As a nonprofit advocacy expert, I empower organizations to leverage their voices, mobilize their communities, and win on the policies that shape their mission.
If Your Advocacy Plan Is a Lobby Day, Let’s Talk
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I can't believe it is January again. And it's 2026. How did that happen? Legislative sessions are starting. Bills are being drafted. Everyone’s calendars suddenly look chaotic again. And a lot of nonprofits are heading into “go mode,” pulling out the same advocacy tactics they’ve used before because there isn’t time to rethink things once the session is underway. This is exactly the moment I try to slow people down just a bit. I’ve been thinking about what effective advocacy looks like in 2026 and where organizations tend to default to habits that feel productive but don’t always build power. Two recent blog posts get at this from different angles, but they’re very much connected. 2026 Nonprofit Advocacy Trends zooms out and looks at what’s changing as we enter a new year. Supporters are tired. Lawmakers are harder to reach. The old playbook isn’t working the way it used to. The organizations that will be most effective this session are the ones focusing on clarity, trust, and sustained engagement instead of continuing "random acts of advocacy." A Lobby Day Is Not a Grassroots Strategy takes on one of the most common answers I hear when I ask how groups engage their advocates. Lobby days can be valuable, but they are one tactic, not a strategy. When one high-bar day at the capitol is your entire advocacy plan, you’re asking a lot of one group of people and leaving a lot of potential engagement on the table. If you’re heading into this legislative session feeling the pressure to “do something,” my hope is that you’ll do something a little more intentional. These posts are a good place to start for that reset. Bethany Snyder P.S. And if you’re in the mood for a little more sass, my Substack is where I spill the tea on how advocacy really works. Recently, I took on lobbyists, the loneliness of leadership, and why progressives suck at advocacy. Check it out. |
Snyder Strategies, LLC
As a nonprofit advocacy expert, I empower organizations to leverage their voices, mobilize their communities, and win on the policies that shape their mission.
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I recently talked with a nonprofit leader who told me something I hear all the time. “We’re doing a lot of advocacy… I just don’t know if any of it is working.” They had action alerts going out. They had a lobby day planned. Their team was posting on social about policy issues. They even had a lobbyist! On paper, it looked like an advocacy program. But when I asked a simple question, “What is the strategy tying all of this together?” she got quiet. This is the pattern I see over and over...