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1. Unleashing the Power of Boards
to Create Positive Change

2. The measure of success is not
whether you have a tough problem to
deal with,
but whether it is the same problem
you
had last year.
— John Foster Dulles, Former Secretary of State

3. The Challenge
Nonprofit organizations are working to address society’s most
complex and challenging issues.
But we are forfeiting some of our best opportunities to create
solutions.
Why?
Because those solutions those require something that many of us
have been told is off-limits.
Advocacy.

4. The Truth
Our organizations – and each of us as nonprofit leaders – has a legal
right to stand up for our missions.
To educate influencers and the community about the importance of
our work.
To inform policy-makers about the impact of their decisions on our
communities.
And to advocate for real solutions to community problems…
…big and small.

5. What is Advocacy?
Advocacy is…
• Appealing to the zoning board to get permission to have a
farmer’s market in an underserved neighborhood.
• Requesting a parking variance to allow for a meal truck to
serve homeless people in a central location.
• Educating a legislator about the value that public funding of a
job training program provides to the community.
• Partnering with public agencies to repurpose an unused
public building for a youth service agency.

6. Defining advocacy
Advocacy is often used as an umbrella term for all different types
of policy and political engagement.
• Electoral Activities: Working for or against a specific candidate
(or set of candidates). It is never allowed for 501(c)(3)
organizations, and not what we’re describing as advocacy.
• Lobbying: Working for or against a specific piece of legislation. It
is allowed for most nonprofit organizations, but must not be a
significant portion of your organization’s work.
• Everything Else: There are many other forms of advocacy –
public education, research, educating legislators, etc.
As long as these efforts don’t include information about specific
candidates or pieces of legislation, all types of nonprofits are
allowed to do this in an unlimited amount.

7. Getting Specific
501(c)(3)
Public Charities
(most nonprofits)
501(c)(3)
Private
Foundations
501(c)(4)
501(c)(5)
501(c)(6)
Electoral
Activities
Prohibited Prohibited Allowed as a
secondary activity.
Must follow federal and
state election law.
Lobbying
Activities
Must be reported
and within legal
limits
Use IRS Form 501(h) to
simplify reporting.
Prohibited Unlimited
Everything
Else
Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited

8. Advocate = Leader
Leaders who advocate…
…see past current realities…
…to find creative solutions…
…that serve our communities better.
And then they
make it happen.

9. Our Strength
There are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in
the United States.
We employ more than 10% of the American workforce and
represent roughly $1.65 trillion in annual revenues.
And we have an estimated 20 million individuals leading
our organizations who are some of the most influential,
dedicated and connected leaders our citizenry has.
Our board members.

10. The Reality
Only 33% of organizations report that their board members are actively
involved in advocating for their missions.
And many organizations aren’t advocating at all.
Which begs the question…
…if advocacy is such a powerful lever for positive change…
Why aren’t board members
calling for more advocacy?

11. What’s the problem?
If board advocacy is such a powerful lever for positive impact, why
aren’t we using it?
Lack of Awareness:
Some nonprofit board leaders are not aware of how policies are
limiting their progress, or how new policies could accelerate it.
Lack of Understanding:
Some nonprofit board leaders don’t understand that their personal
participation in their organization’s advocacy efforts would add
significant value and influence.
Lack of Information:
Some nonprofit board leaders think that advocacy is
illegal or inappropriate for nonprofits.

12. How do we fix it?
We create awareness and understanding, and provide accurate and
actionable information.
We partner across organizations and leaders that are can reach
and speak to nonprofit leaders where they are.
And we do it with passion and clarity for our cause – to achieve
greater mission impact by unleashing the power of board advocacy.
We launch a campaign.

13. The Vision
An active, engaged, nonprofit and philanthropic sector will
result in greater mission impact, thriving communities, and a
more vibrant country.
We envision a reality where nonprofit philanthropic missions are
fully realized because community leaders hear our voices,
understand our arguments, and see our causes as worthy of their
best efforts.
How do we get there? Advocacy. Twenty million
board members standing for the mission of their
organizations and helping set priorities
in partnership with government rather than
waiting for the outcome.

