Civic Engagement Grants
Program Introduction
Philanthropists are looking to find long term solutions by addressing the underlying
causes of broad social issues. Nonprofits, facing pressures in finances, accountability, and
proven effectiveness, must consider how to tell their story to the public and decision-makers.
Moving beyond a focus on single issue campaigns, many organizers seek to integrate their
advocacy efforts with more sophisticated understandings about political structures and the
systems that affect the lives of people. Ordinary citizens increasingly want to be a vital part
of civil discourse and decision making. These are but a few of the dynamics playing out in
communities across the region.
As engagement in civic matters becomes more critical, nonprofit leaders have
questions, opportunities, and challenges to address. The Otto Bremer Foundation has
adopted Civic Engagement as a strategy to strengthen nonprofits position within their own
communities, as well as influence some of the solutions that underlie the issues they face.
The Foundation is interested in supporting efforts that cause positive change within
communities. We believe that civic engagement, and its close companion advocacy, can
affect change on a systemic level. Additionally:
- Civic engagement and advocacy can help meet an organization’s mission and
maximize effectiveness by educating and engaging the public
- Nonprofits are in a unique position to provide timely, relevant, and authoritative
information; they know the issues from working in the field
- Nonprofit participation in civic matters can give people most affected by an issue
the means or ability to raise questions or concerns and be heard
- Advocacy efforts can bring diverse members of the community together to work
for a common purpose or agenda
- Incorporating civic engagement activities into an organization’s work can invigorate
and motivate staff.
Additional information on the Civic Engagement strategy
is available here.
The proposal submission and grant review process for civic engagement proposals are the same as
any other proposal to the Foundation. All proposals must meet the geographic and categorical parameters
of the Trust instrument that established the Foundation and meet the Foundation's mission.
Click here to download the Foundation's
general application packet.
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Civic Engagement Examples
Community Based Organizing
Centro Campesino (Owatonna, MN) works on local community
issues that relate to basic standards of living and working
conditions for migrant farm laborers and their families.
Rather than relying on outsiders, community members have
taken it upon themselves to develop leaders and advocacy
skills, as well as organize around specific issues.
In 1997, Family and
Children's Service/Jobs and Affordable Housing Campaign (Minneapolis, MN) organized a community
meeting attended by individuals, primarily African Americans,
who were homeless, inadequately housed, unemployed or underemployed.
Participants identified and prioritized concerns. Those attending
the meeting expressed a strong interest in addressing the
identified issues, and the Jobs and Affordable Housing Campaign
was created as a vehicle for community members to act on
these issues through community organizing. Since then, members
have successfully addressed issues related to affordable
housing, tenants' rights, police and community relations,
new immigrants' experiences, and neighborhood safety.
Minnesota State Baptist Convention (Minneapolis, MN). "Mission
to Mobilize" is a collaboration between the Minnesota State
Baptist Convention and the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition.
The focus of the project is to build civic engagement capacity
within communities that have had lower voter turnout and
citizen participation in public policy debates. The collaboration
leaders are organizing leadership committees in six pilot
congregations. The committees are constructing advocacy networks
– a "civic infrastructure for social outreach and justice"
– and organizing mobilization training and issues briefings.
Goals include convening with elected officials, and increasing
voter registration and turn-out efforts.
Jewish Community
Action ("JCA" – St. Paul, MN) has been
working with faith communities to make social justice an
integral part of congregational life. In the process, synagogues
are being catalyzed to transform their own understanding
of social action, from a primary focus on direct service,
to an increasing emphasis on social justice – taking action
against the root causes of poverty, racism, and inequity
in the region. To strengthen and sustain work in these areas,
JCA is training volunteer members to become social justice
leaders in their congregations.
Voter Education
Confederation
of Somali Community in Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN). In 2002, led by
a graduate of Organizing Apprentice Project, a group of Somali
citizens held a public meeting with Senate candidates Wellstone
and Coleman. Emboldened by the strong turnout, and increasing
interest in public issues, Somali Action Alliance ("SAA")
was formed to build community power through collective action.
In 2004, SAA held a Get-Out-The Vote campaign, which included
voter education work that provided information to over 600
Somali-American about the voting process.
