Pevita Pearce
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 7, 2026) – In a pivotal move designed to empower the nation’s charitable sector, Independent Sector, the national membership organization connecting, strengthening, and advocating for nonprofits and philanthropies, today announced the release of a groundbreaking new resource: "Guiding Advocacy Decisions: A Framework for Nonprofit Boards and Executives in a Dynamic Policy Environment." This comprehensive discussion guide, unveiled by Independent Sector President and CEO Dr. Akilah Watkins, is poised to equip nonprofit boards and senior leaders with the strategic tools necessary to navigate the increasingly complex landscape of public policy and make informed decisions about advocacy that are deeply rooted in their unique missions and operational realities.
The guide arrives at a critical juncture for the nonprofit community, addressing a significant and concerning decline in advocacy engagement across the sector over the past two decades. By providing a structured approach to assessing advocacy opportunities and risks, the framework aims to reverse this trend, fostering a more robust and unified voice for the millions of organizations and individuals dedicated to serving the public good. Its publication marks the first tangible outcome of the diligent work undertaken by Independent Sector’s Principles Panel on Advocacy, an assembly of 25 preeminent experts from across the charitable landscape.
"Guiding Advocacy Decisions" is not merely a theoretical treatise; it is a practical roadmap. It distills complex legal, ethical, and strategic considerations into a series of discussion questions focused on five crucial factors fundamental to crafting an effective and responsible advocacy strategy. These factors, which leaders are encouraged to critically examine, include: mission alignment and impact potential; legal and regulatory compliance; organizational capacity and resource allocation; analysis of the broader political and policy environment; and, finally, a thorough assessment of associated risks and the organization’s tolerance for them. Through this methodical process, nonprofits of all sizes and missions can develop advocacy approaches that are not only impactful but also sustainable and fully aligned with their core values.
Chronology of Development: Forging a Path to Renewed Influence
The journey to "Guiding Advocacy Decisions" commenced in April 2026, with the official launch of Independent Sector’s Principles Panel on Advocacy. Recognizing the escalating challenges and diminishing engagement within the nonprofit sector, Independent Sector convened a diverse group of 25 leading experts. This esteemed panel comprised seasoned professionals from various facets of the charitable ecosystem, including influential philanthropies, impactful operating charities, vital sector infrastructure organizations, and respected academic institutions specializing in nonprofit management and public policy. Their collective expertise provided a rich tapestry of perspectives, ensuring the guide’s relevance and applicability across the vast spectrum of nonprofit endeavors.
Over an intensive six-month period, the panel engaged in a series of rigorous discussions, collaborative workshops, and iterative drafting sessions. Their mandate was clear: to develop practical guidance that would empower leaders to discern when and how advocacy could most effectively advance their organization’s mission. The resulting framework represents a consensus-driven distillation of best practices, legal considerations, ethical imperatives, and strategic insights gleaned from decades of collective experience in the nonprofit advocacy arena.
This new framework builds upon Independent Sector’s long-standing commitment to fostering robust governance and ethical practice within the charitable sector. It expands upon the foundational "Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice," a seminal document first published in 2007. These 33 sector-facing recommendations for self-governance, developed at the direct invitation of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, have served as a cornerstone for ethical standards and accountability, guiding nonprofit and foundation boards and executives in critical areas such as legal compliance, public disclosure, effective governance, strong financial oversight, and responsible fundraising. The original Principles were instrumental in increasing transparency, fostering accountability, and bolstering public trust in the sector.
The "Principles for Good Governance" underwent their first significant update in 2015 to reflect evolving best practices. Looking ahead, Independent Sector has announced an even more comprehensive update to this overarching framework, slated for launch in 2027. Significantly, this upcoming revision will place a particular emphasis on developing robust best practices specifically tailored for nonprofits engaging in public policy advocacy, underscoring the strategic importance of the "Guiding Advocacy Decisions" guide as a foundational precursor to this broader initiative. The timely release of the advocacy guide on October 7, 2026, therefore, not only addresses an immediate sector need but also sets the stage for a more integrated and holistic approach to governance in the philanthropic landscape.
Supporting Data and Context: The Urgency of a Collective Voice
The imperative behind the creation of "Guiding Advocacy Decisions" is starkly illuminated by alarming data detailing a profound retreat from advocacy within the nonprofit sector. Research conducted by Independent Sector reveals a precipitous drop in nonprofit engagement in advocacy: between 2002 and 2022, the percentage of nonprofits reporting advocacy activities plummeted from 74% to a mere 31%. This dramatic decline represents not just a statistical shift but a significant weakening of the collective voice of organizations dedicated to addressing society’s most pressing challenges.
