We’ve all heard the news: Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI), a venerable social service nonprofit with a strong advocacy presence, was forced to lay off 750 employees due to a backlog of $6 million in unpaid bills from the state. Since the recession of 2008, Illinois has been leading the nation in failure to pay nonprofits on time, and it’s become the new normal to read about struggling nonprofits. 

It’s tempting — against this backdrop of doom and gloom — to focus all the attention on ‘keeping the lights on,’ and not be concerned about advocacy. While this may be necessary as a short-term strategy, it is not wise in the long term. More fundamentally, it perpetuates a sense of powerlessness among nonprofits while missing the expansive possibilities that advocacy offers for leadership, impact, and even fundraising.

Benjamin Franklin said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” I’ve found that too many nonprofits don’t plan for their advocacy work; they just “do it” — often with mixed results. In my work, I’ve been surprised at how many nonprofits dive head first into advocacy (usually in reaction to a crisis) or just dip their toe in, and expect meaningful results. Unfortunately in these cases, they get distracted by other priorities, impatient for results, or become frustrated at the barriers they encounter. The time to plan for advocacy is in advance of a crisis.

What are the barriers to a robust advocacy plan? 

For starters, there are overly complex tax laws to educate your staff, board, and even your funders about.  Nonprofits with staff and boards who understand and embrace advocacy have a tremendous advantage over nonprofits whose boards lacks advocacy bench strength. Boards and funders often confuse policy with politics. To avoid this confusion, board education on advocacy should be consistent, understanding that this process takes time. 

There can also be a lack of financial resources and staffing capacity.  According to the Aspen Institute SNAP survey, a lack of financial resources is the number one deterrent to nonprofits engaging in advocacy, and staffing capacity comes in third (tax law is second). The good news is there’s been a subtle shift in the last decade, with more foundations and program officers coming to understand and lend support to advocacy.  

What are Illinois nonprofits to do?

Instead of “advocacy averse,” all nonprofits need to embrace advocacy as a fundamental leadership strategy, valuing it as much as fundraising or programs. It’s hard to think of one nonprofit for whom taking a public position on issues would not help advance their mission.  As a former public interest advocate and lawyer, I’ve experienced the profound impact that advocacy can have on a cause, an organization, and a community; and conversely, how an aversion to advocacy leads to the loss of tremendous opportunities. 

Embracing advocacy as a fundamental leadership strategy connects advocacy squarely to a nonprofit’s mission: It identifies the key organizational functions that need to be aligned and optimized to make advocacy a core priority. It supports individual leadership and organizational development. It recognizes that a sustainable advocacy program needs to be embraced by the organization by building capacity, skills, structure, and knowledge. In short, it creates a business model framework that moves past barriers and leads to sustainability.

— Laurel O’Sullivan

Laurel O’Sullivan, J.D. is Founder and Principal of the Advocacy Collaborative, and is committed to establishing advocacy as core strength for nonprofits and foundations. She has two decades of experience as a nonprofit lawyer and advisor and serves on the boards of Illinois Social Service Advisory Board and the Young Center for Immigrant Children. Laurel also served as Vice President of Public Policy at Donors Forum (now Forefront). Laurel has developed the trademarked AdvocacyForward framework, aimed at identifying an organization’s unique path forward for utilizing advocacy as a leadership strategy for greater impact and effectiveness.