Advocate Effectively
Advocacy Description
Democracy really is in our hands. So what works and what's more work than it's worth? Check out these tips, guides and stories of powerful advocacy online and "on land."
Have ideas, resources (or questions) to share? Contact us!
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November Question of the Month
From the Alliance for Justice
Can our 501(c)(3) organization issue a press release congratulating a Senator-elect on her recent victory, and asking her to work hard on a particular issue? 
Yes. A 501(c)(3) organization may issue a press release congratulating a Senator-elect on a recent victory, and asking her to work for a particular issue. The organization should be careful to not frame the candidate's election as a victory for the organization, suggest that any of the organization's efforts assisted the candidate's election, or discuss any preferences for future candidate elections. Also, keep in mind that meeting with the senator-elect to discuss specific legislative proposals may count toward your organization's lobbying limit.
For more, visit the Alliance for Justice.
Tools for Effective Advocacy
February 9, 2012
Produced by: 
Afterschool Alliance
During presidential election cycles in particular, voters’ concerns are brought to the forefront ofthe public debate and discussed widely in the media.
February 8, 2012
Produced by: 
Fair Elections Legal Network, Campus Vote Project
The Campus Vote Project, launched in 2012 by the Fair Elections Legal Network, is a campaign to help college students work with administrators and local election officials to make the process of voting easier and overcome barriers students often face to voting that students often mention such as residency laws, registration deadlines, and strict voter ID requirements.
February 6, 2012
Produced by: 
No Kid Hungry, Sodexho Foundation, Youth Service America, Share Our Strength
This online resource center is a great tool for young people from across the United States that are passionate about solving hunger issues in their community, as well as for teachers and parents. It has age-appropriate ideas and resources to help young leaders, parents and teachers organize volunteer activities and advocacy efforts to raise awareness in their schools and neighborhoods.
February 3, 2012
Produced by: 
Feeding America
Hunger advocates are gearing up for legislative action in 2012, and it’s going to be a big year on Capitol Hill. Feeding America is focused on four major areas that will impact hunger: deficit reduction measures, elections, the Farm Bill, and the implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. Read their policy agend in these areas below.
January 20, 2012
Produced by: 
Conditions for Learning Coalition
We all know that what happens outside of school doesn't stay there. Congress' decision to eliminate the Safe and Drug-Free Schools & Communities grants threatens to undermine state "school climate" improvements and ctitical data collection efforts. Here's a closer look.
January 18, 2012
Produced by: 
The Coalition on Human Needs, Half in Ten, Children's Leadership Council, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
SparkAction joined the Coalition on Human Needs, the Half in Ten campaign, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and the Children’s Leadership Council to provide a valuable resource to our local partners, members, and allies about what not-for-profit organizations (501C3’s) can do during election years.
In this webinar, the
December 12, 2011
Produced by: 
Families USA
One great way to help people relate on a deeper level to health care policy issues is to share the health care stories of others with them. The consumer story is one of the most powerful tools that health advocates can use to cut through these falsehoods, improve rapid response in the media, and strengthen public education efforts.
November 29, 2011
Produced by: 
KIDS COUNT
Mississippi KIDS COUNT has a cool new video that uses text to tell the story of their organization and why advocating for kids is so important.
November 18, 2011
Produced by: 
The National Conference on Citizenship
In what ways can social media reinvigorate American democracy? NCoC reflects on a June event that explored this.
November 14, 2011
Produced by: 
The Coalition on Human Needs
Time is running short for the supercommittee to complete a budget outline for the federal budget. Committee members may be stymied by a partisan divide over whether or not to include revenue raisers, like ending the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest households, along with spending cuts.
November 14, 2011
Produced by: 
Zero to Three, Child Welfare League of America, Center for the Study of Social Policy, Children's Defense Fund, American Humane Association
The policy agenda represents these organizations' collective vision on the essential steps that should be taken in policies, programs, and practices to address the needs of these vulnerable infants and toddlers, who are at risk for a host of developmental problems that could follow them throughout their lives.
November 10, 2011
Produced by: 
Feeding America
Feeding America launched this awesome toolit, full of guidelines, best practices, tools, videos and sucess stories to help fight against hunger in your community. Check out the plethora of new resources in the link below.
November 8, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
SparkAction’s Alison Waldman attended an Urban Institute panel of budget and kids’ experts. She observed a very clear difference in the mindset and approaches of budget experts versus advocates. Here she responds to the diverse panel of experts, their anthology of opinions on kids and America, and the event.
October 31, 2011
Produced by: 
Voices for America's Children
The congressional "super committee" is nearing a decision on how to cut more than $1 trillion from federal spending, and next year’s appropriations process is trying to address the budget deficit as well. There is general agreement that some sacrifices need to be made for the sake of the federal budget.
October 13, 2011
Produced by: 
Latino Infant Health Initiative
Childhood obesity has tripled in just one generation, and is highest among children of Hispanic ethnicity, the fastest-growing minority group in the U.S. The consequences can last well into adulthood.
October 12, 2011
Produced by: 
American Association of School Administrators
The Obama administration has given states flexibility to opt out of aspects of the No Child Left Behind bill. Our smart buddies at AASA have a quick summary of what it means for schools and states.
October 12, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
On October 11, Sen. Harkin (D-Iowa), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released a comprehensive proposal to rewrite the major federal education legislation, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, also known as No Child Left Behind). So just what's in the bill, and how are advocates and others responding to it?
October 12, 2011
Produced by: 
Minnesota Public Radio
Despite the high profile of bullying over the past two years — including a White House summit to discuss the issue — prospects for a federal bullying law are dim, Minnesota Public Radio reports.
October 12, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
Catching up with a New Orleans high school student and a powerful nonprofit that are proving that students can play a major role in transforming the way public schools do business.
October 10, 2011
Produced by: 
Families USA
Medicaid helps children get a healthy start in life, provides seniors and people with disabilities with long-term care, and helps those with serious health conditions.
October 3, 2011
Produced by: 
Feeding America
Feeding America reports an advocacy success! The Senate Appropriations Committee FY2012 agriculture appropriations protects anti-hunger programs like WIC, contrary to the bill approved earlier this year by the House Appropriations Committee.
September 29, 2011
Produced by: 
Alliance for Justice
Want to know how your organization can be a more effective advocate for your community? Why your organization should make the 501(h) election? Why a 501(c)(4) can support or oppose candidates? Learn the answers to these questions, and many more in this toolkit for immigrant advocacy organizations, available in both English and Spanish.
