Now Live! The 2023 State of the Alberta Nonprofit Sector Survey
Fill out the 2023 State of the Nonprofit Sector survey today! CCVO uses findings from this survey to raise our strong collective voice for action, and support policies and programs that help all nonprofits make an impact.
What’s Wrong with Shutting Down Nonprofit Advocacy?
There’s a troubling trend drifting up from south of the border and it’s not just COVID-19 case counts. We’re talking about the tendency to think of policy and political issues in partisan terms only. As in the Liberals “own” child care, the NDP “own” poverty reduction, the Green Party “owns” the environment, and the Conservatives “own” small business tax breaks. This blog post by ONN's Director of Policy, Liz Sutherland, and CCVO's Director, Policy & Research, Alexa Briggs, looks at policy, nonpartisanship, polarization, and democracy.
Join the #nonprofitsvote Campaign! Nonprofit Vote Kit Now Available
CCVO has launched #nonprofitsvote, an exciting campaign, to encourage nonprofit staff, board members, volunteers, and people who access the services of nonprofits to engage in the upcoming provincial election. The campaign is a nonpartisan effort to ‘get out the vote’ by increasing nonprofit voter participation in the Alberta 2019 provincial election.
The Alberta Nonprofit Election Toolkit Has Launched!
We’re excited to announce the release of the complete Nonprofit Election Toolkit - a practical guide for nonprofits to engage in advocacy during the 2019 Alberta election. We created this Toolkit to support nonprofits in engaging more deeply in public policy advocacy and to inspire conversations about the crucial role that Alberta nonprofits play in our communities.
Get Out the Vote and Join #nonprofitsvote
With more than 26,000 nonprofits in Alberta, it’s not a stretch to say that nonprofits touch the lives of every single Albertan, whether it be as staff, volunteers, board members, or clients. Nonprofits have a responsibility to speak up about the issues that matter to us and drive us to make positive contributions to our communities. In the final post of our election toolkit, learn how we can use our collective voice to encourage #nonprofitsvote and make a difference.
My Reflections on CCVO’s Policy Lunch and Learn: Nonprofit Advocacy 101
We kickstarted our first lunch and learn with a short presentation, making the case on why advocacy work is critical to our success as a sector. The strength and impact of the nonprofit sector peaked a lot of interest, as several attendees were spotted taking photos of the presentation and jotting down notes around the impressive stats on the sector. I appreciated the overall positive tone of the conversation among participants and during the session, and later reflected on how advocacy can often be a long and difficult journey with road blocks along the way.
After the Election, the Real Work Begins
It’s important for nonprofits to recognize that advocacy efforts need to start well before the advent of an election campaign – and continue afterwards as well. After all, policy advocacy is a journey, not a destination. If a specific policy proposal finds its way into a political party’s election platform, it’s often the result of a lot of hard work in the months, and even years, prior to an election. Here are five critically important ways for nonprofits to follow up after the election.
Advocacy is a Journey, Not a Destination
Consider this: advocacy is a journey, not a destination. An election period may be a great time to reinforce policy advocacy for nonprofits, but advocacy is a long-term commitment that requires persistence and dedication to work towards your desired outcome throughout election cycles. Here are some tips to keep you on track and motivated throughout your advocacy journey.