The consequences of this sector-wide withdrawal are profound and far-reaching. As Dr. Akilah Watkins succinctly points out, this disengagement has coincided with — and likely contributed to — "a sharp uptick in legislation, legal challenges, and executive actions targeting the charitable sector, often without our input." When the collective voice of nonprofits is muted, policymakers are left without crucial insights into the real-world impacts of their decisions on communities, beneficiaries, and the operational realities of the organizations serving them. This lack of informed input can lead to policies that inadvertently harm the very populations nonprofits strive to protect, or that create unnecessary burdens on their ability to deliver essential services.
This phenomenon cannot be solely attributed to a "uniquely adversarial political environment," though that certainly plays a role. It is also, as Dr. Watkins underscores, "a consequence of a sector-wide retreat from advocacy and the hushing of our collective voice." Many factors may have contributed to this retreat, including concerns about legal compliance, resource constraints, perceived political polarization, and a lack of clear guidance on how to engage effectively and responsibly. Whatever the reasons, the result has been a diminished capacity for the sector to shape policies that align with its mission and advance its beneficiaries’ interests.
The nonprofit sector in the United States is a formidable force, comprising approximately 1.8 million organizations, employing over 12 million people, and contributing trillions of dollars annually to the nation’s economy. These organizations are on the front lines of every major societal issue, from healthcare and education to environmental protection and social justice. Their direct experience and expertise are invaluable assets in the policymaking process. When this vast network of dedicated professionals and volunteers steps back from advocating for the populations they serve, a critical democratic check and balance is lost. The "Guiding Advocacy Decisions" framework seeks to re-arm this essential sector with the confidence and strategy needed to re-engage, ensuring that the voices of 14 million nonprofit workers, and by extension, the communities they serve, are heard loud and clear in the halls of power. Advocacy, in this context, is not an optional add-on; it is an intrinsic component of mission fulfillment and effective community impact.
Official Responses and Expert Insights: A Unified Call to Action
The release of "Guiding Advocacy Decisions" has been met with enthusiastic endorsement from key leaders within Independent Sector and across the broader nonprofit community, all underscoring the guide’s timeliness and strategic importance.
Dr. Akilah Watkins, President and CEO, Independent Sector
Dr. Akilah Watkins articulated the profound urgency driving this initiative, connecting the decline in advocacy directly to the vulnerability of the sector. "Between 2002 and 2022, the number of nonprofits that reported engaging in advocacy dropped from 74% to 31%. Given this steep decline, it should not be surprising that we have seen a sharp uptick in legislation, legal challenges, and executive actions targeting the charitable sector, often without our input. This is not just a result of a uniquely adversarial political environment – it is also a consequence of a sector-wide retreat from advocacy and the hushing of our collective voice." Her statement highlights a critical feedback loop: disengagement leads to vulnerability, which in turn necessitates re-engagement.
Dr. Watkins emphasized that the new framework is designed to empower organizations of all scales. "Independent Sector and the Principles Panel on Advocacy created this new framework to help organizations of all sizes ask the important questions that will allow them to create an advocacy strategy that works for them, tailored to their unique legal, political, and financial circumstances and risk tolerance." This focus on customization and adaptability is key, recognizing that a one-size-fits-all approach to advocacy is impractical and often ineffective. She concluded by casting a vision for the future: "This is an important step towards establishing a sector-wide advocacy infrastructure and strengthening the collective influence of the 14 million nonprofit workers that step in to help when others step away." This vision underscores the guide’s role as a catalyst for a more unified and powerful nonprofit presence in policymaking.
Vanna Cure, Director of Advocacy and Engagement, Independent Sector
Vanna Cure, whose role places her at the forefront of the sector’s advocacy efforts, echoed Dr. Watkins’s sentiments, emphasizing the dynamic nature of the current policy landscape. "Nonprofit leaders are navigating a rapidly changing policy environment, making advocacy more important than ever. This guide gives boards and senior leaders a structured way to assess the policy landscape, understand what is at stake for their organization, and make strategic choices about when and how to engage." Cure’s remarks highlight the guide’s utility as a strategic compass, helping leaders not only to react to immediate threats but also to proactively identify opportunities for positive change.
She further stressed the enduring value of the framework. "For organizations grappling with their role in advocacy, this is a resource to return to again and again as they navigate decisions in the current moment and in the future." This perspective positions the guide as an essential, living document, designed to support ongoing strategic reflection and adaptation in the face of evolving political and social dynamics.
