Definitions and Examples
Effective advocacy enable
s
nonprofits to shape the public debate on important social issues and
ensure that underserved communities have a voice in the policies that impact their lives. T
he term
“advocacy” encompasses a broad range of activities
(including
research
,
public educatio
n
,
lobbying
,
and voter education
)
that can influence public policy.
Advocacy
is the number one way nonprofits can
advance the issues they care about and help bring about systemic, lasting change.
How is advocacy different from lobbying?
Lobbying is only
one kind of advocacy.
There are many avenues of advocacy that nonprofits can
engage in that do not constitute lobbying. Federal tax law define
s
lobbying only
;
“non
–
lobbying
advocacy” is often used to refer to those activities that don’t meet the definition of lobbying.
