Reggie Crenshaw, MBA’s Post

Today is National Voter Registration Day (NVRD). First recognized in 2012, NVRD has become one of the most important events on America’s civic calendar. Across the country, organizations like ours are hard at work getting people registered and ready to vote.   The stakes have never been higher. Since 2021, the right has made a concerted effort to pass legislation that makes it harder for people to vote. Many of these bills target young people—especially those from marginalized communities.   But we’re fighting back. To date, we’ve mobilized more than 900 Civic Influencers on campuses in 26 states. At community colleges. HBCUs. Trade schools. Tribal campuses. Places that have too often been ignored.   Institutions like these have the potential to swing elections. As we celebrate NVRD, that work—that mission—feels more important than ever.   The good news: You can help. By donating $18 a month (in honor of the 4 million 18-year-olds who become eligible to vote each year), you’ll be giving one of our CIs the resources they need to engage and inspire their peers.     https://lnkd.in/gVZVFU-4

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Last night, I was out celebrating a friend’s birthday. Our crew is a fun group. But many of us are acquainted through our work in public policy, advocacy and government relations. The state Legislature is not in session but this is the ideal time for nonprofits to be working on the following to prepare for next year. 1. A board-approved policy platform and agenda is critical. Write it now knowing your opportunities and threats and get it approved long before session begins. 2. Develop an advocacy committee of professionals and those with considerable lived experience. Find a strong leader. Begin coalescing now and strategizing to be proactive. 3. Determine your alignment and alliance partners. Who do you need to work with? Are you aligned on key issues or are you needing more communication about particular issues and platform positions? 4. Consider hiring a lobbyist for your organization or coalition. Nonprofits may spend a small portion of their budget on direct proactive lobbying. Check with your legal counsel and accountants to file the correct forms to note expenditures on a 990. Interview lobbyists now … don’t wait until January. If your organization or coalition is considering ramping up advocacy efforts please let me know. Also be sure to get involved with organizations like Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits , Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy and others. If you have questions about roles of lobbyists, contact seasoned professionals such as Jodi Lewis and Jerrod Shouse. For further reading, check out “Stand for Your Mission.” If you’re not at the table, you could be on the menu. https://lnkd.in/gMN2VUKQ

A recent report from Independent Sector, The Retreat of Influence: Exploring the Decline of Nonprofit Advocacy and Public Engagement, explores how advocacy and civic engagement may vary by organization size, geography, communities served, and leadership demographics. Read More: https://lnkd.in/guiDnMZ5

A bit of a late post, but I have to shout out the 30+ folks who attended our Big Reveal Event at the Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being! In case you missed it - Transform 314 implemented a campaign from August - October 2023 to help shape our 2024 advocacy priorities. We obtained feedback through surveys and Community Conversations. While we were open to hearing from ALL St. Louisans, we were intentionally working to engage a group that historically is not engaged in collective advocacy efforts - Black St. Louisans under the age of 45. 66% of the 488 participants that completed the survey identified as Black, with a majority of participants identifying as being under the age of 45 The top 5 issues Black participants expressed they were willing to advocate for were: #5: Increasing input on how money is spent in your community #4: Improving street safety #3: Improving access to quality and affordable food #2: Improving access to healthy and affordable housing AND addressing vacancy #1: Improving streets, sidewalks, lighting, etc. So...what's next? In 2024, Transform 314 will be advocating for improving the infrastructure in the City of St. Louis. We will work on this effort monthly at our Community Meetups, with the first one on Wednesday, Jan. 10th at 6pm at High Low (3301 Washington Ave - 63103). You can register here: https://lnkd.in/gqTz5vJQ

