• Nayantara Mehta, Attorney Trainer, Alliance for Justice’s West Coast Office
• Melissa Mikesell, Senior Counsel, Alliance for Justice’s West Coast Office

Join San Diego Grantmakers at a unique training opportunity with Alliance for Justice (AFJ), Role of Advocacy in Grantmaking, on developing and increasing understanding of issues and laws related to advocacy and grantmaking. There is widespread recognition in the field of philanthropy today that one of the best ways to leverage dollars and create change in systems is to add advocacy and public policy work to the grantmaker "tool box."

Some foundations are nervous about doing advocacy because of the important rules and regulations involved. Others are engaging in advocacy funding as an important strategy for widespread and long term impact. Come learn why advocacy is important to philanthropy, what you can and cannot do in this arena, and to know when you are making a difference. Note: this session may be of particular interest to SDG working group members.

Note: this session may be of particular interest to SDG working group members.

The AFJ Nonprofit Advocacy Project (NAP) and Foundation Advocacy Initiative (FAI) works to strengthen the voice of the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors in important public policy debates by giving tax-exempt organizations a better understanding of the laws that govern their participation in the policy process. (http://www.afj.org/).

The workshop will cover:

• Overview of the activities that constitute advocacy and why foundation support for advocacy is important.
• Review of the federal rules governing advocacy, types of activities foundations may legally fund, and those they may do themselves.
• Relevant California and San Diego regulations that affect local and regional advocacy.
• Strategies for building grantees’ advocacy capacity and evaluation for advocacy grants.