WP_Query Object ( [query] => Array ( [name] => survey-tough-months-ahead-for-nonprofit-public-affairs-teams [post_type] => resources [resource-type] => blog ) [query_vars] => Array ( [name] => survey-tough-months-ahead-for-nonprofit-public-affairs-teams [post_type] => resources [resource-type] => blog [error] => [m] => [p] => 0 [post_parent] => [subpost] => [subpost_id] => [attachment] => [attachment_id] => 0 [pagename] => [page_id] => 0 [second] => [minute] => [hour] => [day] => 0 [monthnum] => 0 [year] => 0 [w] => 0 [category_name] => [tag] => [cat] => [tag_id] => [author] => [author_name] => [feed] => [tb] => [paged] => 0 [meta_key] => [meta_value] => [preview] => [s] => [sentence] => [title] => [fields] => [menu_order] => [embed] => [category__in] => Array ( ) [category__not_in] => Array ( ) [category__and] => Array ( ) [post__in] => Array ( ) [post__not_in] => Array ( ) [post_name__in] => Array ( ) [tag__in] => Array ( ) [tag__not_in] => Array ( ) [tag__and] => Array ( ) [tag_slug__in] => Array ( ) [tag_slug__and] => Array ( ) [post_parent__in] => Array ( ) [post_parent__not_in] => Array ( ) [author__in] => Array ( ) [author__not_in] => Array ( ) [search_columns] => Array ( ) [ignore_sticky_posts] => [suppress_filters] => [cache_results] => 1 [update_post_term_cache] => 1 [update_menu_item_cache] => [lazy_load_term_meta] => 1 [update_post_meta_cache] => 1 [posts_per_page] => 10 [nopaging] => [comments_per_page] => 50 [no_found_rows] => [order] => DESC ) [tax_query] => [meta_query] => WP_Meta_Query Object ( [queries] => Array ( ) [relation] => [meta_table] => [meta_id_column] => [primary_table] => [primary_id_column] => [table_aliases:protected] => Array ( ) [clauses:protected] => Array ( ) [has_or_relation:protected] => ) [date_query] => [queried_object] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 14599 [post_author] => 43 [post_date] => 2024-09-05 03:02:37 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-09-05 03:02:37 [post_content] => Life in nonprofit public affairs has never been easy. The mission is challenging, resources are scarce, and the political and policy landscape is forever shifting. This year, nonprofit professionals say their work may be even harder. Quorum’s 2024 State of Government Affairs Survey, which asked public affairs professionals about their work, sketches a portrait of nonprofit organizations facing multiple hurdles that get tougher as the year goes on. The numbers tell the story:

• Almost three-quarters (74 percent) said that the country’s fierce partisan polarization—never more on display than in a presidential election year like this one—makes advocacy and lobbying harder.
• More than half (56 percent) said this year’s election, which will decide party control of the White House, both chambers of Congress, and almost 5,800 state legislative seats, will make that work even harder still.
• When asked to name their biggest challenges, resources topped the list. Professionals most often cited understaffing (47 percent), followed by getting the attention of lawmakers (40 percent), and a lack of funding (34 percent).

By contrast, only about 7 percent cited the need to modernize technology as a challenge, even though less than a third (30 percent) said their organization is currently using artificial intelligence.

The State of Nonprofit Advocacy

With almost 2 million nonprofits in the U.S., the sector is substantial, contributing roughly $1.4 trillion to the American economy, or about 5.6 percent of GDP in 2022, according to Independent Sector, which studies nonprofit impact and behavior. Yet, not all nonprofits are involved in lobbying and advocacy. In fact, nonprofit activity in this area has been shrinking over the last two decades. A report from Independent Sector in 2023 showed that almost 7 in 10 (69 percent) of nonprofits do not engage in lobbying or advocacy. The report showed that 75 percent have never lobbied on a policy proposal, up from 26 percent in 2000; 74 percent have never released research publicly, up from 31 percent in 2000; and 55 percent have never worked in a planning group with the government, up from 18 percent in 2000. “The findings suggest nonprofits are playing a diminished role in some facets of civil society, namely lobbying government and working with government on policies,” Nonprofit Quarterly wrote earlier this year. Yet there is another way to look at the numbers: many nonprofits have the opportunity to expand the tools they use to further their mission and enact change.