September 26, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
Towson University student Rachel tells how she got active on her campus, and how it changed her college experience for the better.
September 19, 2011
Produced by: 
Ready by 21, The Forum for Youth Investment
The Forum for Youth Investment offers examples of Ready by 21 strategies - improving services and systems; aligning policies and resources; increasing demand; and engaging youth, families and community members in solutions - that communities can take to improve the odds for children and youth here.
September 19, 2011
Produced by: 
Voices for America's Children
Voices for America's Children offers a succinct view of the federal budget and what you can ask your elected officials.
September 16, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
DREAM Activists are out and they're organized. Check it out in this Youth Rising blog.
September 13, 2011
Produced by: 
Community Organizer 2.0
Nonprofits can do a better job of giving people a picture of problems or solutions with good data graphs – the hot, new way to tell your story.
September 13, 2011
Produced by: 
Alliance for Justice
This publication from the Alliance for Justice was created to address the many questions nonprofit organizations have about advocacy in the new environment of dynamic digital communication.
September 6, 2011
Produced by: 
National Women's Law Center
This interactive map and state-by-state fact sheets provide state-specific information to help advocates demonstrate why any plan the congressional "super-committee" devises for deficit reduction must protect programs vital to the wellbeing of women and families; make millionaires and corporations pay their fair share; and create jobs for women and men.
August 24, 2011
Produced by: 
National Human Services Assembly
The Nonprofit Human Resources Conference is the nation's only
human resources conference dedicated exclusively to meeting the
educational and professional development needs of nonprofit human
resources leaders.
August 23, 2011
Produced by: 
Children's Leadership Council, SparkAction
Easy-to-use templates to write powerful Letters to the Editor, from the CLC. Make your case and use our interactive tool (below) to find local media contacts!
August 22, 2011
Produced by: 
Children's Leadership Council
August 19, 2011
Produced by: 
Annie E. Casey Foundation
The Annie E. Casey Foundation offers resources for foster care adoption.
August 4, 2011
Produced by: 
The Forum for Youth Investment
Many states and communities have multiple task forces, partnerships and councils working on overlapping youth issues, from bullying to pregnancy to dropouts. This policy brief calls attentions to the problem of collaboration overload, and suggests ways to tackle it. Check out these tips for working collaboratively without creating redundancy.
August 4, 2011
Produced by: 
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
For nonprofits that rely on federal grants and contracts, this week’s
deal to head off a costly credit default by the government marks the
beginning of a fretful new era of lobbying and uncertainty. The new budget law, which President Obama signed on Tuesday, calls
for federal cuts of more than $2-trillion over 10 years but does not
spell out exactly where those savings should c
July 29, 2011
Produced by: 
Big Duck
Old Spice did a several really smart things with their "Old Spice Guy" commercial campaign that any business–including a nonprofit–can learn from.
July 29, 2011
Produced by: 
International Budget Partnership
Ultimately, the goal of a budget advocacy effort is to bring all of
these elements together — a strategic objective, a clear sense of
audience, a winning message, and strong alliances — into a set of
activities to deliver that message powerfully.
July 29, 2011
Getting Attention
This blog piece from Communications guru Nancy Schwartz gives messaging tips when advocating for difficult issues--many of which people don't like to hear about.
July 29, 2011
Produced by: 
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
This guest post by Allison Monnell demonstrates not only the power
of storytelling in nonprofit communications, but just how beneficial it
can be to your nonprofit when you integrate a culture of story sharing
into your everyday work, as the Chemung ARC has done with its Stringer
Success Stories.
July 29, 2011
Produced by: 
FrameWorks Institute
Talking About Budgets and Taxes is a toolkit compendium of
research on how Americans think about budgets and taxes, and how to
increase public support for policies that support reforms to the
budgeting process and tax system.
July 29, 2011
Produced by: 
FrameWorks Institute
What are the best strategies for Talking About Disparities? This important question formed the basis of a recent research inquiry by the FrameWorks Institute
Specifically, FrameWorks set out to answer three questions:
July 29, 2011
Produced by: 
FrameWorks Institute
Talking About Education Reform is a toolkit compendium of research on
how Americans think about the educational system and education reform,
and how to increase public support for policies that ensure that all
Americans are fully prepared for professional and civic life in the 21st
century. Also included are applications materials, based on the research
findings, that can help engage
July 29, 2011
Produced by: 
FrameWorks Institute
Communication researchers are now able
to suggest powerful messages to reawaken the public to accept
responsibility for helping all children.
They able to craft language that helps people connect to our values.
That means both reporters and advocates must retool their language and
their approach to a story to elicit the responses they are seeking.
People turn on the T.V.
July 28, 2011
Produced by: 
Education Trust
This fact
sheet, created by the Save Pell coalition, is useful in
educating others about the importance of saving Pell.
July 28, 2011
Produced by: 
Media Bistro
Facebook is not Twitter, and Twitter is not Facebook.For veteran users of both platforms, this statement is well understood. But for marketers and brands new to either network, or for those with an extensive level of experience in one but not the other, the differences are not immediately apparent.
July 27, 2011
Produced by: 
The Washington Post
The federal government sends out some 80 million checks per month, which works out to 27 payments per second, day after day.
July 26, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
Were you or someone you know saved by a Pell grant? With the Federal Pell Grant program in danger, EdTrust, Young Invincibles, and U.S. PIRG teamed up to throw a training for interns and other young people on what they described as one of the most powerful ways to advocate for Pell grants (or, really for any issue): Letters to the Editor.
July 25, 2011
Produced by: 
Pew Research Center
As the country enters into the 2012 presidential election cycle, the
electorate’s partisan affiliations have shifted significantly since
Barack Obama won office nearly three years ago. In particular, the
Democrats hold a much narrower edge than they did in 2008, particularly
when the partisan leanings of independents are taken into account.
July 25, 2011
Produced by: 
First Focus
Children's Budget 2011, the latest edition of the First Focus Children's Budget series, provides an analysis of the over 180 federally funded programs that are aimed at enhancing the well-being of our nation's children and how their appropriations levels have changed over the past five years.
July 21, 2011
Produced by: 
Rock the Vote
Legislative attacks on young voters and new registrations have been appearing all over the map. Rock the Vote has created a page to collectively fight back for young voters' rights and include an interactive map that tracks the suppression of rights state-by-state. Click below to get the updates and learn how to take action. Check out the interactive map tracking the status of
July 20, 2011
Produced by: 
Idea Encore
Beliefs, mission, and vision: main components to creating a strategic framework for your social organization or enterprise. This artice provides concise framework for communicating organizational vision, mission, aims and strategic priorities.
