Achieving our Mission Through Policy and Advocacy Abby Levine, Legal Director of Bolder Advocacy,...
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Transcript of Achieving our Mission Through Policy and Advocacy Abby Levine, Legal Director of Bolder Advocacy,...
Achieving our Mission Through Policy and Advocacy
Abby Levine, Legal Director of Bolder Advocacy, Alliance for Justice
James Head, Vice President of Programs, The San Francisco Foundation
Colleen M. Cotter, Executive Director, The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
501(c)(3)Private Foundation
501(c)(4)
Examples
LobbyingActivities
ElectoralActivities
Contributions tax-deductible
Tax-Exempt Tax-Exempt
UNLIMITED
Cannot support or oppose a candidate
for office
Secondary activity
Follow federal and state election law
PROHIBITED
Tax on foundation & managers
501(c)(3)Public Charities
Contributions tax-deductible
Tax-Exempt
Cannot support or oppose a candidate
for office
LIMITED
Insubstantial Part or 501(h)
Tax Treatment
Community Organizing
Public Education
Educate Legislators
Nonpartisan Voter Ed.
PARTISAN POLITICAL
LOBBYING
Get to Know Legislators
Educational Conferences
Research
Lobbying Exceptions
InfluenceCorporations
Training
Regulatory Efforts
Litigation
Avenues forADVOCATING CHANGE
Foundation Involvement in Advocacy: Continuum of Roles
Fund Engage
No involvement
Capacitybuilder
Funder:General Support
Funder:Specific Project
Convener Advocate:quietly
Advocate:loudly
LobbyistResponder
Lobbying
Public charities, including community foundations, may lobby:
• Insubstantial part test
• 501(h) expenditure test
What is Lobbying ?
DIRECT
Communication
Legislator
Expresses a view about specific
legislation
GRASSROOTS
Communication
General public
Expresses a view about specific
legislation
Call to action
Community Foundations may FUND grantees that lobby
Specific Project Grants
General Support Grants
$$$
Earmarked For Lobbying
WEST COASTAlliance For Justice
436 14th StreetSuite 425
Oakland, CA 94612510-444-6070
EAST COASTAlliance for Justice11 Dupont Circle, NW2nd FloorWashington, DC 20036202-822-6070
www.bolderadvocacy.org@AFJBeBold@Alevineafj
www.facebook.com/BolderAdvocacy
Community FoundationPolicy and Advocacy Examples
Research• Silicon Valley Community Foundation Report on the
Statues of Payday Lending in California (2009)• The San Francisco Foundation Research on Minimum
Wage increase efforts in the Bay Area (2014) Grantmaking
• Alliance for Justice work to educate nonprofits on advocacy and lobbying requirement
• Legal Aid Society of Cleveland work to provide individual and issue advocacy to address economic and social disparities
Direct Community Foundation Involvement
The IssueProposition 8• Amends the California Constitution to provide that
only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California
• Prop 8 intent of unequal treatment for California Residents on the basis of sexual orientation
• How TSFF got involved
San Francisco Foundation Response
• $250,000 contribution (grant) to the Equality for All Campaign (a 501c4) organization
• Co-sponsored a donor briefing on the issues• Provided mini-grants for a Get Out The Vote
(GOTV) education campaign targeted at young voters
• Documented and reported all staff, grant, cost of our involvement to the IRS
Strategic Plan Goal 1:
Improve Safety and Health
Selected Outcomes
• Increased safety 100%
• Eliminated/reduced risk to
child 98.9%
Total Financial Impact:
$4,741,127Total Cases Handled1,414
Case Types, Cases Handled (2013)
Improve Safety and Health - Family
HEWII 21%
Other 4%
Consumer 39%
Housing 16%
Divorce 8%
Domestic Abuse 8%
Support 4%Custody Visitation
1% Other Family 1%
Selected Outcomes
• Increased safety in 100%
• Secured access to health
insurance 88.6%
Total Financial Impact:
$1,097,414Total Cases Handled1,866
Case Types, Cases Handled (2013)
Improve Safety and Health - HEWII
Other4%
Consumer39%
Housing 16%
Family21%
Work11%
Health & Public Benefits5%
Immigration3%Education
2%
• Appellate case to set standard for issuing civil protection order
• Advocacy with courts to ensure they waive fees for people with low income
• Advocacy to allow those with U- and T-Visas (immigrant victims of serious crimes or human trafficking) to pay in-state tuition
• Advocacy on utility rates and to ensure due process in utility terminations
• Working in partnership to overcome Affordable Care Act enrollment issues
Safety and Health- Advocacy
Strategic Plan Goal 2:
Promote Education and Economic Stability
Selected Outcomes
• Removed Barriers to Employment
96.9%
• Increased or Maintained Income
73.6%
• Removed Barriers to Education
86.7%
Total Financial Impact:
$1,203,389Total Cases Handled1,910
Case Types / Handled (May 2013-April 2014)
Family22%
Consumer38%
Housing16%
Others3%
Education3%
Employment/
Work10%
Immi-gra-tion3%
Public Benefits (Health)2%
Public Benefits (Income)4%
Promote Education and Economic Security - HEWII
Selected Outcomes
• Foreclosure Prevented
and Saved the Home 73.3%
• Reduced/Avoided Debt 88.9%
• Preserved/Increased Assets
82.9%
Total Financial Impact:
$22,823,696Total Cases Handled3,477
Case Types / Handled (May 2013-April 2014)
Promote Education and Economic Security- Consumer
Family22%
HEWII21%
Housing16%
Others3%
Bank-ruptcy/Debtor Relief28%
Fore-closure
6%
Other Consumer 4%
• Cashland v. Scott – Ohio Supreme Court case challenging Ohio’s pay day lending scheme
• Bradberry v. City of Bedford – Appeal concerning standard for sealing criminal record
• Complaint resulting in school district now sending progress reports to parents with children with special needs
Economic Security and Education-Advocacy
Strategic Plan Goal 3:
Secure Decent, Affordable Housing
Selected Outcomes
• Evictions Prevented 98.5%
• Secured Subsidized Housing
95.6%
• Reduced Rent/Fee 100%
Total Financial Impact:
$614,518Total Cases Handled1,414
Case Types / Handled (Sept 2013-April 2014)
Secure Decent, Affordable Housing- Landlord/Tenant
Con-sumer36%
HEWII22%
Family22%
Others4%
Fed Subsi-dized
Housing5%
Private Landlord/ Tenant9%
Public Housing & Mobile Homes
2%
Selected Outcomes
• Foreclosure Prevented and
Home Saved 75%
• Extended Client’s Stay in
Home 98.9%
• Default Judgment Averted
82.9%
Total Financial Impact:
$11,627,490Total Cases Handled490
Case Types / Handled (Sept 2013-April 2014)
Secure Decent, Affordable Housing- Landlord/Tenant
ConsumerNot FCL
31%
Housing16%
Family22%
HEWII22%
Others4%
All Others (Aff Lit, Judgements, Mortgage Problems)
<1%
• Federal appellate case challenging the way housing authority calculates portion of rent due from tenant
• Advocacy with housing authority regarding bans on persons with prior convictions
• Advocacy with state agency to ensure people with low income benefit form tax-supported developments
• Advocacy with courts to establish mediation programs for foreclosure
Housing - Advocacy