Nonprofits and the Election

Some are taking this year’s election as an opportunity to do just that, and the reason is simple: the election will impact public affairs at almost every nonprofit in America. Indeed, it is difficult to find an issue that will not be affected by the outcome. Policies governing everything from abortion rights and criminal justice to climate change and immigration could all see tectonic changes. Nonprofits will have to read the landscape, adjust their goals, and move quickly to adapt. At the same time, election years make advocacy difficult, capturing the attention of decision-makers, dominating the national conversation, monopolizing media coverage, and ramping up partisan rhetoric. Legislation slows at the federal level as lawmakers focus on campaigning. Many nonprofits are, therefore, turning their attention to the election itself. The State of Government Affairs survey, which took place in March and April, showed that two-thirds (66 percent) of nonprofit professionals say their organization will get involved in the election in some way, while only one-third (34 percent) say their organization will remain inactive. Among organizations planning to be active, 53 percent said they would advocate on issues, and 48 percent said they would encourage people to register and vote.

What Your Organization Can Do

For nonprofits that want to get involved in the election, here are some ideas:

• Frame the Importance of the Election. Explaining why this election is important to your audience and how it can impact the issues they care about—essentially, explaining why they should vote—can be valuable. It can be as simple as a letter from your CEO.
• Provide Accurate Information on Issues. Candidates will be making claims and statements in coming days, many of which stretch the truth (sometimes greatly). You can provide accurate information to your audience about the issues that matter to them. While some nonprofits have a natural partisan appeal, others have the opportunity to communicate in a nonpartisan way.
• Make it Easier to Vote. Many nonprofits provide resources allowing their audience to check if they are registered, see which candidates are running, find dates for early voting, and get email reminders of key dates. Anything you can do to help your audience get to the polls will be appreciated.
• Reward Participation. On Election Day, ask your audience to send pictures with their “I Voted” stickers and then highlight them on your social media channels. It’s a great, interactive way to celebrate civic participation.

Remember, too, that the election is a beginning, not an end. It could bring a new administration, with a new stable of cabinet members and other officials; dozens of new members of Congress, all with new staff; and potentially hundreds of new state lawmakers. Many nonprofits will struggle to monitor the changes, adopt a new strategy, and build relationships with new lawmakers. This could be particularly difficult if the action doesn’t end on Election Day. Recounts, court challenges, and other crises may bring about uncertain circumstances. Make a plan this year to get your needs met and leave time next year to address those needs in a changing environment. As always, a little preparation can go a long way. [post_title] => Survey: Tough Months Ahead for Nonprofit Public Affairs Teams [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => survey-tough-months-ahead-for-nonprofit-public-affairs-teams [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-09-28 03:10:59 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-09-28 03:10:59 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://marketing-staging.quorum.us/?post_type=resources&p=14599 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => resources [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [queried_object_id] => 14599 [request] => SELECT wp_posts.* FROM wp_posts WHERE 1=1 AND wp_posts.post_name = 'survey-tough-months-ahead-for-nonprofit-public-affairs-teams' AND wp_posts.post_type = 'resources' ORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESC [posts] => Array ( [0] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 14599 [post_author] => 43 [post_date] => 2024-09-05 03:02:37 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-09-05 03:02:37 [post_content] => Life in nonprofit public affairs has never been easy. The mission is challenging, resources are scarce, and the political and policy landscape is forever shifting. This year, nonprofit professionals say their work may be even harder. Quorum’s 2024 State of Government Affairs Survey, which asked public affairs professionals about their work, sketches a portrait of nonprofit organizations facing multiple hurdles that get tougher as the year goes on. The numbers tell the story:

• Almost three-quarters (74 percent) said that the country’s fierce partisan polarization—never more on display than in a presidential election year like this one—makes advocacy and lobbying harder.
• More than half (56 percent) said this year’s election, which will decide party control of the White House, both chambers of Congress, and almost 5,800 state legislative seats, will make that work even harder still.
• When asked to name their biggest challenges, resources topped the list. Professionals most often cited understaffing (47 percent), followed by getting the attention of lawmakers (40 percent), and a lack of funding (34 percent).

By contrast, only about 7 percent cited the need to modernize technology as a challenge, even though less than a third (30 percent) said their organization is currently using artificial intelligence.

The State of Nonprofit Advocacy

With almost 2 million nonprofits in the U.S., the sector is substantial, contributing roughly $1.4 trillion to the American economy, or about 5.6 percent of GDP in 2022, according to Independent Sector, which studies nonprofit impact and behavior. Yet, not all nonprofits are involved in lobbying and advocacy. In fact, nonprofit activity in this area has been shrinking over the last two decades. A report from Independent Sector in 2023 showed that almost 7 in 10 (69 percent) of nonprofits do not engage in lobbying or advocacy. The report showed that 75 percent have never lobbied on a policy proposal, up from 26 percent in 2000; 74 percent have never released research publicly, up from 31 percent in 2000; and 55 percent have never worked in a planning group with the government, up from 18 percent in 2000. “The findings suggest nonprofits are playing a diminished role in some facets of civil society, namely lobbying government and working with government on policies,” Nonprofit Quarterly wrote earlier this year. Yet there is another way to look at the numbers: many nonprofits have the opportunity to expand the tools they use to further their mission and enact change.

