You know how we’re always talking about that natural edge nonprofits have when it comes to voter engagement? We detail it in many of our tools and resources and outline mountains of supporting data in the Nonprofit Power Report, but the facts make clear that nonprofits thrive at engaging voters by nature of their trusted local connections, steady community presence , and consistent mission-centered actions.
But what if we told you those same skills *also* make nonprofits extremely effective at the nonpartisan advocacy that 501(c)(3) are well within their rights to take part in? Let us explain.
When it comes to understanding which elected offices are more susceptible to outside influence, here’s a helpful three-part test to keep in mind:
Part 1 – Proximity: Like voter engagement, the most effective lobbying and advocacy usually happens in person, face-to-face. But it’s much harder to get in touch with federal officials like the President or your Senators; they’re often far away, and contacting their offices can be difficult and full of bureaucracy. Meanwhile local officials are your literal neighbors. If you call or email them, there’s a good chance they themselves will reply back. And if you go to a meeting, you can probably meet them in person.
Part 2 – Frequency: The longer an official’s term of office, the less responsive they tend to be to shifts in public opinion. If the next election is 6 years away, it’s easier to make unpopular choices because electoral accountability is far enough off that voters have time to get distracted and move on. Meanwhile, officials who are elected for shorter terms face more immediate reviews of their records while in office. Additionally, the length of an official’s term determines the time it will take to implement policy changes. For example, it takes less time to pass a city ordinance about fixing sidewalks in front of the senior center than it does for Congress to pass a large-scale infrastructure bill. The further away from local decision making, the longer the runway for bureaucracy to stall progress.
Part 3 – Numbers: If the official represents a large population, they have a great deal of electoral padding when it comes to how they prioritize the wants and needs of the population’s various interest groups. The larger the constituency, the harder it is for specific interest groups to organize with enough numbers to make their voice heard. On the flip side, a local elected official who represents a much smaller constituency and who is elected by a few thousand or even just a few hundred votes is much more likely to react to organized public pressure.
Add all this together, and it’s plain to see that the most strategic pathway for effective nonprofit advocacy is at the local government level.

While the spectacle that is national politics sucks up a lot of airtime and oxygen, the fact of the matter is that issues decided at the local level have a VASTLY greater impact on the missions and constituents of many nonprofits. Policies around nonprofit-facing issues like housing access, social services, education, parks and public spaces, justice and policing, and more are all molded by the hands of local officials, presenting ample opportunity for nonprofits to share their expertise and advocate for change.
Jumping into the advocacy space, even at the local level, can be intimidating for nonprofits of any size. While needs and approaches will vary based on your nonprofit, available resources, and your relevant local offices, here are a few solid recommendations for getting started:
- Gather your leadership team together to discuss and examine the areas of your work that are most impacted by, or have the potential to be most impacted by local policy change
- Identify and power map the local officials, boards, and other elected authorities that work on issue areas related to your work. While you’re at it, be sure to take an inventory of anyone in your organization who may have connections or relationships to those officials, as they might be a great way to make an introduction and start building a rapport.
- Advocacy depends on the ability to influence elected leaders and that’s where your constituencies come in. Plainly and directly communicate with your community members/program participants/audience to make the connection between the mission and services you provide, policies that impact those services, and the officials who decide on policies.
- Take stock of the advocacy strategies available to your organization and how involved you’re willing to get, including direct lobbying of public officials and decision-makers. Advocacy can take many forms, including:
- Leveraging your role in the community to get on the record about core issues related to your organization’s mission.
- Directly communicating information about important votes, actions, and policies to your community.
- Going to speak at local board or council meetings yourself or with community members.
- Work with your community to tell stories and anecdotes of how your work impacts them. These first hand accounts can be powerful public testimonials.
- Organizing phone banking sessions, and letter or email writing campaigns directed at key decision-makers (Remember Part 3: even just a handful of calls or letters about the same issue can be enough to make local officials take notice.)
We know this sounds like a lot of work, but it bears repeating that nonprofits like yours are uniquely positioned to be effective changemakers. Large-scale demonstrations and protests can bring attention to an issue, but it’s often up to small, well-organized groups to influence change at the local level. And if there’s any sector that knows the importance of bringing people together to improve the community, it’s the nonprofits of America, tasked with accomplishing so much with very limited resources.
For some good insight on the rules and regulations about 501(c)(3) advocacy and lobbying, check out the resources “Lobbying Under the Insubstantial Part Test” and “Maximizing Your Lobbying Limit” with the 501(h) election from Alliance for Justice’s Bolder Advocacy program.