Power of Board Members’ Voices

Most nonprofit organizations recognize the value of their board members’ ability to build relationships with donors and solicit donations. Yet, they often underestimate the same individuals’ potential to build relationships with elected officials and advocate for positive policy changes.

This is narrow-sighted, says Michelle Sanborn, director of public policy for Alliance for Children and Families member Children’s Alliance, Frankfort, Ky. “Establishing a formal public policy committee to advocate at the local, state, and national levels is one of the most promising ways to ensure protection, support, and funding for programs and services.”

Jennie Arbogash, executive director of Social Venture Partners Boulder County, an organization that helps build capacity within nonprofits, explains why advocacy should be at the forefront of board members’ minds: “Nonprofit advocacy is an important component of meeting mission, solving community problems, ensuring stable funding, engaging the community, and educating decision makers.”

Board-driven advocacy often holds the greatest potential for positively influencing policy decisions that directly correspond to an organization’s unique strategic goals and key issues.

Alliance member Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles (JFS) highly prioritizes advocacy. The 17-person public policy committee is co-chaired by two board members. Nancy Volpert, director of public policy, serves as its staff representative.

“Jewish Family Service engages in advocacy to protect the interests and programs that serve the needs of our most vulnerable clients,” she says. “We proactively educate and communicate with our elected officials. In the short term, our goal is to try to ensure that, in an era of devastating budget cuts, we are able to mitigate harm as much as possible. Longer term, we’re developing relationships so that our policy efforts can be proactive, rather than reactive.”

Critical Components of Policy Committees

Arbogash suggests that public policy committees consist of a board member who chairs the group, at least one staff person, other board members, and community volunteers. Each committee member should be well-versed in the Internal Revenue Service’s rules about nonprofit advocacy.

“In order for a public policy committee to be effective, an organization really needs active participation from its CEO and board members,” Volpert adds.
Michael Adams, director of advocacy at Alliance member ChildServ, Chicago, reiterates the need for executive buy-in.

“If public policy advocacy is not seen to be important to your senior executives, chances are your trustees will find it difficult to rally participation,” he says.

ChildServ’s advocacy committee consists of four to five board trustees, plus Adams, who serves as the primary staff liaison. The committee reports to the board of directors at each board meeting, and the committee occasionally seeks board support for resolutions or other actions.

Capitalize on Community Connections

Relationship-building with public officials can begin by such simple means as inviting elected representatives to agency events, Volpert says.

She also recommends initiating advocacy efforts by taking advantage of relationships board members already have.

“Your members already are influential people, or leaders in the community,” she says. “They may know their legislators personally. Those connections are important. They help speak to the community roots of an agency.”

Sanborn of the Children’s Alliance notes several examples that illustrate the power of board members’ connections.

As a state association, Children’s Alliance draws board members from its member agencies to sit on its Board Member Advocacy Council for Children. The council is designed to be an advocacy voice to candidates and legislators.

In 2008, eight council members from the same district as the chair of the state senate budget subcommittee signed a letter to the senator. Sanborn says the letter was highly effective because, when it arrived on the senator’s desk, it wasn’t the names of organization CEOs he saw, but rather eight names he recognized as influential leaders in his district.

Another victory occurred when the governor held town hall meetings across the state to decide how to spend a surplus of money. Board members attended their districts’ gatherings. “After about five or six meetings, the governor noticed and asked to have personal meetings from that point on,” Sanborn says. “The board convinced him to use the surplus to cover care of children in foster care in 2007.”

Legislators appreciate meeting with their own constituents, Sanborn says. “Board members can sell it for the kids. They’re offering the same message our organization does, but can really sell the story in an authentic way, not just offer the facts and figures.”

Ralph Risimini chairs the Children’s Alliance Board Member Advocacy Council for Children. He advises agencies to tell their board members upfront that, besides monetary support and organizational oversight, advocacy is expected.

“Agencies need to let board members know that part of their job is to go and advocate for their organization,” he says. “It’s a matter of tapping the people, giving the people the story to run with, and letting them go and do it.”

Power of Board Members’ Voices