SNYDER STRATEGIES

Nonprofit leaders know the chaos never stops—new crises, new policies, new fires to put out. When I led the Iowa Nonprofit Alliance through a whirlwind of executive orders in early 2025, I learned how to pivot fast without losing focus. Here’s how to stay grounded, move quickly, and lead with clarity when everything around you is shifting.

A recent NPR story highlights how associations can speak up when individual organizations cannot. For nonprofits and foundations, this underscores the critical role of membership networks and coalitions in advancing policy, protecting missions, and ensuring the sector’s collective voice is heard.

Advocacy without communications is like driving on empty—you won’t get far. Policy may be the what, but advocacy is the how—and it only works if you’re telling your story, keeping supporters engaged, and building pressure along the way. Here’s why strong communications is the secret fuel behind every successful advocacy effort.