(This article is part of a series of guest columns written by innovators in the nonprofit sector. PNNOnline will be featuring a new "Challenges of the New Century" guest column each week.)
By Linda M. Czipo
In light of the critical issues facing nonprofit organizations and the people they serve, it is more important than ever for nonprofits to be actively involved in the public policy debate. Nonprofits often represent causes and constituencies that are underrepresented in the halls of Congress and state legislatures. Policy makers need the unique perspective and expertise charities provide, and there is growing evidence that the most effective organizations are those that integrate advocacy and policy work into their regular activities.
When it comes to nonprofits use of technology for public policy, there's good and bad news. The good news is that the technology revolution has created new possibilities for innovative activities, and helped enormously to make it easier to gather and exchange the information vital to a vibrant public discourse. Although problems of the digital divide and access in low-income areas persist, technology has helped to level the playing field between well-financed special interest lobbies, the largest organizations and the small to mid-sized nonprofits that comprise most of our sector.
The advances are most apparent in public policy education and grassroots mobilization as information and action alerts can be disseminated more quickly and inexpensively than ever. Also the use of technology provides new opportunities in research and analysis. Web sites such as Charity Lobbying in the Public Interest and the Alliance for Justice provide a wealth of information about the legal boundaries and good lobbying strategy. Research organizations and think tanks can make detailed reports available to a large audience affordably via the Web. Project Vote Smart, the League of Women Voters and countless other groups have made broad-based, nonpartisan candidate information easily accessible to voters. Software technologies such as Geographic Information Systems have put complex, location-based analysis within affordable reach of more organizations. New initiatives have emerged, such as GiveVoice.org, a collaboration between Independent Sector and the National Council of Nonprofit Associations (NCNA) and many of its state association members, designed to heighten awareness of nonprofit issues and make it easier for activists to weigh in.
However, the time when technology can replace rather than supplement more traditional methods of advocacy is, at best, a long way off. Several recent studies of Congressional use of e-mail have underscored its limitations. Research conducted by OMB Watch in 1998 indicated that many federal lawmakers had been relatively slow to embrace e-mail as a viable method of communication. According to a new report from the Congress Online Project, members of Congress currently receive a total of 63,000 e-mail messages per month. Some representatives remain wary of e-mail because of the substantial number of messages from non-constituents and because as it is not always possible to verify the authenticity of the message. Our experience in New Jersey suggests that among state and local policymakers, usage of and receptivity to e-mail is even more inconsistent.
Nonprofits need to recognize that sometimes there is no good substitute for low- or no-tech approaches to communicating with policy makers. Personal visits, personalized letters, phone calls, and the investment of time to build relationships and capitalizing on strength in numbers are essential to developing and sustaining a strong public policy effort.
With these limitations in mind, a few "C" concepts, many of which are also applicable to advocacy and lobbying in general, are worth remembering when using technology as a lobbying aid:
Emphasize Constituency - Establish a clear link to the voters, residents and impact in a legislator's district.
Be Clear, Concise, Compelling and Courteous - Overwhelmed legislative staffs don't have time to read long e-mail messages. Use a subject line that will stand out from the rest and keep the message short, stating the best points up front.
Use the power of Coalitions (the broader, the better). Networking and information sharing are the very heart of the Internet. A carefully worded Web search and time spent at some of the major organization web sites can yield a wealth of leads for an organization seeking potential allies.
Know when to involve your Community - Members, boards, parents, volunteers, and other supporters can be powerful allies in a nonprofit's advocacy agenda. But for a membership organization or a group taking the lead role on a particular issue, it isn't always necessary to mobilize the troops to achieve success. Too-frequent calls to action can wear out helpers and alienate legislators who may be bombarded with messages unnecessarily. A sign-on letter with a long, impressive list of endorsers can be more effective than a barrage of e-mails.
Above all, nonprofits must preserve their Credibility and remain true to their missions. What charities lack in financial clout or the ability to contribute to campaigns, they can more than make up for in knowledge of the issue areas and their organizational integrity.
Integrating advocacy work into operations will strengthen individual organizations and the entire nonprofit sector immeasurably. Technology can be a valuable enhancement to a nonprofit's public policy toolkit if emphasis is placed on the ways in which it works best.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Linda Czipo is Executive Director of the Center for Non-Profit Corporations, an umbrella organization working to strengthen New Jersey's charitable community through advocacy, public education, legal and management assistance, and membership services. Her areas of expertise in the nonprofit sector include advocacy and lobbying, legal and management issues, public policy and available technologies.
Linda's appointment continues a history of extensive engagement in New Jersey's charitable community. She has spearheaded the Center's advocacy work to protect participation by charities in public policy debates; worked closely with State officials to enact comprehensive revisions to New Jersey's charitable fundraising laws; and successfully mobilized broad-based coalitions of nonprofits around a variety of issues. Among other activities, she serves on the Public Policy Committee of the National Council of Nonprofit Associations and the Political Mobilization Committee of the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey. She holds a degree in Political Science from Rutgers University.
