legislators | North Carolina Center for Nonprofits

Do I Really Need to Congratulate That Politician?: Building Working Relationships with Lawmakers Who Make You Cringe

Lisa Hazirjian, Ph.D., Win Together Consulting

Back in November, I published this blog encouraging nonprofit leaders to begin building relationships with elected officials by sending an email congratulating them on their victory. I was surprised and delighted by how much traffic and praise the blog generated. Yet the response I found myself thinking about the most was this question left on LinkedIn by my colleague Veronica LaFemina:

A Nonprofit Conversation with State Legislators

A bipartisan panel of state legislators will discuss state policy priorities in 2021 and give a preview of the process for developing the state budget. The panel will also share tips on effective ways for nonprofits to advocate for their missions and insights on opportunities for nonprofits to engage with elected officials during the pandemic. We will have a moderated Q&A session to allow participants a chance to get input from the legislative panelists.

Presenter: David Heinen, Vice President for Public Policy and Advocacy, North Carolina Center for Nonprofits

Seven Questions to Answer Before You Make Your Ask

While written to help nonprofit leaders think strategically about public policy advocacy, these seven steps are useful to follow when developing fundraising asks, internal programmatic or organizational policy proposals, or other kinds of requests. (Shared with permission by Lisa Hazirjian, Ph.D., Win Together Consulting)

Highlights (and Fabricated Statistics) from the 2017 Nonprofit Town Hall Series

David Heinen, Vice President for Public Policy and Advocacy, North Carolina Center for Nonprofits

Earlier this year, the Center organized a series of Nonprofit Town Hall meetings around the state. These meetings – in Fayetteville, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Jacksonville, Research Triangle Park, and Asheville – gave nonprofits an opportunity to connect with elected officials, learn about nonprofit sector trends and policy issues, and share their concerns about how the current political climate may affect their organizations.