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Advocacy is about standing up for your mission. It can mobilize the community—and elected officials—to spotlight your issues, find and deliver solutions to your community, and develop new funding sources.

Advocacy, a legal and essential element of nonprofit management, gives your organization a voice, brings attention to the issues that matter to your community, and helps you build relationships with people who share your vision and values. Pursuing systemic change requires sustained engagement, robust fundraising, and strong personal connections.

The Nonprofit Credential in Advocacy and Civic Engagement provides you with a course of action to understand and apply best practices for engaging stakeholders and advocating for your mission. You’ll receive training, individualized coaching, and actionable resources to establish, enhance, and activate your advocacy agenda.

Advocacy and Civic Engagement is more than politics. Whether you are engaging parents of the youth you serve or working with community members about street design in their neighborhoods, advocacy should be a priority for any community organization. Civic engagement empowers organizations to affect change at the individual, community, and societal levels.

Nonprofits provide an important vehicle through which individuals and organizations and work together to improve their communities. Nonprofits should represent the interests of the people they serve through public education and public policy advocacy, as well as by encouraging board members, staff, volunteers, and constituents to participate in the public affairs of the community. Knowing how to accomplish this is essential for any nonprofit. Today’s legislative policy changes can empower organizations or mean drastic cut-backs. How does your organization engage in the political process and create the change you need to see in the world?

Completion of this course will provide you with a personalized strategy to follow so you can engage your community and effectively impact legislation. This course will cover these topics and skills:

Develop an advocacy plan for your organization.
Create a public narrative as a call to action.
Identify intersections of your organizations’ mission with key policies, departments, committees and elected officials.
Learn how your organization can impact the community by effective lobbying.
Note: The Nonprofit Credential program is for 501(c) organizations only.

Learn more about Badge Requirements for the UNA Credential in Advocacy and Civic Engagement.

Cost
UNA Members: $180 for the first person/$40 for each additional participant
Not-Yet Members: $360 for the first person/$80 for each additional participant

Course Dates
Online Training Sessions
Day 1: July 31, 2024| 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Day 2: August 1, 2024| 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Organizational Consultation
40-minute consult on September 18 or September 19, 2024