Nonprofits and the Election

Some are taking this year’s election as an opportunity to do just that, and the reason is simple: the election will impact public affairs at almost every nonprofit in America. Indeed, it is difficult to find an issue that will not be affected by the outcome. Policies governing everything from abortion rights and criminal justice to climate change and immigration could all see tectonic changes. Nonprofits will have to read the landscape, adjust their goals, and move quickly to adapt. At the same time, election years make advocacy difficult, capturing the attention of decision-makers, dominating the national conversation, monopolizing media coverage, and ramping up partisan rhetoric. Legislation slows at the federal level as lawmakers focus on campaigning. Many nonprofits are, therefore, turning their attention to the election itself. The State of Government Affairs survey, which took place in March and April, showed that two-thirds (66 percent) of nonprofit professionals say their organization will get involved in the election in some way, while only one-third (34 percent) say their organization will remain inactive. Among organizations planning to be active, 53 percent said they would advocate on issues, and 48 percent said they would encourage people to register and vote.

What Your Organization Can Do

For nonprofits that want to get involved in the election, here are some ideas:

• Frame the Importance of the Election. Explaining why this election is important to your audience and how it can impact the issues they care about—essentially, explaining why they should vote—can be valuable. It can be as simple as a letter from your CEO.
• Provide Accurate Information on Issues. Candidates will be making claims and statements in coming days, many of which stretch the truth (sometimes greatly). You can provide accurate information to your audience about the issues that matter to them. While some nonprofits have a natural partisan appeal, others have the opportunity to communicate in a nonpartisan way.
• Make it Easier to Vote. Many nonprofits provide resources allowing their audience to check if they are registered, see which candidates are running, find dates for early voting, and get email reminders of key dates. Anything you can do to help your audience get to the polls will be appreciated.
• Reward Participation. On Election Day, ask your audience to send pictures with their “I Voted” stickers and then highlight them on your social media channels. It’s a great, interactive way to celebrate civic participation.

Remember, too, that the election is a beginning, not an end. It could bring a new administration, with a new stable of cabinet members and other officials; dozens of new members of Congress, all with new staff; and potentially hundreds of new state lawmakers. Many nonprofits will struggle to monitor the changes, adopt a new strategy, and build relationships with new lawmakers. This could be particularly difficult if the action doesn’t end on Election Day. Recounts, court challenges, and other crises may bring about uncertain circumstances. Make a plan this year to get your needs met and leave time next year to address those needs in a changing environment. As always, a little preparation can go a long way. [post_title] => Survey: Tough Months Ahead for Nonprofit Public Affairs Teams [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => survey-tough-months-ahead-for-nonprofit-public-affairs-teams [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-09-28 03:10:59 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-09-28 03:10:59 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://marketing-staging.quorum.us/?post_type=resources&p=14599 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => resources [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ) [post_count] => 1 [current_post] => -1 [before_loop] => 1 [in_the_loop] => [post] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 14599 [post_author] => 43 [post_date] => 2024-09-05 03:02:37 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-09-05 03:02:37 [post_content] => Life in nonprofit public affairs has never been easy. The mission is challenging, resources are scarce, and the political and policy landscape is forever shifting. This year, nonprofit professionals say their work may be even harder. Quorum’s 2024 State of Government Affairs Survey, which asked public affairs professionals about their work, sketches a portrait of nonprofit organizations facing multiple hurdles that get tougher as the year goes on. The numbers tell the story:

• Almost three-quarters (74 percent) said that the country’s fierce partisan polarization—never more on display than in a presidential election year like this one—makes advocacy and lobbying harder.
• More than half (56 percent) said this year’s election, which will decide party control of the White House, both chambers of Congress, and almost 5,800 state legislative seats, will make that work even harder still.
• When asked to name their biggest challenges, resources topped the list. Professionals most often cited understaffing (47 percent), followed by getting the attention of lawmakers (40 percent), and a lack of funding (34 percent).

By contrast, only about 7 percent cited the need to modernize technology as a challenge, even though less than a third (30 percent) said their organization is currently using artificial intelligence.