NOTE: If prompted, a free & quick registration to IdeaEncore may be required to access this article.
July 20, 2011
Produced by: 
Sumac
It is said that a picture is worth a
thousand words. If that’s true, than an infographic is worth a
billion! An infographic is a graphic visual representation of
information and data that allows for quick, effective analysis. Why
is this important for non-profits? Read on for some tips on creating and using infographics for your cause.
July 20, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
The debate over closing tax loopholes and ending tax breaks
for wealthy families and corporations has become a hot issue this summer, but
it’s one with a long history. Are the tides of public opinion finally turning?
July 13, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
Over 1,000 college students and recent graduates flocked to Washington D.C. for the 7th annual Conference on Wednesday, July 6. They all came to learn how to do one thing: Turn Truth to Power. This was the theme of CPNC11--and SparkAction's Alison reflects on the day and her experience on what she learned.
July 12, 2011
Produced by: 
Young Invincibles
As pressure mounts to cut spending from programs for low-income Americans, Young Invincibles' Meghan Cheney argues that Federal Pell Grants are not a hand out, but an investment in the economic future of the nation.
July 12, 2011
Idea Encore
This paper discusses a recent grassroots campaign that has had
widespread success and duplicability.
July 7, 2011
Produced by: 
Idea Encore
Grassroots organizing has long been key
for nonprofits to meet their mission and fundraise. Nonprofits across the globe
continue grassroots organizing with a 21st century twist to build support for
their organization, ignite social change and generate revenue. Check out these
great resources shared on IdeaEncore for helpful advice on starting and
managing grassroots campaigns.
July 5, 2011
Produced by: 
The White House
Join U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Raj Shah
and Kalpen Modi from the White House Office of Public Engagement on July 7, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. EDT for a special live discussion with young Americans about international development. Register and send your questions in the link below.
June 29, 2011
Produced by: 
All Education Matters
Cryn Johannsen responds to musician Ted Nugent's Washington Times op-ed calling Millennials apathetic and lazy.
June 28, 2011
Produced by: 
The White House
Join Obama Administration officials (and
President Obama) for a “100 Youth Roundtables” de-briefing along with
information on the new “How to Make Change” youth summer series and ongoing
events on youth employment and entrepreneurship.
June 23, 2011
Produced by: 
CLASP
On July 6 from 2 – 3:30 p.m., CLASP will host a timely discussion that
will explore the different types of evidence policymakers and
practitioners have available to them, including theoretical research;
administrative or management data; impact studies, such as randomized
controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs; and implementation
studies, and then examine which types of evi
June 17, 2011
Produced by: 
The White House
The President announced a new series that will take us through the summer, called, “How to Make Change.” This series will specifically foster a conversation between young
Americans, advocates, and the White House on the issues that matter to
all. Check out the announcement in the video below, and read more about the summer series in the linke below.
June 16, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
How were the British, public and legislative alike, able to champion the child poverty problem in a troubled economy? It's an accomplishment that seems almost magical to us tireless advocates for
children in the U.S. Panelists at a June briefing shined some light on the secrets of the
initiative's success, what it meant for Britain, and what the United States can learn from it.
June 13, 2011
Produced by: 
Stateline.org
Online startups such as Minnesota’s MinnPost, The Texas Tribune, the Connecticut Mirror and California Watch have established themselves as must-reads among aficionados of statehouse news. The question is whether they can raise enough money to keep going.
June 13, 2011
Produced by: 
The Coalition on Human Needs
This guide will provide you with tips and tools to make policy makers hear your voice on these critical budget issues facing our nation with straight and convincing talk about the federal budget.
June 13, 2011
Produced by: 
BigThink.com
A school superintendent in Michigan has written a public letter to the editor asking Governor Rick Snyder if his school can become a prison instead. The full text is in the link below.
June 13, 2011
Produced by: 
Families USA
On Monday, June 13,
New Hampshire will host the first debate of Republican presidential candidates.
This forum presents a tremendous opportunity for the public to learn where each
of the candidates stand on health care issues. To promote a dialogue in New Hampshire that focuses on the Republican budget
and its devastating consequences on seniors, people needing long-term
care, working fam
June 13, 2011
Produced by: 
The White House
Know someone who is doing extraordinary things to make a difference in your community? Nominate them to be a Champion of Change! It's part of the President Obama's challenge to help win the future by out-educating, out-innovating, and out-building our competitors in the 21st century.
June 10, 2011
Produced by: 
In this special Best Practice Webinar for nonprofits, nonprofit experts
Darian Rodriguez Heyman and Sean Sullivan will discuss the practical
tools and strategies of online peer-to-peer fundraising. Among the
topics covered in the Best Practice Network webinar, the two will
discuss how to attract and organize supporters using online social media
tools like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,
June 10, 2011
Produced by: 
Alliance for Justice
Alliance for Justice developed Resources for
Evaluating Community Organizing (RECO) to help raise the profile of community organizing, and also to help community
groups and funders find ways to evaluate and learn from their program
strategies and activities quickly and effectively. RECO is a free, online compendium which synopsizes and categorizes community
organizing resources. The
June 1, 2011
Produced by: 
Colors of Life, Every Child Matters
The theme of this photo
contest, organized by Colors of Life and sponsored by Every Child Matters, is ‘Every Child Matters’. ECM intends to create a
nationwide traveling exhibition of the top 30 photos to draw public attention
to the needs of children. The exhibition will visit major American cities from
November of 2011 right up to the 2012 November election.
May 30, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
After recent statements by high-profile politicians dismissed young Americans' value in civic life—and states enacting voter ID laws—Janis Richter is questioning some baby boomers' stance on youth engagement.
May 27, 2011
Produced by: 
Half in Ten, The Coalition on Human Needs
At a time when human-needs programs like Medicaid, food stamps/SNAP, and
numerous others are facing the threat of extreme budget cuts, it has
never been more important to show how these programs make a difference
in the lives of real families, communities, and the economy.
May 26, 2011
Produced by: 
The Coalition on Human Needs
June 7, 2011 was the tenth anniversary of the passage of tax
cuts that continue to give wealthy America
a windfall while contributing to increased inequality and debt for the rest of America.
