Now more than ever, with political divisions wider than they have been in decades and an election year in full swing, philanthropists are looking for ways to have an impact on issues they care about deeply – including through advocacy.
And for good reason – the ROI of a dollar invested in policy and civic engagement is 115% according to the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. Our research at The Bridgespan Group has found that this kind of giving is foundational to lasting, transformative social change.
But many funders overlook or shy away from the tools they need to have the influence they want—from awareness raising to lobbying to political campaigning—sometimes because they require funding organizations with different legal statuses—501(c)3 vs. 501(c)4 vs. 527. Our research suggests those advocacy tools aren’t as fraught or complicated as they may seem. The payoff for communities is huge.
We captured what we’ve learned, including insights from 30 practitioners and philanthropists, in “Using All the Tools in the Toolkit: Funding Advocacy for Social Change” to address the questions we hear most frequently from funders (including questions about transparency and accountability).
Here are nine ideas for how, when, and where to consider investing in advocacy efforts:
- Support the full extent of 501(c)3 advocacy work, which includes efforts to educate the public and a limited amount of lobbying
- Create the structure to fund 501(c)4 and 527 activities if you identify the need for unlimited lobbying (which 501(c) 4s can do) or political campaign work (which 527s can do) to reach your goals
- Give through intermediary funding organizations and donor-advised funds as structured, efficient ways to fund across 501(c)3, 501(c)4, and 527 organizations
- Give directly to 501(c)4s or 527s starting with organizations you know
- Collaborate with funders and experts who share your goals to leverage collective action to make smarter investments
- Consider opportunities to partner on issues, not along party lines as unlikely allies can increase the effectiveness of advocacy work
- Fund at the regional level to accomplish your goals as opportunities abound for transformative impact with investment across the country at all levels of government
- Look to organizations going beyond the norm of the highest profile elective offices to find decision-making power and to organizations that engage “low propensity” voters—disproportionately voters of color.
- Give early and stay the course so the organizations can plan beyond the ebb and flow of election cycle funding
These ideas came together in New Mexicans’ push for early childhood education, demonstrating the oversized impact that can come from strategically funding advocacy and electoral work.
OLÉ Education Fund and a broad coalition of community organizations had been advocating for increased spending from the state’s Land Grant Permanent Fund. That required a constitutional amendment approved through a ballot measure. But without the majority support of legislators, they couldn’t get the issue on the ballot. In 2020, after years of organizing, voters elected officials who supported this investment in early education.
The Vote YES For Kids campaign raised $4 million—made possible by an array of philanthropies, including major funders of early childhood education like Ballmer Group and the Heising-Simons Action Fund. On November 9, 2022, the ballot initiative won with 70 percent of the vote across almost every county—with strong support in both Republican and Democratic districts—permanently unlocking $150 million annually for education in New Mexico. These dollars went to new childcare centers, direct support to families for childcare, and family-sustaining wages for educators—improving the lives of children, their families, and educators alike.
“If you want a policy that supports the kind of work you want to see in the world, you need to elect policymakers who will make that happen,” Kim Jordan, founder and board chair of the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation, told us.
Funders who see the potential of their investment in policy advocacy have enabled durable, systemic change. Now is the time to join them.
Debby Bielak is a partner in The Bridgespan Group’s San Francisco office, where Liz Jain is a principal,