The State of Nonprofit Advocacy

With almost 2 million nonprofits in the U.S., the sector is substantial, contributing roughly $1.4 trillion to the American economy, or about 5.6 percent of GDP in 2022, according to Independent Sector, which studies nonprofit impact and behavior. Yet, not all nonprofits are involved in lobbying and advocacy. In fact, nonprofit activity in this area has been shrinking over the last two decades. A report from Independent Sector in 2023 showed that almost 7 in 10 (69 percent) of nonprofits do not engage in lobbying or advocacy. The report showed that 75 percent have never lobbied on a policy proposal, up from 26 percent in 2000; 74 percent have never released research publicly, up from 31 percent in 2000; and 55 percent have never worked in a planning group with the government, up from 18 percent in 2000. “The findings suggest nonprofits are playing a diminished role in some facets of civil society, namely lobbying government and working with government on policies,” Nonprofit Quarterly wrote earlier this year. Yet there is another way to look at the numbers: many nonprofits have the opportunity to expand the tools they use to further their mission and enact change.

Nonprofits and the Election

Some are taking this year’s election as an opportunity to do just that, and the reason is simple: the election will impact public affairs at almost every nonprofit in America. Indeed, it is difficult to find an issue that will not be affected by the outcome. Policies governing everything from abortion rights and criminal justice to climate change and immigration could all see tectonic changes. Nonprofits will have to read the landscape, adjust their goals, and move quickly to adapt. At the same time, election years make advocacy difficult, capturing the attention of decision-makers, dominating the national conversation, monopolizing media coverage, and ramping up partisan rhetoric. Legislation slows at the federal level as lawmakers focus on campaigning. Many nonprofits are, therefore, turning their attention to the election itself. The State of Government Affairs survey, which took place in March and April, showed that two-thirds (66 percent) of nonprofit professionals say their organization will get involved in the election in some way, while only one-third (34 percent) say their organization will remain inactive. Among organizations planning to be active, 53 percent said they would advocate on issues, and 48 percent said they would encourage people to register and vote.

What Your Organization Can Do

For nonprofits that want to get involved in the election, here are some ideas:

• Frame the Importance of the Election. Explaining why this election is important to your audience and how it can impact the issues they care about—essentially, explaining why they should vote—can be valuable. It can be as simple as a letter from your CEO.
• Provide Accurate Information on Issues. Candidates will be making claims and statements in coming days, many of which stretch the truth (sometimes greatly). You can provide accurate information to your audience about the issues that matter to them. While some nonprofits have a natural partisan appeal, others have the opportunity to communicate in a nonpartisan way.
• Make it Easier to Vote. Many nonprofits provide resources allowing their audience to check if they are registered, see which candidates are running, find dates for early voting, and get email reminders of key dates. Anything you can do to help your audience get to the polls will be appreciated.
• Reward Participation. On Election Day, ask your audience to send pictures with their “I Voted” stickers and then highlight them on your social media channels. It’s a great, interactive way to celebrate civic participation.

Remember, too, that the election is a beginning, not an end. It could bring a new administration, with a new stable of cabinet members and other officials; dozens of new members of Congress, all with new staff; and potentially hundreds of new state lawmakers. Many nonprofits will struggle to monitor the changes, adopt a new strategy, and build relationships with new lawmakers. This could be particularly difficult if the action doesn’t end on Election Day. Recounts, court challenges, and other crises may bring about uncertain circumstances. Make a plan this year to get your needs met and leave time next year to address those needs in a changing environment. As always, a little preparation can go a long way. [post_title] => Survey: Tough Months Ahead for Nonprofit Public Affairs Teams [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => survey-tough-months-ahead-for-nonprofit-public-affairs-teams [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-09-28 03:10:59 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-09-28 03:10:59 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://marketing-staging.quorum.us/?post_type=resources&p=14599 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => resources [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [comment_count] => 0 [current_comment] => -1 [found_posts] => 1 [max_num_pages] => 0 [max_num_comment_pages] => 0 [is_single] => 1 [is_preview] => [is_page] => [is_archive] => [is_date] => [is_year] => [is_month] => [is_day] => [is_time] => [is_author] => [is_category] => [is_tag] => [is_tax] => [is_search] => [is_feed] => [is_comment_feed] => [is_trackback] => [is_home] => [is_privacy_policy] => [is_404] => [is_embed] => [is_paged] => [is_admin] => [is_attachment] => [is_singular] => 1 [is_robots] => [is_favicon] => [is_posts_page] => [is_post_type_archive] => [query_vars_hash:WP_Query:private] => ce9ffc587005f43fdfcd6bab05e598be [query_vars_changed:WP_Query:private] => [thumbnails_cached] => [allow_query_attachment_by_filename:protected] => [stopwords:WP_Query:private] => [compat_fields:WP_Query:private] => Array ( [0] => query_vars_hash [1] => query_vars_changed ) [compat_methods:WP_Query:private] => Array ( [0] => init_query_flags [1] => parse_tax_query ) )

!!! 14599