As new choices are being made for for dealing with our national debt and obligations, some
powerful players are working hard to lock in bigger tax cuts for the rich while further disadvantaging ordinary fa
May 25, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
The Millennial generation is "stealing back the narrative" about what we need to solve the debt crisis and leave a strong, thriving country to our children and grandchildren. Check out the new budget proposal, created by Millennials and scored by the CBO.
May 23, 2011
Produced by: 
Ready by 21, Forum for Youth Investment
This Forum for Youth Investment webinar explored
ways to collect and use ongoing, cross-systems data to influence real-time
decision-making, as well as ways to get the best information about "what
works" to help increase the impact of action strategies.
May 4, 2011
SparkAction, Children's Leadership Council, The Coalition on Human Needs, Voices for America's Children
On May 13, 2011 join SparkAction, the Children's Leadership Council, the Coalition on Human Needs and Voices for America's Children for an important webinar - Media Strategies That Work: Making the Case for Children, Youth & Families in the Budget Debate.
Friday, May 13, 2011 at 3:30 pm EDT
April 25, 2011
Produced by: 
Each May, National Foster Care Month provides an
opportunity to shine a light on the experiences of the more than 400,000
children and youth in the foster care system.
April 22, 2011
Produced by: 
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
AMCHP's Director of Public Policy & Government Affairs talks about using scientific data and evidence to impact policy.
April 20, 2011
Produced by: 
Google
The newly revamped Google for
Nonprofits gives your organization or campaign your own YouTube
channel. Get ideas for how to use it effectively with these video tips.
April 20, 2011
Produced by: 
Idealware
Who’s seeing success
with their Facebook page? And what are they doing (and not doing)? Get a sneak
peek at a 2011 Idealware report that evaluates whether Facebook really adds value to online communications. The full report
will be out in May 2011.
April 18, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
SparkAction intern Alison blogs on the millenial generation facing the job market, and what we're doing about it.
April 18, 2011
Produced by: 
On April 27th, young people in suits will march on Congressional offices. The hope is to dramatize the youth job crisis and the need for Congress to invest to create jobs. The Brigade is an open source event--meaning it does not belong to any organization. Brigades are to happen locally and nationally, and are customizable in whatever ways you think will be most effective for your community.
April 12, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
A look at what advocates need to know about what's in the House budget resolution for 2012.
April 6, 2011
Produced by: 
The Wallace Foundation
This guide for policymakers--local, state, and fedaral--highlights new findings
about how to improve the academic and enrichment opportunities we
provide for our children, both in and out of school.
April 6, 2011
Produced by: 
Reclaiming Futures
In response to feedback from advocates and state
officials, the Obama administration has revised its plan to make nearly
all federal funding for state juvenile justice systems competitive. Learn
more in the link below.
April 6, 2011
Produced by: 
Reclaiming Futures
Parents, family members, and juvenile justice advocates
won't want to miss these free phone trainings on working with the media
from the Campaign for Youth Justice. Follow the link below for more info.
April 5, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
For many
Philadelphia residents commuting from work on March 30, instead of rush-hour traffic, they found themselves surrounded by thousands of high school and
college
students protesting proposed $500 million cuts to state public schools. I'm one of those
college students, calling on the governor to support public school as a pathway to college, not the school-to-prison pipeline.
April 4, 2011
Produced by: 
U.S. PIRG Education Fund, United States Student Association
U.S. PIRG has partnered with the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) and the United States Student Association (USSA) to create a Save Student Aid Facebook campaign to prevent cuts to student aid. Use their Facebook page as a forum and an action center!
March 29, 2011
Produced by: 
Families USA
Virginia Organizing (VO) has created a successful structure for organizing young adults across the state. Brian Johns explains the campus chapter structure and key elements of a successful youth organizing model.
March 29, 2011
Produced by: 
Half in Ten
House Republicans have released
their budget proposal for fiscal year 2012. It makes deep cuts in programs
supporting vulnerable families and children. Now is the time to contact your
member of Congress and ask him or her to weigh in with the House Budget Committee.
March 24, 2011
Produced by: 
Rock the Vote
Yesterday, March 23rd, students across the country participated in the first ever Democracy Day.
March 23, 2011
Produced by: 
The Nation
An important new initiative from Half in Ten, a national campaign to
reduce poverty by 50 percent over the next ten years, and the Coalition
on Human Needs, is putting a face on irresponsible “slash and burn”
deficit reduction by showing how it would damage real lives. The organizations are collecting people’s stories so that the cruel consequences of draco
March 23, 2011
Produced by: 
Mobilize.org
A blogger for Mobilize.org shares some insight on community college, student retention rate, and the Target 2020 summit.
March 23, 2011
Produced by: 
Mobilize.org
A community college student reflects on his experience at the Big Ideas Fest, a conference focused on cutting-edge thinking in education. Read another perspective here.
March 23, 2011
Produced by: 
Mobilize.org
Emily, a Durham Technical Community College student, was a participant in the Big Ideas Fest, a cutting-edge thinking event for education. Here she shares her experiences.
March 21, 2011
Produced by: 
Campaign for Youth
The Campaign for Youth is calling for a Day of Action on March 24.
March 16, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
Budget-strapped Illinois
is cutting all state substance abuse funding for teens and adults. Is this a case of savings at too high a cost? Eddy Ameen, who counsels youth in the juvenile justice system, weighs in —and offers examples for advocates.
March 15, 2011
SparkAction
Who really gets the Youth Vote? Two recent articles make it clear that both parties understand the power of young voters. Are they reaching out to young voters in a genuine way? Let us know what you think.
March 14, 2011
Produced by: 
On February 26, 2011 youth from across the country gathered in Washington, DC for the
White House Youth Summit. The summit was part of President Barack Obama's resolution to have the United States lead the world in college completion by the year 2020.
March 14, 2011
Produced by: 
Ready by 21
The new
Ready by 21 Policy Alignment Guide offers tips and strategies for policymakers
to create a seamless system of supports.
March 14, 2011
Produced by: 
National Organizations for Youth Safety
The Office of National Drug Control Policy and the National Organization for Youth Safety are sponsoring this contest to raise teens' awareness about the dangers associated with drugged driving.
March 14, 2011
Produced by: 
League of Young Voters
Members of the Leage of Young voters hit the streets of Madison to find out why more African Americans were not participating in the Wisconsin union protests and why it's so important that young black voters step up. Check out this first-hand video:
March 11, 2011
Produced by: 
Mobilize.org
In April 2011, Mobilize.org will convene 100 Millennials from northern California community colleges
to discuss the challenges they face in completing their education and
collaborate on sustainable community solutions to address them at their Target 2020 California Summit. They'll also compete for $25,000 to turn ideas into campus, community, and online projects.
