Bolder Advocacy Celebrates a Record-Breaking Year of Advocacy
As we look back at 2022, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for our nonprofit advocacy community. We broke records in terms of the number of nonprofit advocates we trained this past year, and are inspired by how our members and allies mobilized their communities to boost civic engagement and policy change.
Bold, diverse, and committed to equity and justice, this network fought for our community in new and unique ways and because of it – we saw quite a few noteworthy wins this midterm season:
- Protection of reproductive rights in Michigan, California, and Vermont
- Expansion of education access for Dreamers in Arizona
- Emancipation was on the ballet in Oregon, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, and Vermont
- Expansion of voting access in Michigan
Midterm Election Advocacy: Being Nonpartisan in Partisan Times
Oftentimes, nonpartisan advocacy is viewed as a deterrent to engaging in Get Out the Vote initiatives because so much is hanging in the balance. But Bolder Advocacy is here to tell you – it doesn’t have to be. Our team understands the huge role nonprofits play in their communities and our resources aim to equip and empower public charities and funders with the tools needed to engage in GOTV initiatives while remaining nonpartisan. A win-win.
This year, we:
- Launched the Nonprofit Voter Assistance series, in partnership with The Democracy Capacity Project
- Curated an election advocacy series in our Rules of the Game podcast tailored to nonprofits and funders
- And revamped several election season resources and factsheets, including our Election Activities of Individuals Associated with 501(c)(3) Organizations factsheet
How to Combat Misinformation
First, any organization considering election protection work should know what work it can accomplish based on its tax status. For instance, federal tax law prohibits 501(c)(3) organizations “from directly or indirectly participating in – or intervening in – any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for elective public office.” But a 501(c)(3) can host nonpartisan activities surrounding the elections, which include:
- Administrative advocacy
- Public education and advocacy
- Ballot curing
- Litigation, asking the courts to intervene, and
- Lobbying and legislative work
For a more in-depth look, check out Bolder Advocacy’s very own Leslie Barnes and Susan Finkle-Sourlis’ blog: What Can Nonprofits Do to Combat Misinformation During the Vote Counting Process.
Rules of the Game Podcast
All that listening truly paid off. Our 5-star rated Rules of the Game podcast downloads have nearly doubled, with over 10,100 downloads in 2022. Of the 26 episodes released this year, our most popular were:
Bolder Advocacy’s End-of-Year Snapshot
As we look ahead to 2023, we want to remind you that your cause is our mission. And with that, we bid you a joyous New Year – filled with even bolder advocacy!