SVP International Conference

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SVP International Conference

• Advocacy and Public Policy An SVP Approach
• Dawn Trudeau SVP Seattle (dawntr_at_pobox.com)

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(No Transcript)
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Advocacy Is Not Lobbying

• "Advocacy is the pursuit of influencing outcomes
  - including public policy and resource allocation
  decisions within political, economic, and social
  systems and institutions - that directly affect
  people's lives."
• Excerpted from the California Endowment website

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Spectrum of Efforts
Advocacy
Policy
Lobbying
Grant Making
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So Why Advocacy

• Can lead to systemic change
• A way to leverage the impact of your funds
• Strengthens voice of underrepresented groups and
  provides policy makers with information they need
  to know
• Helps you achieve your mission and your Investees
  to reach their goals
• Bolsters your unique role in bringing together
  diverse members of the community

Rephrased from the Alliance For Justice
publication Investing in Change A Funders
Guide to Supporting Advocacy
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Why Is Advocacy Important to SVP?

• Address the root cause of problems and foment
  systemic change.
• Have greater impact with its grants.
• Team with expert organizations on systemic
  change.
• Become a more involved and engaged community
  partner working towards positive impact in our
  issue areas
• Enhance the environment in which our investees
  (or nonprofits) operate
• Strengthens voice of underrepresented groups and
  provides policy makers with information they need
  to know

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APC General Mission

• The mission of the SVPs Advocacy/Policy
  endeavors is to influence public policy in order
  to drive systemic change in SVP core funding
  areas.

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Early Learning Advocacy Mission

• The mission of the Early Learning Advocacy and
  Policy committee is to influence public policy in
  order to drive systemic change in early learning.
  We do this by advancing key early learning
  policy priorities and amplifying efforts of
  allied organizations.

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Vision

• If we fulfill our vision for public policy work,
  we will be able to assess our status and
  accomplishments in 3 years and say
• Our knowledge of effective public policy work has
  increased.
• We are capable and confident in our advocacy
  work.
• We have developed an authoritative voice in early
  learning.
• We have greater experience with public/private
  partnerships.
• SVP Partners are leaders in the community
• We can marshal SVPs assets on behalf of targeted
  goals
• Knowledge is shared widely among SVP Partners
• Alliances in early learning are strengthened
• Successful strategies are communicated both
  internally and externally
• Our investees have a better environment to
  operate in and are considering advocacy in their
  work

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Criteria for selecting issues

• Responsive (i.e.. we dont initiate)
• Leverages the partnership
• Aligns with other early learning agendas
• We must have appropriate level of resources to
  address/tackle the issue
• Leveraged
• Timely
• Based in King County
• Replicable
• Must obtain board approval

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Broad Public Policy Goals (from Tb5s Public
Policy Goal 2 and 3).

• All families have access to high-quality,
  affordable child care and early education
  programs as they so choose.
• A cohesive, efficient, affordable and accountable
  system of early care and education that serves as
  the foundation for successful lifelong education
  and learning.

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Early Learning APC Guiding Strategies

• Priority Issue
• The cultivation of non-traditional champions (SVP
  Partners, Business Community, Entertainment
  Community, Religious Community, Legislatures,
  School District) is essential to achieve our
  policy objectives.
• Key Strategies
• Clarify the message (gather and package)
• Mobilize Partnership
• Cultivate champions and relationships

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Early Learning APC Guiding Strategies

• Tasks
• Develop case for EL with supporting data
• Brain Science
• Social and emotional learning
• School readiness
• Social return on investment
• Relationship building
• Develop relationships and begin dialog 
• Target audience adopts model/message and shares
  with their constituencies

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Early Learning APC Guiding Strategies

• End Game
• 1.  High quality, publicly funded early childhood
  system.
• 2.  0-5 is part of the state mandate for
  education
• 3.  Public will to support and participate in EL
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• Key Messages
• 1.  Invest in Early Childhood
• 2.  Relate message to target audience

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What Have We Been Doing?

• Advocacy through Investees (League of Education
  Voters Early Childhood Education Coalition)
• Fits the SVP traditional model of grant-making
  and capacity building
• Less collective work, more individual volunteer
  opportunities
• Relatively easy to develop goals and assess
  progress
• Advocacy through partnerships (Thrive By Five
  Business Partnership for Early Learning)
• 15k over two years, 10k planned for 2008
• Public/Private Partnerships
• Much harder to develop specific goals and assess
  progress due to coalition structure

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Where Are We Headed?

• We would like to strengthen our small investments
  to alliances, partnerships, and/or coalitions. 
  Some other areas to strengthen these
  relationships include
• Increase engagement
• Utilize a light version of the work plan and
  determine how SVP can engage
• Bring set of tools/rigor mini-evaluation and
  mini work plan to help the relationship and to
  monitor progress.
• 10,000 grants
• Help SVP create new APCs for other issue areas

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Challenges in Evaluating Advocacy Grants and
Activities

• Complexity
• Role of External Forces
• Time Frame
• Shifting Strategies and Milestones
• Attribution
• Limitations on Lobbying
• Grantee Engagement

Excerpted from the Blueprint Research publication
The Challenge of Assessing Advocacy
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Public Policy Strengthening Activities

• Convening stakeholders around policy
• Building partnerships and coalitions
• Public Policy capacity building
• Public interest research and dissemination
• Public and consumer education
• Media education and influencing
• Administrative and regulatory advocacy
• Judicial advocacy including litigation
• Organizing and mobilizing
• Lobbying and supporting other nonprofits that
  lobby
• Demonstrating and other direct action techniques

Excerpted from Power In Policy A Funders Guide
to Advocacy and Civic Participation
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Civic Strengthening Activities

• Voter registration
• Voter turnout get out the vote
• Voter and candidate education
• Research on civic activity
• Civic education
• Civic infrastructure support

Excerpted from Power In Policy A Funders Guide
to Advocacy and Civic Participation
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Panel Discussion

• Tricia McKay ED Medina Foundation SVP Seattle
  Board Member
• The Human Services Funders Collaborative
• Chris Korsmo, Executive Director League of
  Education Voters Foundation
• Mission To inform and engage the public in
  making Washington State education policy more
  just and more effective.
• Susan Fairchild - Grants Advocacy Manager SVP
  Seattle
• Starting an Advocacy and Policy Committee