Accomplisments and Testimonials

Here at CLPI we take pride in the accomplishments we have had continually fighting for nonprofits. Since 1998, CLPI has led efforts to empower nonprofits to leverage social change through lobbying and other forms of advocacy. Here are a few testimonials from our clients:

Barbara Gorzinski, Associated Ministries

As the Program Manager of Associated Ministries of Tacoma-Pierce County, Barbara Gorzinski works on issues of asset building for low-income people in Pierce County, Washington. She has been leading her organization in advocacy work around the issues most important to her clients. By working in coalition with other local organizations, Associated Ministries has seen legislative successes in Pierce County.

The boost for Barbara’s increased advocacy efforts came from a day-long event sponsored by United Way that she attended in Seattle. CLPI presented sessions at that event, providing resources, advice, and direct training around nonprofit advocacy work. Barbara still uses references and resources provided by CLPI, especially their booklet on legal parameters for advocacy engagement. Before attending CLPI’s workshop, she said, “I didn’t realize that I needed to register or track how many times I speak with legislators and so I do that now.”

Moreover, she has worked to institutionalize advocacy activities within her organization by working more closely with the board and “trying to get more clients—the people our services are for—to do a lot of lobbying and providing them with the tools to do the advocacy.” By arming her clients with information she learned from CLPI, such as information about the legislative process and how their opinions could impact a legislator, Barbara made them into effective advocates for Associated Ministries’ mission.

Since receiving training from CLPI, Associated Ministries has put much more energy into meeting with legislators and getting to know potential legislative champions. They have led a coalition promoting a statewide asset building initiative. With Associated Ministries in a leadership role, the coalition continues to work on addressing legislative issues that enable low-income citizens to build assets (anti-predatory payday lending, financial education, etc.).

Training from CLPI helped Barbara feel more empowered to work at the legislative level, pushing for change in the lives of her clients. As a result of that work, and the work of the coalition, the state of Washington has adopted a Working Families Tax Credit. This credit is based on the federal Earned Income Tax Credit guideline and provides a remittance to low-income families for sales tax that they are paying in the state.

Associated Ministries and the Asset Building Coalition have achieved great policy wins to benefit the low-income residents of Washington. Not only is Barbara much more aware of her advocacy power, she is also leveraging relationships with clients and coalition members in more effective ways to benefit the clients served by Associated Ministries.

Ellen Bush, CASA of Montana

Ellen Bush is the Executive Director of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Montana. CASA is a nationwide organization with about 950 programs across multiple states. Its mission is to recruit and train volunteers who then become advocates for children involved in the court system due to being removed from their homes. CASA of Montana provides court advocacy education and training for all court child advocates in the state.

Ellen attended CLPI training two years ago, and was impressed with the handout materials provided. She has since used them in her trainings with local volunteers and in educating her board members. She has found that the CLPI materials allow her to confront misconceptions about nonprofit advocacy and prompt stakeholders to action.

Training from CLPI has given Ellen and CASA of Montana the tools to push for greater change. CASA has been working on supporting a particular initiative that would impact the way in which the court system handles dismissal of cases where a child has been removed from a home.

As CASA began an additional advocacy campaign for increased funding, they leveraged their relationships in local communities. First, volunteers wrote letters to the editor. Next came the main battle – getting into the Governor’s budget. CASA experienced little success in securing a meeting with the Governor’s Office until they tapped their connections. One of the men that participated in their annual bike ride fundraiser worked at the state Auditor’s office. He was able to secure CASA a meeting with the Governor’s office. By using their connections wisely and strategizing their approach, CASA of Montana achieved a notable advocacy win. During the last legislative session, the organization was able to get local program funding increased from $115,000 to $300,000 per year. “It’s the first time we heavily got involved at a grassroots level and targeted specific legislators on powerful committees. The training came at the right time and I became more comfortable with doing that.”

CASA of Montana has accomplished remarkable things in the short time that they have refocused a portion of their efforts on nonprofit advocacy. Ellen’s eyes were opened by CLPI training; increases in funds, potential program improvements and greater use of relationships soon followed.

Jerri Shumate, 211 Info

Jerri Shumate heads 211 Info, a nonprofit organization that connects people to information. This regional service in the northwestern United States allows callers to speak with a live person who will assess their social service needs (such as housing, food and transportation services) and direct them to resources in their local communities. In practice, the system works like a 411 call specifically for human services. Jerri participated in a day-long conference on advocacy for nonprofits, where she attended the CLPI training session.

After learning more about nonprofit advocacy six months ago at a training provided by CLPI, Jerri immediately began operating differently. She describes her organization as new to advocacy, but states “I feel like there’s no turning back” after the CLPI training. She began thinking her advocacy strategy through more carefully. She became more aggressive in forming and using relationships with government entities. Jerri came away from the CLPI training with vital information on the workings of her state government budget systems and a better understanding of how to get involved in that process. As a result, 211 Info has made a formal request for funding from the state of Oregon “in a fashion and manner I wouldn’t have known about before that training.” Jerri reports, “We might not have been on top of the funding time frame if I hadn’t attended that presentation.” After learning more about the budget process, she’s been able to lead her organization through taking more strategic steps in conducting advocacy, rather than just working in the dark and hoping for the best. For example, Jerri learned that the Oregon legislature’s budget must meet final approval of the governor, so Jerri led 211 Info to meet with the governor first and then approached the legislature. “We’ve gone for the governor first and then the legislature, which is something I wouldn’t have known to do before.”

“The essential learning is that there isn’t anything that tells me I can’t lobby just because I’m a nonprofit.” Jerri met with the president of her board of directors about getting more involved with advocacy. In order to provide clearer parameters around organizational activity, 211 Info decided to make the 501(h) election. This is a decision that Jerri is confident will benefit the organization in the future.

At the county level, 211 Info has been engaging the communities that benefit from its services to advocate for funding from the county government. Supporters are writing letters, making calls and attending public hearings. Engaging the community in advocacy efforts paid off. The county government began assisting in the support of 211 Info after turning them down for four years. While Jerri sees this as a small win, CLPI training has changed the way she views the future implications: “I can now go to the county to ask them if they will put us on their state legislative agenda.”

Training on nonprofit advocacy has helped 211 Info realize the full range of possibilities within reach. A more empowered 211 Info has emerged to access greater resources and provide better services to the citizens of Oregon.

Innovation Network (Innonet) conducted and wrote this interview as part of a survey of over 200 nonprofit leaders CLPI has helped train between 2004 and 2008.