14. The Goals
To change the “norms” of nonprofit and philanthropic board
culture and firmly establish advocacy as an expectation for
engaged and effective board leadership.
To do so, we need leadership and collaboration within and beyond
the nonprofit sector that will:
• bring about a sustainable shift in the understanding and
expectations around board engagement in advocacy
• move advocacy from an ancillary to an essential role for all board
members
• strengthen our collective ability to advance the
public good

15. Who We Are
The Stand for Your Mission campaign was
initiated by BoardSource and builds on the
strengths and networks of our launching
campaign partners. Together, we have…
• expertise in nonprofit advocacy
• access to networks of leaders, organizations and foundations
• influence to change board leadership norms and expectations

16. The Campaign
The Stand for Your Mission campaign is an ongoing effort to build
awareness about the importance of board advocacy to nonprofit
success, and to change the norms and expectations for board
leaders about their engagement in advocacy.
We are:
• Speaking out about the importance of board advocacy
• Standardizing expectations and roles for board leaders in
advocacy
• Creating a central hub of resources and tools at
www.standforyourmission.org.
We invite you to join us.

17. What you can do
1. Start a conversation in your board room. Download
the discussion guide at www.standforyourmission.org.
2. Tap into resources and tools that can jump-start
your advocacy efforts – legal tips and guidelines,
board job descriptions, technical assistance, etc.
3. Tell your story about how board engagement in
advocacy has made a difference for your
organization and the people you serve.
4. Share the campaign and its resources
with other nonprofit leaders.

18. Your
Mission.

19. Optional Slides to Ad

20. Changing the Norms
Through the campaign, BoardSource is setting a new
expectation for the role that board members can and
should play as advocates, including in:
• Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards
• Board Self-Assessment
• Training Programs for Board Chairs and CEOs
• Certification Programs for Consultants
• Benchmarking Board Leadership Practices
through Leading with Intent

21. Changing Board Cultur
Step 1: A shared vision for the future
• How would the world be different if our mission was fully achieved?
Step 2: A deeper understanding of your work
• What are the broader issues associated with our core work?
Step 3: Identification of the opportunities and threats
• Which policy changes would dramatically improve (or threaten) our ability
to fulfill our mission?
Step 4: Board engagement in making it happen
• Do we have board leaders who can connect with a broad cross-section
of community leaders in support of our work?
Step 5: Making advocacy a part of your board’s culture
• Is there an expectation for all board members to engage in our advocacy
work?

22. Why it Matters
Darin McKeever
Deputy Director, Global Policy & Advocacy
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The message of this campaign is very simple: raise your voice to bring
some lift to your cause. If you serve on a nonprofit board, consider
how you might lend your support – not just with your wallet or your
time, but as a vocal champion and advocate for the issues you care
about.
Heather McLeod Grant
Co-Author, Forces for Good
“When we wrote ‘Forces for Good,’ there’s a reason we put the chapter on
advocacy first – it’s one of the most important leverage points for driving
significant social change. In fact, the best nonprofits understand that to
advance their missions and have lasting impact, they need to change
larger systems. That means engaging board members, and influential
stakeholders, to influence policymakers and make sure that your voices
are heard on your issue. If more nonprofits engaged in advocacy work,
we’d have fewer problems to solve!”

23. Why it Matters
Diana Aviv
CEO
Independent
Sector
“Working to impact public
policy decisions – at the
federal, state, and local
levels – is a vital yet often
overlooked part of
advancing the mission of
charitable nonprofit
organizations.
Jan Masaoka
CEO,
California
Association
of Nonprofits
“When the first shelters for
battered women were being
built in the 1970s, it was not
against the law to hit your
wife. Some shelters said, “We
don’t want to be involved with
politics.” But how could
shelters separate helping
women in the shelter from
helping them in their homes?
And who would be the most
effective advocates? Board
members, of course! “
Chuck Loring
Governance
& Fundraising Consultant
“Boards want to increasingly
talk about fundraising when
they should be talking about
advocacy. The funds from
local, state, and federal
government given to public
charities through nutrition,
housing, health, and youth
programs dwarfs
philanthropic fundraising. We
cannot fundraise our way out
of government cutbacks!!! “

24. What We Stand For