People Escaping
Poverty Project ("PEPP" – Moorhead, MN)
is a grassroots organization located on the border of Minnesota
and North Dakota that grew out of frustration by low income
individuals about housing conditions and community relations
with the police. With a focus on developing leaders from
the community, PEPP has worked to coordinate a common issue
agenda. Recently, PEPP collaborated with the Minnesota Women's
Foundation and the White House Project to carry out voter
education and candidate forums.
Centro Legal (St. Paul, MN). The Centro Legal Civic Participation
Project worked to inform and engage the Latino community
across the state about voting rights, civic participation,
and the democratic process. Finding no culturally appropriate
materials, Centro Legal developed a Latino Voter Participation
Toolkit on how to vote, where to vote, and where to register
to vote. All of the activities associated with this project
worked to overcome barriers that previously hindered full
civic participation by Latinos.
Minnesota African Women's
Association ("MAWA" – Minneapolis,
MN) promotes the health and well-being of African refugee
and immigrant women and their families. MAWA's election organizing
project, "Organizing Pan Africans," had a short term goal
of engaging Pan Africans through voter education and get
out of the vote activities, including a twelve week targeted
effort within different African communities during the 2004
election year. The project's other purpose is to develop
a "Girls in Politics" curriculum that will be used to orient
Pan African girls to the political processes in the United
States.
Minnesota Directors Forum ("MDF" – St. Paul, MN) is composed
of directors of service organizations that work with immigrant
and refugee communities. In 2004, MDF leaders decided to
mobilize their constituents from Southeast Asian communities
to get involved in civic processes. The group worked in the
Twin Cities and Rochester on voter education, candidate forums,
getting information covered in different languages, and coordinating
get out the vote activities on election day.
Montana Conservation
Voters Education Fund (Billings, MT).
As a 501(c)(3) established along with a 501(c)(4), Montana
Conservation Voters Education Fund is constantly working
to expand leadership and civic engagement activities with
low and middle-income women and rural people who are interested
in public health and related issues. To ensure that it and
collaborating organizations are working on legally permissible
activities, the Fund provides leadership development training,
including workshops taught by Alliance for Justice.
Public Policy Examples
Minnesota Youth Service Association
(New Hope, MN) is Minnesota's largest coalition of service
providers for runaway and homesless youth. They provide typical
association support such as communication and networking
opportunities. But, in 2005, they decided to leverage the
expertise and experience of their members to develop a legislative
campaign that focuses attention and resources on the needs
of Minnesota youth and young adults. This statewide advocacy
project, the Minnesota Youth Advancement Act, will highlight
best practices of the systems that protect and provide for
youth.
Child Care Works (Minneapolis, MN) received a grant to work
on child care issues at the state legislative level. Child
Care Works follows child care public policy and deciphers
legislative details for child care advocates. Using online
technology, Child Care Works staff send out daily briefings
and arrange for email advocacy with constituents. The electronic
network has enabled Child Care Works staff to connect with
other social justice advocates, ensuring a more coordinated
advocacy effort on a statewide basis.
Not surprisingly, Parents
United for Public Schools (Minneapolis,
MN) grew out of frustration by a small group of parents concerned
about recent cuts in education funding and the impact it
would have on public schools. Parent United is using a grant
from the Foundation to develop a public relations campaign.
This grassroots effort has evolved to a point where Parents
United is providing accessible information on its website,
organizing parents at the legislature, and incubating parent
organizations on a statewide basis.
Putting the Pieces Together (Bismarck, ND). "Many of our
member organizations are timid in their outlook towards advocacy
and in encouraging their members to participate in community
decision-making," reports leaders of Putting the Pieces Together,
an association of 34 grass-roots organizations. Yet, "there
appears to be more pent up frustration that not enough is
being done by those in power." As a result, leaders are working
to provide time and opportunity to discuss and become familiar
with what is possible. An economic justice campaign includes
work ranging from preparing laid-off workers to testify before
local city councils, to organizing public meetings, forums,
and hearings on taxes, budget choices for wages, and health
care. Leaders believe overcoming roadblocks to increased
participation is possible, but "it will take a concerted
effort."
