SNYDER STRATEGIES

Even the smallest nonprofits have big advocacy potential. By leaning into their advocacy superpowers—expertise, local data, stories, and mobilized supporters—and bringing those strengths to coalitions, small organizations can punch above their weight and shape policy in powerful ways.

Many nonprofits assume policy staff can handle advocacy—but policy and advocacy require different skills. Policy experts often get stuck in jargon and details that don’t inspire action. To bridge the gap, organizations must translate policy into plain language, engage staff and board, and frame messages differently for lawmakers and advocates. This blog shares practical tips to turn policy expertise into people power.

Access isn’t influence. A meeting or photo op doesn’t move policy—votes, amendments, and budgets do. In this blog, I show lobbyists and nonprofits how to work together, tap into nonprofit advocacy superpowers, and turn access into real influence.