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

[email protected]

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%



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


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%



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%



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


Secure Decent, Affordable Housing

Selected Outcomes

• Evictions Prevented 98.5%

• Secured Subsidized Housing

95.6%

• Reduced Rent/Fee 100%


$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%


$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

achieving our mission through policy and advocacy abby levine, legal director of bolder advocacy,...

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