It’s officially 2025, and nonprofits across the country are diligently preparing for upcoming legislative sessions, a presidential transition, and other critical advocacy initiatives. The Alliance for Justice Bolder Advocacy team is here to help when questions arise about nonprofits’ ability to engage with government officials and pursue policy change. In the meantime, we’ve also compiled a list of our Top 10 nonprofit New Year’s resolutions to help your organization ready itself for 2025 and beyond. 

 

Attorneys for this Episode 

Monika Graham 

Victor Rivera Labiosa 

Natalie Roetzel Ossenfort  

 

1. Level-up Your Social Justice Advocacy 

• Check out our new Advocacy Playbook series for an overview of the laws and regulations that apply to 501(c)(3) public charities when they engage in lobbying and election season advocacy.  

• Resources designed specifically for advocates working in key issue areas: 

1. Environmental Justice 

1. Criminal Legal Reform 

1. Gender and Reproductive Justice 

1. Labor and Economic Justice 

1. LGBTQ+ and HIV Communities 

1. Health and Disability Rights 

1. Racial Justice and Immigrant Rights 

1. Democracy and Voting Rights 

 

1. Conduct an Advocacy Check-up 

• Our new Advocacy Check-Up: Nonprofit Self-Assessment is designed to help your 501(c)(3) public charity assess its overall compliance with federal and state advocacy-related tracking and reporting requirements and to identify opportunities for you to build your organization’s advocacy capacity.  

• The goal is to ensure that your nonprofit is aware of the opportunities for advocacy allowed by the tax and election laws that govern lobbying and election-related activity by tax-exempt organizations. 

 

1. Brush-Up on State Law with Bolder Advocacy’s Practical Guidance Series 

• Lobbying: Working to impact legislative or executive branch policy at the state-level? State lobbying disclosure rules may apply to your work. 

1. Be aware of changes to the law that might have taken effect in the new calendar year. 

• Voter Assistance: Do you know what it means for your 501(c)(3) to remain nonpartisan, but also want to learn about state rules related to voter engagement activities?  Take the time to learn how to safely register voters, engage in line-warming activities, and more. 

 

1. Take Stock of Your Nonprofit’s Capacity to Evaluate Your Advocacy 

• Consider the data you already collect. 

• Track media and policy developments related to your work. 

• Make use of free tools and resources:  

• User’s Guide to Advocacy Evaluation Planning 

• Data Playbook 

• When the Best Offense is a Good Defense: Understanding and Measuring Advocacy on the Defense 

 

1. Amplify Your Impact with Text and Robocall Campaigns 

• Using text messaging or call campaigns to interact with your community and supporters? If so, it’s time to brush up on the federal and state rules related to robocalling and robotexting campaigns. 

• Coming soon! Updated 2025 Robocalling guide containing details about consent requirements, mandatory disclaimers, and more! 

 

1. Advocate for Key Appointments in New Executive Administrations 

• In the coming months, new administrations at the federal, state, and local level will appoint individuals to many positions that could impact your nonprofit’s policy priorities. Your organization can help ensure the appointment of individuals whose values align with your mission and the needs of the communities you serve. 

• Keep in mind that advocating for or against nominees that require a legislative body to confirm the nomination is generally considered lobbying. On the other hand, making recommendations for positions that do not require legislative approval is not lobbying for tax code purposes. 

 

1. Be Prepared to Defend Your Nonprofit and Its Work 

• Ensure that your legal house is in order by conducting an advocacy check-up (see Resolution #2). 

• Prepare and train your staff and volunteers in how to respond to potential threats that may arise in-person and through social media. 

• Assess your online systems for potential gaps in cyber security. 

• Check out our factsheet: Tips for Nonprofits: Preparing for the Possibility of a Politically Motivated Attack 

 

1. Educate the Public about the Legislative Process. Introduce communities and 

constituencies to the legislators who represent them. When community members 

meet legislators face-to-face and discuss the issues that affect their everyday lives, not only do legislators receive the information they need to represent their communities, but those communities are empowered to invest more heavily in the outcomes of policy debates, giving them a stronger hand in their own future. 

• Conduct research and produce relevant resources that reflect the real story of your community and its needs. 

• Educate the community on the issues that matter most to your organization. 

• Host educational conference where people can gather, network, share information, and plan for the future. 

• Conduct leadership training to provide individuals with the skills needed to be spokespersons for potential policy reform.  

 

1. Work Together. Join forces with other nonprofit organizations to maximize advocacy, share resources, and harness power in order to more effectively drive real and lasting policy change. 

• (Podcast) Working Together: Affiliation and Coalition Basics 

• (Guide) Coalition Checklist 

• (Guide) The Connection: Strategies for Creating 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(4)s, and Political Organizations 

 

1. Become an AFJ Member 

• The strength of Alliance for Justice is rooted in our membership of nearly 140 organizations that share a commitment to an equitable, just, and free society.  

• Throughout the 40+ years of AFJ’s history, our members have been at the forefront of defending our communities’ constitutional rights and building power across the progressive movement to fight for social justice. 

• Benefits include: 

1. Priority access to Bolder Advocacy resources and special members-only training events 

1. Free public webinar and on-demand webinar registration 

1. Cutting edge research on judicial nominees 

1. And more!