March 10, 2011
Produced by: 
National League of Cities: Institute for Youth, Education and Families
The National League of Cities has developed the "Authentic Youth Civic Engagement: A Guide for Municipal Leaders." Its detailed contents contain all the information you need to know about how to engage in effective strategies and approaches for democratic governance.
March 8, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction, The National Conference on Citizenship, Congressional Management Foundation
Technology has made it fast and easy to contact Congress, but how well is it working? SparkAction and the National Conference on Citizenship jointly hosted a 2011 webinar on the latest “Communicating with Congress” research from the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF).
March 8, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
SparkAction caught up with Alberto Retana at the 2011 National Youth Summit. Retana, who serves as the Director of Community Outreach at the U.S.
March 7, 2011
Produced by: 
Nonprofit VOTE
This blog entry from Nonprofit Vote, an organization devoted to
engaging nonprofits in voting and voting education, gives a great
overview of Cathy J.
March 4, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
From graffiti art to slam poetry, many of that National Youth Summit's voices in action were heard through creative mediums. SparkAction intern Alison spoke with Alberto Retana about "edutainment" and why it's critical to youth movements.
March 2, 2011
Produced by: 
Center for Law and Social Policy
To help advocates make the case for child care and early education investments, CLASP has created a web resource with information from CLASP and its partner organizations.
March 2, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
A quick overview of the federal budget: what it is, what it does, and how the process works. Required reading for any aspiring advocate! (And a useful refresher for even the most seasoned among us.)
March 1, 2011
SparkAction
A quick round-up of organizations producing accurate and useful analyses of federal budget proposals and plans.
February 28, 2011
Produced by: 
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Health care, schools and community services are the bread and butter of state budgets, so state and local public workers are essential for serving children and families. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities sorts fact from fiction and concludes that middle and higher-wage workers earn less in the public sector.
February 28, 2011
New America Foundation
This New America Foundation report to Congress emphasizes the importance of successful education reform efforts in improving the access, quality and alignment of pre-K learning with the early grades.
February 23, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
A newbie to policy finds herself in a policy brief meeting on Capitol Hill and shares her thoughts, reactions, and inspirations of advocacy and collaboration in working for education and youth issues.
February 22, 2011
Produced by: 
National Public Radio
Protesters are converging on the Ohio Statehouse to protest as state senators hold a hearing on a bill to weaken the collective bargaining rights of state workers' unions — including firefighters, police and teachers. Republican leaders in the state Senate say the move is needed to curtail the state's projected $8 billion, two-year budget deficit.
February 21, 2011
Produced by: 
Zero to Three
Almost very social policy—from welfare reform to education to mental health—affects infants and toddlers. This “pocket card” makes it easier to understand and talk about these impacts. It summarizes
key policy points and gives you tools to take action to improve investments in the early years.
February 21, 2011
Produced by: 
Wiley Interscience
Susan Nall Bales, founder of KidsCampaigns, SparkAction’s earliest iteration, and Jack P. Shonkoff, lead author of From Neurons to Neighborhoods, team up to explain how scientists and advocates can translate scientific findings about early development for policymakers.
February 21, 2011
Produced by: 
Harris Interactive
Cutting government spending often sounds like a good idea to many
people, and it is a popular rallying cry for many Republicans and
Conservatives, but a new Harris Poll underlines where people agree on where cuts should and should not be made. The report shows that while public majorities support some cuts in spending in allocations such as
February 21, 2011
Produced by: 
First Focus
Want easy-to-understand information on the President’s 2012 budget and its impact on the health of children and young people? Check out this fact sheet from First Focus.
February 15, 2011
Produced by: 
WyoFile
For those willing to take the time, learning to lobby like a pro can help
ordinary citizens play a more influential role in shaping the laws that govern
their own lives. Each year in Cheyenne, a nonprofit organization holds daylong
training sessions to give residents a crash course on the fine points of
lobbying, as WyoFile reports.
February 15, 2011
Produced by: 
Alliance for Justice
February 15, 2011
Produced by: 
Zero to Three
When you cut through the complexities, it's easy to see how the federal budget impacts the real lives of families and young children. Right now, we're at a crossroads in the budget process that could mean less funding for early childhood.
February 14, 2011
Produced by: 
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Federal policymakers cut back funding for states and states keep cutting jobs – a recipe for sluggish recovery. But it doesn’t have to be this way, says the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
February 14, 2011
Produced by: 
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
Advocates were successful in shrinking the cuts to maternal and child health care programs included in the latest version of the Continuing Resolution released by the US House of Representatives, says AMCHP's Michael Fraser. The fight isn't over, but this one "bright spot" in an otherwise grim budget is inspiring evidence that advocacy can make a difference. (Includes video.)
February 9, 2011
Families USA
Washington state’s Governor Gregoire is proposing complete elimination of the states basic health program and the removal of 26,000 undocumented children from the Children’s Health Program. Advocates are using real life stories to educate legislators about the costs of cuts.
February 9, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
Voting for top questions to US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, is now closed. To continue taking action, please visit the SparkAction Action Center and our Summit page for info and ideas for next steps after the 2011 National Youth Summit!
February 1, 2011
Produced by: 
Michigan Public Radio
Michigan's Governor Snyder wants residents to understand the state's budget crisis, so he's rolled out a guide to help. It's called the "Citizen's Guide to Michigan's Financial Health." How reader-friendly is it? And how accurate? Could it be a model for other states? Michigan Radio's investigative reporter Lester Graham takes a look.
February 1, 2011
Produced by: 
National Journal
Congress is due to renew the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the main federal law governing public education. Even if it doesn’t tackle the whole bill, some changes are likely to be enacted this year.
January 17, 2011
Produced by: 
SparkAction
Every other January, municipalities that receive federal money to serve the homeless are required to perform a point-in-time census count of their homeless population. Too often, these counts miss young people -- and without the numbers, it's hard to make progress. This year will be different in Washington, DC. Eddy Ameen looks at why.
January 9, 2011
Produced by: 
Alliance for Justice
The redistricting process
presents an excellent opportunity for your nonprofit organization to get
involved to ensure your community is not unfairly divided by district
boundaries. Your 501(c)(3) public charity can safely and
legally participate in the redistricting process, although you must
understand that some of you
November 30, 2010
Produced by: 
DreamActivist.org
Questions, answers and communications tips about the DREAM Act, which would help some undocumented young people access college and a path to citizenship.