Tara Huffman, Chief Program and Strategy Officer, BoardSource
From the perspective of nonprofit governance, Tara Huffman of BoardSource, a leading organization dedicated to strengthening nonprofit boards, provided a crucial endorsement. "Effective governance requires boards to look beyond organizational operations and consider the broader policy environments that affect the communities the organization exists to serve," Huffman stated. Her insight is vital, challenging boards to expand their purview beyond internal management to embrace external forces that profoundly impact their mission.
Huffman concluded by affirming the guide’s practical utility: "This guide responds to that responsibility by providing a practical set of questions that can help boards and executives make informed decisions about when and how advocacy may be needed to advance the organization’s purpose." Her comments reinforce that advocacy is not an ancillary activity but an integral component of responsible and effective governance, directly tied to an organization’s ability to fulfill its core purpose.
Voices from the Principles Panel
While individual quotes from all 25 panel members are beyond the scope of this announcement, the diverse composition of the Principles Panel on Advocacy itself speaks volumes about the depth and breadth of expertise invested in this guide. The panel included leaders from large foundations with vast experience in grantmaking for policy change, directors of grassroots community organizations intimately familiar with local impacts, academic researchers providing evidence-based insights into advocacy effectiveness, and legal experts navigating the intricacies of nonprofit lobbying regulations. Their collective wisdom ensured that the framework is robust, legally sound, ethically grounded, and strategically astute. This collaborative effort represents a significant step towards coalescing the sector’s intellectual capital to address one of its most pressing challenges.
Broader Implications and Future Outlook: Reinvigorating the Nonprofit Voice
The launch of "Guiding Advocacy Decisions" is more than just the release of a new publication; it signals a strategic reorientation and a renewed commitment to empowering the nonprofit sector’s collective voice. Its implications are far-reaching, promising to reshape how charitable organizations approach their civic responsibilities and influence public discourse.
Reinvigorating the Nonprofit Voice
The most immediate and profound implication of this framework is its potential to reverse the alarming trend of declining nonprofit advocacy. By demystifying the process, clarifying legal boundaries, and providing a structured decision-making tool, the guide aims to instill confidence in nonprofit leaders. This newfound clarity can empower organizations that have previously shied away from advocacy due to uncertainty or perceived risks to re-engage purposefully. The ultimate goal is to foster a vibrant "collective voice" for the sector, allowing its immense expertise and moral authority to be leveraged more effectively in legislative and policy debates. A robust sector-wide advocacy infrastructure, as envisioned by Dr. Watkins, would ensure that the vital insights from the front lines of service delivery are consistently integrated into policy formulation, leading to more equitable, effective, and sustainable solutions for communities across the nation.
The Evolving Landscape of Governance and Advocacy
This framework also signifies an evolution in the understanding of what constitutes "good governance" for nonprofit organizations. Traditionally, governance has often been focused inwardly on operational efficiency, financial stewardship, and legal compliance. However, as Tara Huffman highlighted, truly effective governance must now encompass an outward-looking perspective, acknowledging and actively engaging with the external policy environments that fundamentally shape an organization’s ability to achieve its mission. The guide integrates advocacy into the core responsibilities of boards and senior leadership, recognizing it not as an optional add-on but as a strategic imperative. This shift is expected to be further solidified with the comprehensive 2027 update to Independent Sector’s "Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice," which will specifically incorporate best practices for public policy advocacy. This integration will cement advocacy as a cornerstone of ethical practice and responsible leadership in the charitable sector.
A Call to Action for the Charitable Sector
In an era marked by complex social challenges and often polarized political discourse, the role of independent, mission-driven organizations as advocates for the public good has never been more critical. "Guiding Advocacy Decisions" serves as a powerful call to action, urging the charitable sector to reclaim its rightful place as a potent force for positive change. By equipping the 14 million nonprofit workers and the countless volunteers they mobilize with the tools to strategically engage in policy advocacy, the guide aims to strengthen not only individual organizations but also the very fabric of democratic participation. It underscores the profound stake that nonprofits have in shaping the laws and regulations that govern their work and impact the communities they serve. As organizations begin to implement the framework, the expectation is a renewed wave of informed, strategic advocacy that will amplify the voice of the charitable sector, ensuring that its invaluable contributions are recognized, protected, and leveraged to build a more just and equitable society for all.
Independent Sector is the national membership organization that connects, strengthens, and advocates for nonprofits and philanthropies. Learn more at independentsector.org.
Media Contact: Chloe Kessock, [email protected], 727-433-2972
Reynand Wu
Raul Delapena Setiawan
