The America Forward Advocacy Institute
Helping Social Entrepreneurs Become Better, Bolder Advocates
The America Forward Advocacy Institute empowers America Forward Coalition members to become better, bolder advocates by building their policy and advocacy capacity. Social entrepreneurs can go farther together when advocating collectively to advance equity. The Advocacy Institute offers entrepreneurs and advocates a community of learning, knowledge-sharing, and mutual support.
About the Advocacy Institute
Effective advocacy is critical in the current political environment, and achieving systems change requires the active participation of proximate leaders.
The America Forward Advocacy Institute provides advocacy training to social entrepreneurs, and the constituents they serve, through virtual trainings, hands-on Hill Days, and individualized policy advising.
We demystify the policy process and help leaders become better, bolder advocates who can successfully engage with and influence the federal policy process. Participants also learn how to identify strategic advocacy priorities, advocate effectively and legally, and forge advocacy and communications partnerships to amplify individual and collective policy goals.
How It Works
The America Forward Advocacy Institute helps social entrepreneurs build their skills to effectively advocate for organization-specific policy priorities and develop techniques to advocate collectively to advance system-wide change through interactive trainings with real-time feedback.
America Forward’s senior staff and nationally-recognized expert policy advisors serve as Advocacy Institute instructors. Together, we bring decades of experience to the table, helping social entrepreneurs and the constituents they serve successfully advocate for systems change.
Advocacy Institute Highlights
The Advocacy Institute has hosted trainings on the following topics:
- The Importance of Proximity in the Policy Process
- Leveraging Federal Funding
- Leveraging Paid Media to Amplify Your Message and Maximize Advocacy Impact
- Nonprofits CAN Lobby
- Appropriations 101
- Navigating Federal Grants and Contracts
- Telling a Data and Evidence Story
- Leveraging Advocacy Opportunities During Election Cycles
- Engaging with SEAs and LEAs to Access Federal Education Funding
- Political Asset-Mapping
We also lead an annual federal appropriations week through the Advocacy Institute to enable Coalition members to engage directly with Congressional offices. In 2022, America Forward Coalition members met with 25+ members throughout the week.
Through the Advocacy institute, our policy experts develop customized toolkits, resource guides, and other materials to provide Coalition member organizations with critical resources to engage effectively with policymakers and candidates.
All America Forward Coalition members are welcome to engage in America Forward Advocacy Institute activities. Not a Coalition member yet? Click here to learn more about America Forward Coalition membership and how you can become a better, bolder advocate!