Early on in my role here at Committee for a Better New Orleans I had so many ideas I couldn’t see straight. I took to writing every idea on a post-it and sticking them up on a whiteboard to get them out of my head. I went through them this week and was humbled to find so many that we’ve done in the last 3 years— Public Official Speed Dating, Budget Storytime, Art as civic engagement, and my proudest accomplishment: ”Block Parties with a purpose” We’ve held 6 block parties & counting, and debuted our signature Better New Orleans Block Party in St Roch this year. On the most perfect spring day, we got 350 people together from across the city for live music, good food and good times, and while we were at it; we: 🌳 Gave away 50 trees, 🛍️ Supported 8 local businesses; 🗳️ Registered a dozen voters; 🚌 Collected 70 transit rider surveys for our project to revamp New Orleans bus stops, 📈 Educated hundreds of people about the City budget, 🩺 Gave away free health screenings, 🧑🏽🎓 Connected youth with pre-college activities 🎉 and engaged hundreds of people in housing, street safety, justice, and climate issues in our city with partner organizations. It took longer than I’d have liked, and the path to get here was harder than I could have imagined, but I’ve learned this — that people are drawn to new ideas. And when you get people together, powerful things can happen. Low-turnout meetings are the norm for civic engagement, but we have so many better ways to meet people at our fingertips. I’ve dedicated my tenure at CBNO to this question: What if we tried something else? In the past 3 years, we’ve dreamed up so many joyful, meaningful, and yes, educational events that motivate communities from the heart. We couldn’t have done these events without the flexibility to try out new ideas, play, and dream together. GiveNOLA day gives a rare opportunity for us in the nonprofit world to dream. It provides the unrestricted funding we need to try out new things, fail, test ideas and go after unrealized opportunities. I hope you’ll join me in supporting some of the hard working community groups making the city better today, and would be delighted if you’d join our cause. Givenola.org/cbno

A quarter century ago, American political scientist Robert D. Putnam diagnosed our country's failing civic health. In his book, Bowling Alone, he recorded the major decline of social clubs and social engagement, the growth of isolation, and divides of all kinds. In a conversation with Eric Liu, CEO of Citizen University, and fellow graduate school scholar, Robert D. Putnam, they discussed Robert's explorations of a civic revival, examples of civic emergences in the past, and what we can learn to help restore faith in our democracy and each other. Read The Chronicle of Philanthropy article by Drew Lindsay or listen to Eric and Robert's conversation in full: https://lnkd.in/eGbiDKuz

"Donors don't want to hear from your development office." 🫢 Here's why 👇 According to Emma Balina from The Thacher School, it's because messages from Directors of Annual Giving and Directors of Development just don't come across as authentic. That's why at The Thacher School, they focus on peer written letters, personalized text-to-give, and other simple and repeatable methods that give a personal feel to all of their outreach. To learn more about targeting and simplifying your outreach check out the 5 minute interview or read the transcript! https://lnkd.in/ekiA-Gkw

As my team clearly points out here, grassroots group target a very specific topic or a small number of key factors which typically means they actually require LESS resources from a funding perspective. The typical default to the larger NGO's that have access to large government contracts and staff to create significant application packages hinders the opportunity for smaller grassroots groups to access sustainable funding. Grassroots organizations are often trapped in this cycle of being excluded because they are not resourced enough to access these larger funding avenues and not being able to scale up resources because they can't access funds. We have seen the closure of many programs and even some smaller NGO's for lack of sustainable funding and the results are in .. Higher violent crime rate amongst youth, Less interactions with existing services, Increase in guns & gangs. So at what point do municipalities / funders look outside the box and get creative to support the meaningful , client centered community based approaches ?

🌟 Introducing Grassroots Giving - Lansing's premier Black business directory! 🛍️✨ What's Grassroots Giving all about? 🌐 We're a platform dedicated to spotlighting and supporting Lansing's incredible Black-owned businesses. Being listed in a business directory like ours means: 1️⃣ Expanded Exposure: Connect with a wider audience, increasing your business's visibility. 2️⃣ Heightened Credibility: Showcase your brand among a network of esteemed businesses, boosting trust. 3️⃣ Enhanced Sales Opportunities: Greater exposure often leads to increased sales and customer engagement. 4️⃣Provide Small Business Support: Connect businesses owners with local resources to help them expand and elevate their business to the next level. Join us on Grassroots Giving: Lansing’s Black Business Directory and unlock the potential for your business to flourish within the community! 🌟👥 https://lnkd.in/gr73Svgk #SupportLocal #BlackOwnedBusinesses #GrassrootsGiving #LansingBusinessDirectory #ShopLocal #BusinessVisibility #SalesGrowth #CommunityEngagement