Cultivating Policy Expertise: Building Skills, Confidence, and Clarity Among Human Service Professionals

Engaging in policy and advocacy often presents complex challenges, especially as the federal environment shifts rapidly and the resulting regulations and legislation carry far-reaching impacts. This webinar is designed to demystify policy conversations and provide practical tools to help staff feel informed, confident, and empowered to participate in advocacy efforts.

Participants will review strategies to simplify complex policies into clear, relevant messaging, while connecting program experiences to broader systemic issues. This session will include strategies for preparing staff to speak with legislators, funders, community partners, and the media, regardless of prior experience. Participants will explore how advocacy can amplify their organizations’ missions; discuss pathways to communicate unified, strategic concerns; and review considerations to ensure advocacy does not restrict their roles and responsibilities.

The session will also address common challenges, including differing levels of policy literacy, uncertainty about nonprofit advocacy rules, and anxiety around answering difficult questions. Facilitators will offer tools and templates to lead advocacy trainings and create a values-aligned culture that supports policy engagement.

Takeaways

• Approaches to helping staff increase comfort, fluency, and preparedness for policy discussions
• Tools to translate complex policies into accessible and action-oriented messaging
• Techniques to connect frontline experiences to systems-level challenges and opportunities
• Guidance to prepare staff for legislative meetings, site visits, public events, and media interactions

Who Should Attend

• Members of the Social Current Grassroots Advocacy Network: Join online
• Executive Directors and Senior Management: Leaders responsible for setting organizational strategy and engaging with policymakers and stakeholders
• Advocacy and Policy Directors: Individuals who develop and implement advocacy strategies and engage in policy analysis and outreach
• Communications and Public Relations Managers: Professionals focused on crafting and disseminating the organization’s message to the public and media
• Program Managers and Coordinators: Staff who oversee program implementation and need to align program goals with advocacy efforts