Foundation Advocacy Intensive: Develop Your Policy Acumen
An 8-week, action-oriented virtual workshop where you’ll learn how your foundation can drive advocacy on a specific issue.
Are you ready to join other funders in using your foundation’s freedom to support advocacy? Do your grantees believe influencing policy can lead to major positive changes, advance equity, or solve environmental issues? Are you unsure about your role or how to start in advocacy?
This workshop will teach you how to begin and guide you through the start of your advocacy journey.
Experiential Learning, Skills Practice, and Hands-on Work
This program helps lean funders like you use your unique strengths to engage in advocacy. You’ll discover how your foundation can contribute to system changes that benefit your grantees, partners, and community. Through skill-building and hands-on practice, you’ll apply the steps outlined in Exponent Philanthropy’s Advocacy Field Guide for Lean Funders, written by Jason Sabo and Lisa Kerber of Frontera Strategy.
By participating, you will:
- Gain a thorough understanding of the information needed to advance advocacy on any issue.
- Gain practical experience in finding this critical information to enhance your policy expertise.
- Receive coaching from experienced foundation peers in advocacy and leadership.
- Build strong connections with other lean funders, providing support during and after the program.
Because of the experiential nature of this cohort program, we ask participants to sign a Program Commitment when registering.
Schedule
Participants will meet virtually on four Wednesdays over an 8-week period. All modules run from 2:00-4:00 PM ET. Participants will conduct listening interviews between modules #1 and #2; and modules #3 and #4.
Module #1: Skills Training
**Participants conduct listening interviews between sessions
Module #2: Identify Policy Action Idea
Module #3: Landscape Scanning
**Participants conduct listening interviews between sessions
Module #4: Processing and Planning
Catalytic Guides
Exponent Philanthropy members with deep experience in issue advocacy will serve as catalytic guides. These extraordinary funders embrace Catalytic Leadership in Philanthropy and serve a key role in coaching participants to take action on what they’ve learned.
Who Should Attend
Small, place-based foundations – including those without staff – are perfectly positioned for this work. Foundation staff, trustees, or donors who want to begin a journey toward issue advocacy should register. Individuals in all roles at lean foundations, including staff, trustees, donors, and family members are encouraged to join the cohort.
Platform and Accessibility
This program uses Zoom; automated closed captioning is available. We can provide additional accommodations upon request (e.g., live captioner, ASL interpreter). Please contact us at info@exponentphilanthropy.org or call 202-580-6560 if you need accommodations.
Recordings are only available to registrants for 30 days after each module date.
What Participants Say
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