Growth and Justice (Minneapolis, MN). "How should Minnesota
state and local governments collect the revenue they need,
and why?" is the question Growth and Justice has sought to
answer, in hopes new ideas around taxation and economic justice
can be infused into both the legislative and electoral processes
in the coming years. Strategies include meeting with legislative
candidates and others to develop issue platforms; media and
outreach efforts, including writing articles and editorials,
hosting forums, and participating in other forms of public
debate. Essential to the work of Growth and Justice is its
efforts to involve all sides of an issue and fashion solutions
that appeal to a majority of Minnesotans.
Literacy Volunteers of America (Menomenie, WI). Excerpt
from a letter sent at the behest of Literacy Volunteers staff
related to future funding of their programs:
"Dear Congressman [_________],
I am writing in regards to Adult Basic Education. It is a
good program that has helped me attain my G.E.D., and my
H.S.E.D. is pending. I would've never gotten my G.E.D.
if it wasn't for this program. Why do you want to cut funding
for this program? It is helping me to prepare to get a
job and prepare for my future. I think you should not cut
funding.
Sincerely, [________]"
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The
Do's & Don'ts of Civic Engagement
Lobbying
If you're not lobbying, you're not exercising your full rights
under the 1976 Tax Reform Act ("Lobby Law"). The
law permits nonprofits to engage in lobbying and other advocacy
activities, as long as they adhere to some of the broad spending
limitations
In terms of specific activities, a 501(c)(3) organization
CAN:
- Educate the public on issues and encourage participation in the political process.
- Educate all candidates and political parties on your issues.
- General lobbying on issues.
In terms of expenditures, a 501(c)(3) organization CANNOT:
- Engage
in electioneering (taking a partisan position)
The 1976 Tax Reform Act (Lobby Law)
These guidelines are called "lobbying-expenditure test" and
were passed under Section 501(h) and 4911 of the Tax Reform
Act of 1976. This law clarifies that 501(c)(3) organizations
that elect to fall under these rules can spend up to a
defined percentage of their budget for lobbying without
threatening their tax-exempt status.
If you elect to be covered by the Lobby Law, you need to
do two things:
- Take formal steps to elect to fall under the 1976 guidelines. An organization must
file an IRS Form 5768 with the IRS.
- Know lobby limits. The 1976 Tax Reform Act divides lobbying into direct lobbying and
grassroots lobbying. Direct lobbying occurs when an organization communicates its
position with regard to legislation or legislative proposals directly with legislators,
legislative staff, executive branch officials, and executive staff. Grassroots lobbying
is when an organization asks the public to support, oppose, or otherwise influence
legislation by contacting elected and appointed officials.
Electoral
Work
Things an organization CAN do as a 501(c)(3) organization:
- Conduct voter registration and nopartisan get-out-the-vote
efforts.
- Educate
the public on issues and encourage participation in the
political process.
- Educate
all candidates and political parties on your issues.
- Conduct
or participate in a nonpartisan candidate forum. The forum
must be open to all candidates, be run in a balanced way,
and include a broad range of nonpartisan questions for
all candidates.
- Make
presentations on your organization's issue to platform
committees, campaign staff, candidates, media, and the
general public.
- Work
on behalf of a ballot measure.
- General
lobbying
- Rent
or sell mailing lists to candidates at fair market value,
if made available to all candidates.
- A
nonprofit can and should inform candidates of its position(s)
on particular issues and urge them to go on record to support
these positions.
- Activities
cannot be biased for or against any candidate or political
party.
- Nonprofits
may invite candidates to meetings or to public forums sponsored
by the nonprofit
- Invitations
must be extended to "all serious candidates"
- Even-handedness
must be maintained: activities cannot be biased for or
against any candidate or party.
Things an organization CANNOT do as a 501(c)(3) organization:
(these restrictions in no way prohibit officers, members,
or employees from participating in a political campaign as
private citizens.)
- Endorse or oppose a candidate – implicit or explicit. Contribute
money, time or facilities to a candidate.
- Coordinate activities with a candidate.
- Restrict rental of your mailing list and facilities to certain candidates.
- Set up, fund, or manage a Political Action Committee established
under section 527 of the tax code mainly for electoral activity.
What a foundation CANNOT fund:
While 501(c)(3) organizations may conduct voter registration campaigns,
foundations cannot fund this activity. Foundations can fund voter education efforts.
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Online Resource Links
Please note: This list is not exhaustive, rather, a starting
point to identify resources
Non-governmental resources
State Government
Federal Government
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