New CLPI Evaluation Report of Public Policy Trainings

Last Updated (Friday, 11 December 2009 11:21) Written by Administrator Thursday, 10 December 2009 16:48

Dear CLPI Colleagues:

We are proud to announce the release of Strengthening Civic Impact: An Evaluation of Nonprofit Public Policy Trainings conducted by CLPI Fellows between 2004 and 2008. Designed and conducted with Innovation Network, Inc., this report examines whether trainees – many new to public policy – ended up pursuing public policy as a strategy within and outside of their organizations after these trainings (and with what effect on organizational capacity and mission). 

For more than 10 years, the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest (CLPI) has trained and supported – through a network of experienced state-based policy practitioners and educators – thousands of charities as well as their staffs and boards. Now, we are pleased to share first-hand lessons on barriers and success stories that provide promising guidance for future efforts. 

We would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Northwest Area Foundation for their generous support of this report. These foundations have created a replicable model for strengthening civic impact by funding public policy training and support for their grantees and partners within their targeted communities.   

Given the social and economic crisis facing underserved Americans and civil society, effective public policy involvement by the nation’s almost 1 million charities is as important as ever. To meet this need with limited resources, funders and charities seek practical ways to evaluate strategies for increasing nonprofit policy capacity and impact. We believe this report represents one practical example of nonprofit policy evaluation moving forward. 

We believe you will be encouraged by the results and stories and better prepared to support nonprofit policy engagement after reading this report. We welcome your feedback and partnership for the future.

Diane Canova
Chair

Larry Ottinger
President

Click here for Full Report or Executive Summary