The Beginners Guide to Advocacy
Advocacy is an essential act for any nonprofit to remain relevant and effective. Fortunately, we already have a lot of the skills needed to be effective in our work through advocacy. We advocate for ourselves or on behalf of others daily through action. That can be providing a meal to the unhoused, planting a vegetable in a community garden, or helping a low-income family apply for rental assistance. There are countless actions we take every day that help us make our vision of a better world a reality. But we can do more! Check out this guide to learn how you can take small actions to make sure your voice is heard.
Advocacy Work
The IECC is committed to improving the lives of children and families in the Inland Empire. Through our partnerships and large network of nonprofit organizations, IECC is well positioned to advocate for the community on a grander scale to demand justice and equity for children, families and a wide intersection of underserved and marginalized communities. Below you will find more information about the work IECC is doing behind the scenes to make sure our voice is represented wherever decisions are made.
Advocacy Opportunities
Many people think that nonprofits are expected to sit on the sidelines and let public policy happen to them. In reality, nonprofits can do a lot around advocacy and policy lobbying. Want to learn more about nonprofit regulations related to advocacy and lobbying? Check out these resources from Boulder Advocacy.
BEING A PLAYER: A Guide to the IRS Lobbying Regulations for Advocacy Charities
Public Charities Can Lobby: Guidelines for 501(c)(3) Public Charities
Maximize Your Lobbying Limit: Elect to Measure Your Lobbying Using the 501(h) Expenditure Test
Private and Public Foundations May Fund Charities that Lobby
Organizations and Committees
The Inland Empire Community Collaborative is a part of several organizations and committees in the Inland Empire that advocate for nonprofit and community needs. Many of these organizations are open to community engagement and input. Feel free to explore and apply to be a part of these organizations to make your voice heard. In addition to the organizations and committees listed below, IECC sits at the table of other influential and decision making bodies including The IE Covid Response and the Tri-County Community Partnership, which includes members from San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial County.
California Association of Nonprofits
The California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofits) is a statewide membership organization that brings nonprofits together to advocate for the communities we serve. At CalNonprofits, they bring nonprofits together to discuss and debate issues, to think through the implications of government and philanthropic actions, and to build networks that support our organizations and the communities we serve.
Family & Community IE
Family & Community IE (FCIE) is a prevention-focused coalition of organizations serving children, youth, and families throughout the Inland Empire and beyond. FCIE membership is comprised of organizations committed to helping strengthen families. Each organization provides one of the evidence-based nationally recognized Nurturing Parenting Programs (NPP) to specific populations within the Inland Empire.
IE Children’s Cabinet
IECC is one of the founding members of the IE Children’s Cabinet. The goal of this policy oriented body is to support children, youth and families to improve the ability to advance health and racial equity in our communities. If you would like to know more about this organization please email Susan Gomez by clicking the link below.
IE RISE
IECC is dedicated to advocating for nonprofit equity in the Inland Empire. As chair of the Nonprofit Equity Steering Committee, we hope to make the IE a region where nonprofits, small and large and especially those run by and serving historically and structurally oppressed communities, work collaboratively with each other and are equitably and adequately recognized, respected, and supported by stakeholders in government, industry, media, and philanthropy.