Connection to Cause: Advocacy as a Powerful Tool to Achieve Your Mission

with Julia Hunter and Tiffany Brace from NAWA

One of the most essential elements of nonprofit work is advocacy. This session will guide participants in connecting their nonprofit’s mission to the larger cause and taking the next step by advocating for their mission within that greater landscape. Nonprofit Association of Washington (NAWA) convenes a powerful network of nonprofit organizations across Washington State to learn, advocate, and collaborate, so that nonprofits can achieve their missions. NAWA’s Learning Manager, Julia Hunter, will begin the session with a presentation on connecting mission to cause. We will discuss how your nonprofit can expand their strategic vision to include a larger community of individuals and organizations working in the same area, such as government agencies or universities. Participants will fill out a “Purpose Map” that charts the individuals, other nonprofits, and agencies that their nonprofit can collaborate with to strengthen their ability to achieve their mission.

Next NAWA’s Policy Director, Tiffany Brace, will lead a discussion on why policy and advocacy work is essential to achieving nonprofit missions. She will provide an overview of advocacy, lobbying, and what you need to know to stay compliant with state and federal laws. Participants will be able to practice advocating to decision-makers and be able to hone their message. Participants will discover new opportunities by embracing advocacy as a powerful tool to advance their organization’s cause. Knowing how to engage with advocacy and lobbying will help nonprofits be effective and compliant with applicable laws. Their voice will be even more powerful by connecting the organization to larger causes of focus for key decision-makers and community leaders.

Participants will leave this session being able to:

• Articulate how their mission connects to the cause the organization is working to advance.

• Understand how to stay compliant in advocacy and lobbying work.

• Advocate confidently to decision-makers who can impact their mission.