April 7, 2010 was PANO's
Advocacy Day on the Hill
See photos from PANO's
Nonprofit Advocacy Day
April 7, 2010 was PANO's SECOND ANNUAL NONPROFIT
ADVOCACY DAY ON THE HILL. ADVOCACY DAY prepares participants to
advocate, collaborate, network, and communicate on important
issues. Nonprofit personnel will assemble at the capitol, then
meet their legislators and staff.
Pennsylvania’s nonprofits are facing unprecedented
challenges. Many nonprofits are coping with declining and
disappearing contributions, grants, traditional corporate
support and government lifelines. When resources dwindle, the
community’s need for services grows. Dr. Paul Light, a noted
nonprofit sector scholar, recently observed that within the next
18-24 months more than 100,000 nonprofits throughout the country
will fail due of the economic downturn. If this is correct,
Pennsylvania may lose as many as 4,000 mission-driven,
community-based organizations.
Advocacy is arguably the most important tool in the box in
fulfilling community mission. Government officials, including
the Internal Revenue Service, expect charities to be engaged in
the policy process. Some say, if a nonprofit is not lobbying, it
is not doing its job. So many nonprofits don’t understand the
rules of engagement, so it gets left to a few. That is not
sustainable and not powerful. As nonprofits find themselves in
competition for scarce resources, advocacy becomes increasingly
crucial to an organization’s performance. The stakes are too
high for nonprofits to stand on the sidelines.
PANO can: 1) help you to sharpen your talking points, 2) help
guide you to your state legislators, and 3) answer your
questions and concerns.
On April 7, inform your State legislators of the critical
value of the services your organization provides to their
district and how our nonprofit sector improves the quality of
life in every community throughout Pennsylvania. Quality of life
is a collaborative proposition and everyone must take part!
PANO Advocacy Day Itinerary - April 7, 2010
Please note that April 7 will no longer be a session day.
PANO has developed a revised agenda to make this an invaluable
experience for participants:
7:45 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Registration and Complimentary
Breakfast Capitol Building – Room 60 EW
8:30 a.m. – 8:40 a.m. Welcome Address (Tina Nixon/ Joe
Geiger)
8:40 a.m. – 9:40 a.m. Presentation - Lobbying Process (Joe
Geiger)
9:40 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Kerry Golden (Executive Director -
Agriculture Committee - confirmed)
10:00 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. Brief Comments from Nonprofit Caucus
Leaders (Senator Andrew Dinniman and
Representative Mario Scavello invited)
10:20 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. Briefing on Current State Legislative
Issues (Joe Geiger)
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Legislative Visits (You – the
participant)
* Please take time to enjoy lunch on your own. There is a
list of great restaurants and accommodations in the folder you
received.
2:00 p.m. Personalized Guided Tour of the Capitol
3:00 p.m. Depart for home!
Archive information:
2009 Lobby Day. Congratulations to all who
participated in PANO’s Nonprofit Lobbying Day on the Hill. With
15 participants, the event was small by industry standards.
These 15 registrants however, met with over 28 separate
legislative offices and contacted dozens more on the issues of
importance to nonprofits like yours. Other meetings will occur
in the coming weeks. While the impact of the event can not be
fully measured, the meetings themselves were extremely
productive. Lobbying is not about the event, a rally or a photo
in the paper, though that would be nice. Lobbying is about
relationships and trust, and reputations that take years to
cultivate- why wait? When we first announced the event over 50
legislative offices requested meetings with our members. These
offices are still interested in meeting with you.
Map of the
Pennsylvania Capitol
Day on the Hill
Tip Sheet
Meeting
Scheduling Template |