November 30, 2010
Produced by: 
America's Voice
With both chambers of Congress planning to take up the DREAM Act
this year, students who would benefit from the legislation are joining
with labor and immigration reform advocates will unveil a six-figure ad
buy in Spanish and English media.
November 17, 2010
Produced by: 
United States Student Association
Talking points from the United States Student Association. November 15 - December 31, 2010.
November 17, 2010
Produced by: 
Generations United
Trying to avoid a generational fight over resources, Generations United
emphasizes the ways in which grandparents and grandchildren depend on
each other – and recommends focusing on policies that help generations
help each other, and strengthen the economy.
November 17, 2010
Produced by: 
SparkAction
A look behind the numbers in the latest Department of Justice annual report and the Obama administration's proposed budget. "This year's federal budget will be the next year’s annual report, and there are only so many ways to dress up our failure to America’s youth."
November 16, 2010
Produced by: 
The National Conference on Citizenship
How civically engaged are you? What
about your neighbors? How easy is it to volunteer and get active in your state?
The National Conference on Citizenship is working in partnership with states
and cities across the country to release local Civic Health Index reports.
November 15, 2010
Produced by: 
First Focus
The recent recession has hit the most vulnerable children and families the
hardest. This report finds that (1) it takes years post-recession for families
to bounce back to pre-recession income levels; (2) low-income families take
even longer to rebound; and (3) public programs play a pivotal role in blunting
the negative impacts of a recession.
November 10, 2010
Produced by: 
Education Week
EdWeek reviews state trends in education that have bipartisan support – from teacher evaluation and common standards to seeking federal Race to the Top dollars. Changing these directions may not be easy for the Republican leaders elected in November 2010.
November 8, 2010
Produced by: 
FindYouthInfo.gov
The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs, a collaborative of 12 federal agencies, is hosting a series of listening sessions around the country to gather input to inform the development of an overarching strategic plan for federal youth policy.
November 5, 2010
Produced by: 
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
With tax revenue still declining as a result of the
recession and budget reserves largely drained, the vast majority of states have
made spending cuts that hurt families and reduce necessary services. These
cuts, in turn, have deepened states’ economic problems because families and
businesses have less to spend.
November 4, 2010
Produced by: 
The Coalition on Human Needs
Congress returns to DC November 15, 2010.
October 27, 2010
Produced by: 
Education Commission on the States
On October 19, 2010, President Obama signed an Executive Order creating a
presidential advisory commission on Hispanic education. This ECS Alert looks at state policies and some examples of successful policy approaches and offers analysis and research syntheses aimed at helping state
policymakers work towards this important goal.
October 18, 2010
Produced by: 
Open Society Institute
In her book Democracy Remixed: Black Youth and the Future of American Politics, scholar Cathy J. Cohen offers an
authoritative analysis of the state of black youth in America today.
October 1, 2010
Produced by: 
Alliance for Justice
Available just in time for this year's election season, Alliance for Justice is releasing the second edition of this advocacy resource. It's a user-friendly guide that reviews federal tax and election laws governing nonprofit organizations in an election year, and explains the right (and wrong) ways to organize specific voter education activities. Cost: $30 includes shipping.
September 24, 2010
Produced by: 
Zero to Three
The Zero to Three Policy Center announces the release of a unique interactive tool - You Have What It Takes! - that helps you identify the skills that make you a great advocate, and then guides you as you turn those skills into action. You can be an effective advocate for very young children and their families, and you already have the skills to do it.
September 24, 2010
Produced by: 
Zero to Three
Infants and toddlers don't have a voice in the public policy process, but you do! Your advocacy challenge is to use the new interactive advocacy tool - You Have What It Takes! - to identify your strengths as an advocate and then use those strengths to take action.
August 19, 2010
FindYouthInfo.gov
The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation within the
Administration for Children and Families at HHS has published an
updated edition of “The Program Manager’s Guide to Evaluation.” This
edition explains what program evaluation is, why evaluation is
important, how to conduct an evaluation and understand the results, how
to report evaluation findings, and how t
August 9, 2010
Produced by: 
Community Media Workshop
The Community Media Workshop offers resources and tips for nonprofit organizations to improve their media policy.
August 9, 2010
Produced by: 
Community Media Workshop
The Community Media Workshop offers nonprofit organizations workshops in order to improve their media strategy.For nonprofit organizations looking to find other resources and tips on media outreach, click here.
August 9, 2010
Produced by: 
The Communications Network
The Communications Network has many resources for nonprofit organizations to improve their media outreach strategies.
August 5, 2010
Produced by: 
Reclaiming Futures
Want
to plan an event for teens celebrating and promoting recovery from substance
abuse? Want ideas from others? The online
toolkit is divided into three sections: media outreach, targeted
outreach, and resources.
August 2, 2010
Produced by: 
Child Advocacy 360
Child
Advocacy 360's research is complete, and we can now say with certainty that
"good news" about programs that improve the lives of vulnerable,
disadvantaged kids – helping them to become responsible citizens – can make a
significant difference in building stronger neighborhoods, villages and cities.
July 29, 2010
Produced by: 
SparkAction
Are we as a nation spending less on programs to benefit children and youth than in the past? To answer that question, we first need to know how much federal spending goes to children and youth. On July 14, 2010, First Focus held a Children’s Budget Summit to inform and galvanize advocates, policymakers, the media and the public. Missed the event?
July 16, 2010
Produced by: 
Annie E. Casey Foundation
Every year, the Casey
Journalism Center on Children and Families honors journalists for their work on
the lives of children.
July 16, 2010
Produced by: 
The Urban Institute
Kids' Share 2010: Report on
Federal Expenditures on Children through 2009 is an annual report that looks comprehensively at long-time and recent
trends in federal spending and tax expenditures on children. Findings suggest
that historically children have not been a budget priority.
July 15, 2010
Produced by: 
SparkAction
Child Advocacy 360 (a SparkAction content partner) commissioned the strategic communications organizations Douglas Gould & Company and The Topos Partnership to measure public opinion and examine what stories are most effective when it comes to engaging and inspiring people to take action on behalf of children and youth.
July 13, 2010
Produced by: 
A new Promising Practices Profile developed by
the Finance Project highlights three cities - Hartford, Connecticut, New York City,
and Seattle - where local leaders used creative financing strategies to support
summer youth employment programs in 2009.
July 1, 2010
Produced by: 
The Search Institute
The Developmental Assets are 40 common sense, positive experiences and
qualities that help influence choices young people make and help them
become caring, responsible adults.
