and Philanthropy,” addresses a critical policy moment marked […]
Nonprofits and the Draft Tax Bill: Lobbying & Advocacy
Charities – If the status quo is harming your ability to advance your mission consistent with your values, what can you do? What should you do? The first question is a little easier to answer from a legal perspective. But I’ll try to provide a tiny amount of personal insights on the second question at […]
Nonprofit Advocacy in a Post-Election Year
I moderated a session titled “Advocacy in a Post-Election Year” at the 2025 Western Conference on Tax Exempt Organizations (WCTEO) held in Los Angeles at the end of February. The panelists were Eric Gorovitz (Adler & Colvin) and Nona Randois (Alliance for Justice). This post covers some of our discussion and adds some additional resources […]
Upswell 2023: Decline of Nonprofit Advocacy & Public Engagement
Independent Sector commissioned research to fill a 20-year gap in data around nonprofit advocacy and civic engagement (i.e., nonpartisan voter engagement) activities through a nationally representative quantitative survey and complementary qualitative interviews of nonprofit institutions. The research, was presented in a workshop at Upswell 2023. Workshop/Report Highlights Nonprofits today are less aware of the advocacy […]