Philanthropy in Action: Strengthening Democracy through Nonpartisan Advocacy
Empower your grantees by understanding the rules of engagement. In our Philanthropy in Action spring series, Alliance for Justice helps funders navigate the legalities of nonpartisan advocacy to better support the frontline efforts of community organizations.
In today’s complex political landscape, systemic change requires funders to move beyond traditional grantmaking and embrace a more active role in advocacy. To help philanthropic leaders navigate this transition, we are partnering with Alliance for Justice to host two interactive sessions designed specifically for seasoned grants professionals. This series will demystify the legal boundaries between advocacy and lobbying, providing clear frameworks to evaluate the risks and rewards of funding policy change efforts. Participants will leave with practical tools for supporting voter engagement and policy advocacy safely, covering essential topics from flexible grant agreement language to cybersecurity and social media protections.
Curriculum
Investing in Democracy: A Funders’ Guide to Nonpartisan Advocacy During an Election Season
Wednesday, May 20, 2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. ET
This session will help PEAK members prepare for the 2026 election season by understanding how to legally engage in and support grantees engaging in nonpartisan election-season advocacy at both the federal and state levels. Many funders avoid advocacy out of fear of crossing legal lines. By learning the rules, they can confidently deploy their dollars in ways that address root causes of inequities, rather than only symptoms. This is important for funders and philanthropy because supporting election-related activities is an effective way for foundations to strengthen democracy by broadening the civic dialogue and giving a voice to underrepresented communities.
Attendees will:
- Learn the legal guardrails that apply to funders when engaging in and supporting nonpartisan work during an election-season, including voter engagement and policy advocacy activities
- Gain confidence when carrying out and funding public charities to conduct non-partisan voter engagement activities, such as candidate and public education, get-out-the vote efforts, and voter registration
Speaker
Brittany Hacker: Prior to joining the Alliance for Justice in 2024, Brittany worked as a VOCA Family Law Attorney with Legal Services of Northern Virginia where she represented survivors of domestic violence and children with disabilities. She began her career clerking for The Honorable Michael S. Nachmanoff in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Brittany Holds a J.D. from Boston University School of Law, an M.A. in Philosophy from Boston University, a Graduate Certificate in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Boston University, and a B.A. with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia. She is a member of the Bar of D.C. and Virginia.
It is integral that grantmakers understand how advocacy can address inequities. This session aligns with the Drive Equity Principle. Learn more about the Principles for Peak Grantmaking here.
Preparing for Politically Motivated Attacks: Protecting Funders and Grantees
Wednesday, June 3, 2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. ET
Nonprofits and funders are under siege. Politically motivated investigations, subpoenas, and public smear campaigns intimidate, silence, and dismantle organizations advancing crucial work. When the state comes knocking, the stakes are nothing less than your organization’s existence. In this session, attorneys from Bolder Advocacy will show how to recognize real threats, reduce legal risk, and fortify your organization and grantees before an attack threatens your operations. We will cover the rules for 501(c)(3) organizations, including lobbying and nonpartisan advocacy, and share practical strategies to strengthen communications, technology, and governance. Participants will leave empowered and confident that they can protect their organization and continue driving impact, even in a hostile environment.
Attendees will:
- Be able to identify politically motivated attacks: what they are, who they come from, common narratives, and when they have legal implications
- Understand the IRS rules that apply to 501(c)(3)s
- Learn how their organizations can protect themselves online through cybersecurity and social media best practices and how best to train and prepare staff and grantees
- Gain confidence to continue their crucial advocacy work
Speaker
Sarah Efthymiou, serves as Senior Counsel for the Bolder Advocacy Program at Alliance for Justice. In her role, she provides technical assistance, resources, and training to help nonprofit advocates understand their rights and abilities to advocate, lobby, engage in election related activities, and fund advocacy.
Prior to joining Alliance for Justice in 2023, Sarah served as a Directing Attorney at Public Law Center in Orange County, where she provided legal assistance and outside general counsel services to nonprofit organizations and social enterprises.
Sarah holds a B.A. from University of Redlands and a J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law. She is a member of the State Bar of California and currently resides in SoCal.
When grantmakers understand risk management, they can protect their organizations and better support their grantees. This session aligns with the Steward Responsively Principle. Learn more about the Principles for Peak Grantmaking here.
What to expect
Each standalone session is 2 hours of training, and registrants will have access to the recorded session for a month post event. Please note the trainings were additionally featured at PEAK2026 and led by Alliance for Justice.
Registration
Organization Members: $125 per session
Consultant Members: $125 per session
Individual Members: $200 per session
Nonmembers: $200 per session
PEAK Staff Support
For more information on registration, please contact Senior Membership Manager Clare Larson at clare@peakgrantmaking.org. For questions related to training content and materials, please contact Senior Knowledge and Learning Manager Vanessa Elkan at vanessa@peakgrantmaking.org.