The Stand for Your Mission campaign is a challenge to all nonprofit decision-makers to stand up for the organizations they believe in by actively representing their organization’s mission and values, and creating public will for positive social change.

1. Unleashing the Power of Boards
to Create Positive Impact

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 communities’
most complex and challenging issues.
But we are forfeiting some of our best opportunities to create
solutions.
Why?
Because those solutions 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 – have 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.
To find real solutions to community problems.
That’s what
our missions need.

5. 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 of funding a job
training program for the community
• partnering with public agencies to repurpose an unused
public building for a youth service program
• convening community leaders at times of natural
disaster or human crisis to develop solutions for
the community and promote healing

6. What is advocacy?
Advocacy is often used as an umbrella term for all different types
of policy and political engagement. And that can make things a little confusing.
So here’s a quick cheat sheet about the types of advocacy that are a part of the
Stand for Your Mission campaign.
Broad Advocacy
All types of nonprofits are allowed to
educate policymakers, the media,
and the public about issues that are
important to their mission, as long as
it doesn’t include information about
specific candidates or pieces of
legislation,
It’s this type of advocacy that is the
primary focus of the Stand for Your
Mission Campaign.
Legislative Lobbying
Lobbying means working for or
against a specific piece of legislation
or ballot measure. Most nonprofits
are allowed to engage in a limited
amount of legislative lobbying,
which can be a very important way
to advance – or protect – your
organization’s mission and impact.
When there’s a big decision being
made that will affect your mission,
you have a right and responsibility
to weigh in. Don’t waste it!
Election‐Related Activities
Nonprofit organizations may engage
in nonpartisan voter registration,
education and turnout activities.
However, supporting or opposing a
specific candidate (or set of
candidates or a political party) is
never allowed for 501(c)(3)
organizations,* and is not what we’re
describing as advocacy in the
Stand for Your Mission campaign.
*501(c)(4), (c)(5) or (c)(6) organizations are allowed to participate in electioneering activities, but only as a secondary activity.

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

8. 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.

9. 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 we advocating
for our missions?
*According to BoardSource’s study, Leading with Intent (2015)

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

11. We are partnering across organizations to
create awareness and understanding about the
critical importance of nonprofit advocacy –
and the board’s role in it.
How will we fix it?
Who we are:

12. 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 and 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.

13. 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

14. A New Expectation
As a part of the Stand for Your Mission campaign, BoardSource is
firmly establishing advocacy as an expectation for board members.
Here’s how:
• The board’s role in advocacy is being highlighted as an essential
board function, including in the definitive source for board roles
and responsibilities.
• Boards are assessing their performance as advocates
as a part of BoardSource’s board self-assessment
• Training programs for boards, staff and consultants
are reinforcing the importance of advocacy as a
central board function.

15. Growing Momentum

16. What you can do
1. Get started. Download the board discussion guide
at www.standforyourmission.org.
2. Get informed. Jump-start your advocacy efforts with
tips and guidelines from our resource center.
3. Get personal. Tell others how board advocacy
has made a difference for your organization and the
people you serve.
4. Get talking. Tell other nonprofit leaders
why we need to stand for our missions!
Visit www.standforyourmission.org to
join the conversation.

17. Your Mission.
Your Voice.
www.standforyourmission.org
#StandForYourMission
#AdvocacyNow