July 1, 2010
Produced by: 
The Search Institute
We all know how much influence peers can have over each other.
Adolescents’ willingness to act on behalf of others is something parents
and educators can influence. Dr.
July 1, 2010
Produced by: 
The Search Institute
Search Institute has developed a list of 15 "thriving indicators," or
constructive behaviors, postures, and commitments that societies value
and need in youth.
June 30, 2010
Produced by: 
SparkAction
This summer, it’s time to take stock, to think, and maybe catch up on some reading. Jan Richter says a book about the 1920s has some relevant lessons for child and youth advocates in the age of the Great Recession.
June 29, 2010
Produced by: 
First Focus
A 2010 poll released reveals strong bipartisan support for the DREAM
Act, federal legislation introduced by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL)
and Richard Lugar (R-IN) that would provide undocumented students
brought to the United States as children with the opportunity to earn
permanent legal status upon meeting certain requirements.
June 28, 2010
Produced by: 
The Harvard Family Research Project
The
paper calls for a greater understanding of how family involvement influences
learning, as well as the ways that contextual factors influence involvement
among disadvantaged families.
June 28, 2010
Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago
This Chapin Hall report describes the results of
a study that used administrative data to better understand the need for
employment-related services and supports among youth in foster care and how one
community-based employment training and job placement program is trying to
address those needs.
June 13, 2010
Produced by: 
Grantmakers for Education
Grantmakers for Education, Grantmakers for Children, Youth,
and Families, and the Council on Foundations have developed a tip sheet of
evidence-based arguments for why investing in early learning pays off, especially for low-income children.
June 13, 2010
Produced by: 
American Youth Policy Forum
What program elements have been shown to be most effective in preparing students for postsecondary access and success? Read below in their publication.
June 10, 2010
Produced by: 
Youth Service America
The Collaboration Prize, created by the Lodestar
Foundation, is a national award program designed to identify and showcase
models of collaboration among nonprofit organizations. Recognizing the impact
that can be achieved from working together, the prize shines a spotlight on
collaborations that cooperate to demonstrate innovative and effective responses
to challenges or opportunities.
June 3, 2010
The Center for Health and health Care in Schools
The Capacity Building Fund is offering grants to groups that want to learn how to work together to achieve community impact beyond what one organization can achieve alone.
June 3, 2010
Innovation Network
Advocacy
is a different kind of enterprise from providing direct service, and assessing
how much one's advocacy work contributes to a cause can be difficult, but not
impossible. This Innovation Network guidebook has concrete ideas for evaluating nonprofit
advocacy work.
May 25, 2010
Produced by: 
Center on Law and Social Policy
The Center on Law and Social Policy identifies key elements for an effective youth employment system: a strong convening entity, an effective administrative agent, a well-trained case management arm, strong partnerships across systems that serve youth, high quality work experience and career exposure components.
May 20, 2010
This research brief highlights financing strategies that successful youth-serving organizations are using to maintain quality services despite difficult economic times.
May 13, 2010
America's Promise Alliance
America's Promise Alliance and AT&T are looking for the energy, enthusiasm, creativity and commitment to help make this country a Grad Nation through the My Idea grants program. "My Idea" will empower young people to examine the high school dropout crisis and take action to help more of their peers to graduate on time - improving outcomes for themselves and their community.
February 12, 2010
Produced by: 
Center for Democracy and Technology
The Center for Democracy and Technology is a nonprofit public interest
organization working to keep the Internet open, innovative, and free.
As a civil liberties group with expertise in law, technology, and
policy, CDT works to enhance free expression and privacy in
communications technologies by finding practical and innovative
solutions to public policy challenges while protecting civil liber
February 12, 2010
Produced by: 
Democracy is a conversation. That's the spirit behind this site, which offers forums, blogs, polls, petitions, action alerts and more to help you get informed and involved in the democratic process, no matter where you stand on the issues.
February 12, 2010
Produced by: 
Aspen Institute
The authors of this Aspen Institute book contend that lobbying is an honorable activity and that nonprofits and others should engage in it without apology in order to ensure democracy. This summary offers insights from the book and a multiyear study by OMB Watch, Tufts University and Center for Lobbying in the Public
Interest, called the
Strengthening Nonprofit Advocacy Project (SNAP).
February 11, 2010
Produced by: 
PoliticsOnline
Here's an interactive site with news, tools and ideas about media, government, nonprofits and
politics. PoliticsOnline calls itself "the oldest political Internet company"—it was founded in 1996—but there's nothing old news about a lot of the resources you'll find on this site. (Nonpartisan and global.)
January 12, 2010
Produced by: 
Institute for Politics, Democracy & the Internet
Elected officials are often challenged by a lack of permanent staff, limited financial resources for technology and a sometimes unending barrage of email from constituents and advocates. That's where Constituent Relationship
Management (CRM) comes in.
January 12, 2010
Produced by: 
NP Action
NP Action created this blog to share interesting advocacy related items on a range of topics -- from new research on funding for
advocacy to examples of unusual advocacy strategies. Check it out, or add your own information.
October 20, 2009
Produced by: 
SparkAction
Elected officials do pay attention to email from constituents. To prove it, the Congressional Management Foundation surveyed Members of Congress and their staff. Here's what they found, along with tips you can put to use right away.
October 20, 2009
Produced by: 
American Civil Liberties Union
Letters and emails are an extremely effective way of communicating with your elected officials. Many legislators believe that a letter represents not only the position of the writer but also many other constituents who did not take the time to write. These tips will help increase the effectiveness of your letter.
September 30, 2009
Produced by: 
SparkAction
Comprehensive, rock-solid data are a crucial arrow in any advocate's quiver, and one that's not always easy to come by. The newest Children's Budget report turns the federal budget into an easy to grasp and fascinating (seriously!) picture of our nation's priorities by outlining how much goes to children and youth, what we're pay for, and how it's changed over time.
August 27, 2009
U.S. Department of Labor
Grant: To reduce violence within high schools designated as persistantly dangerous through strateigies that combine mentoring, education, employment, case management and violence reduction.Funder: U.S. Department of Labor.Eligibility: Either school districts or community-based organizations.Deadline: September 22, 2009
August 27, 2009
Nickelodeon
Grant: For environmentally friendly projects that encourage youth to take care of the environment, be active, live healthier and engage in community service.Funder: Nickelodeon.Eligibility: Elementary and middle schools and after-school community-based organizations with 501(c)(3) status serving kids age 5-15 years.Deadline: December 31, 2009
August 4, 2009
America's Promise Alliance
Drawing from the work of leading researchers and educators from around the country, the Alliance for Excellent Education has identified ten key elements that every high school should have in place to ensure that all its students are successful. The list includes challenging classes, a safe learning environment, and skilled teachers.
August 4, 2009
United Way of America
2-1-1 is an easy to remember telephone number that, where available, connects people with community services and volunteer opportunities. 2-1-1 implementation is being spearheaded by United Ways and comprehensive, specialized referral agencies nationwide.
July 29, 2009
Create Now
Learn about a few all-stars who, with the help of Create Now and its mentor volunteers, have turned their lives around.
November 1, 2008
Produced by: 
National League of Cities
November 1, 2008
Produced by: 
National League of Cities
This action kit for municipal leaders offers tips and advice for the development of a city-schools youth master plan.
November 1, 2008
Produced by: 
National League of Cities
This action kit highlights steps city officials can take to help young people who are not connected to school, work, or caring adults.
September 15, 2008
Produced by: 
National Collaboration for Youth
The National Collaboration for Youth (NCY), a 40 year old coalition of youth-serving nonprofits, has proposed a national policy agenda, "Toward a Brighter Future: An Essential Agenda for America's Young People."
September 12, 2008
Produced by: 
Institute for Politics, Democracy & the Internet
What's
a nonprofit, advocacy group or campaign to do when the public wants
individualized, interactive, on-demand content this very minute? Tap
easy-to-use tools and build active social networks! It's surprisingly
affordable, and works well
for both national movements and small, local campaigns.
August 13, 2008
Produced by: 
WireTap Magazine
Stephanie, 22, has had to take several quarters off of school to earn money for her education at UCLA. She has been a housekeeper, transcribed for writers and even made cardboard boxes. She and other undocumented students speak out as they seek pathway to citizenship.
July 11, 2008
Produced by: 
e.politics.com
This report, updated every year, gathers the e.politics how-to articles into one conveniently packaged (and free) publication. Each chapter contains a link to the live version on epolitics.com with updates and related materials. It was updated and with new chapters as of January, 2011.
June 12, 2008
Produced by: 
Institute for Politics, Democracy & the Internet
This semi-annual report maps the landscape of technology in politics. In this
issue, David Faris looks the way citizens used social networking sites and
mobile phones to spread political rumors in Egypt.
May 14, 2008
Produced by: 
Changing the odds for young people requires both passion and precision: passion in our commitment to providing high-quality support to all youth, and precision in measuring how well we and they are doing. In this column, Karen Pittman says it's possible, affordable and essential that we develop ways to measure community-level outcomes to help leaders change the ways they do business.
February 11, 2008
Produced by: 
SparkAction
Have you ever seen something in your community or heard something on the news you wanted to do something about? Well, you can! Here's a step-by-step guide to finding your issue and developing a strategy to make friends (and allies) and influence public policy.
October 12, 2007
Produced by: 
NetAction
Okay, so some of this is old news to most of us (and some of this training course could use some sprucing up for the age of social media). However, there is still a lot of excellent instruction and assistance here. Check out the section on online media, and copyright, and tips for getting your emails read. Yeah, we'll keep this NetAction guide around for a while, won't we?
February 18, 2005
Produced by: 
Connect for Kids (now SparkAction)
If you have ever worked with a teacher to improve your child's education or you have been an advocate—someone who looks out for the interests of another, someone who speaks up on behalf of another.
February 12, 2005
Here's a helpful overview of things to keep in mind when launching an online campaign or using new technologies to mobilize people to take action. It's old but not outdated, and a good starting point for anyone looking for a little guidance.
March 5, 2003
Produced by: 
National Collaboration for Youth
Although schools and youth-development groups are committed to a similar vision of positive physical, intellectual, psychological, and social development of America's children, their isolation from each other can actually hinder growth. The strong bonds among school, community, and family that sustained older generations are frayed and disjointed across all economic levels nowadays.
August 5, 2002
Coalition for Community Schools
A br
February 6, 2002
The Foundation Center
This newsletter provides a weekly news digest related to institutional philanthropy.
December 1, 2001
Produced by: 
Youth Today
The National Academies has released its long-awaited report on “Community Programs to Promote Youth Development.” Youth Today was at the unveiling meeting last month, looking for controversy. Did committee members disagree with certain recommendations? Were there statements or concerns that were squelched?
October 1, 2001
Public/Private Ventures
Kansas City, Missouri is one of six sites in a national demonstration project, Community Change for Youth Development (CCYD), that aims to increase basic supports and opportunities available to youth aged 12-20. The lead agency is the YMCA of Greater Kansas City.
December 1, 2000
The Alliance for Justice
Nonprofits that want to use the Internet for advocacy need to understand certain legal requirements and regulations. This guide from the Alliance for Justice applies principles of existing law to Internet activities by tax-exempt organizations.
May 8, 2000
Council of Chief State School Officers
This report contains the profiles of state-sponsored extended learning initiatives in California, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Texas.
February 4, 2000
Nationwide, demand for affordable, high–quality,out–of–school time and community school programs isgrowing rapidly. Public support for these programs is at anall–time high.1 Educators, crime–prevention advocates,welfare leaders, and others have joined the chorus ofvoices in support of organized activities for children and
June 4, 1999
FOCUS
This guide is based on the experience from the Partnership for Adolescent Sexual andReproductive Health (PALS) project being implemented by CARE International inZambia.In early 1996, the Health Sector Programme at CARE was planning a new project onadolescent sexual and reproductive health. Not having worked with adolescents before,
January 1, 1998
Produced by: 
Youth Today
What is it with not-for-profit youth-serving organizations? Is it we think that because we are doing sainted work we don't need to prove, approve or improve ourselves? Are budgets so tight that we can't afford to know if we're spending wisely? Staff so overworked that we can't take the time to plan and prioritize? Lessons so obvious that they are not worth sharing?
March 1, 1997
Produced by: 
Youth Today
Voluntary action Organizations, associations, corporations across the country are being called upon to make significant, new commitments toward ensuring that more children and youth in the United States have a caring adult, a healthy start, safe places to learn and grow, education for marketable skills and opportunities to give back through service.
September 1, 1995
Produced by: 
Youth Today
Grocery stores. Why aren't neighborhood youth centers like grocery stores? So much an accepted necessity for family functioning that no one would voluntarily choose to live in a neighborhood that did not have access to at least one and preferably several -- convenience, full service, specialty.