Happy 2026! As policy shifts and new advocacy opportunities emerge, the Bolder Advocacy team is here to guide nonprofits so they can continue to advocate boldly while remaining compliant and effective. We’re kicking off the year with our Top 10 nonprofit New Year’s resolutions to help your organization thrive.

Attorneys for This Episode

• Monika Graham

• Victor Rivera Labiosa

• Natalie Roetzel Ossenfort

Top 10 2026 Resolutions:

1. Deepen Mission Alignment

Clarity fuels momentum. Revisit your mission statement to ensure that every project, partnership, and expenditure aligns directly with your core purpose.

• The National Council of Nonprofits hosts a hub on its website that provides nonprofits with tools, research, and resources needed to operate a nonprofit more effectively, efficiently, and ethically.

2. Conduct an Advocacy Check-Up

Identify opportunities to enhance your organization’s advocacy activities, and raise potential issues about compliance with the tax, lobby, election, and other laws that govern your work.

• The Advocacy Check-Up is a self-assessment tool for 501(c)(3) public charities to review compliance with federal and state advocacy rules and identify opportunities to strengthen advocacy capacity.

3. Invest in Staff Well-Being

A supported team propels progress through good times and through bad. Prioritize mental health, provide professional development opportunities, and maintain a culture of appreciation. Encourage continuous learning to ensure that your team is constantly growing and expanding its expertise on the issues facing your communities and potential policy solutions.

• For tips on how to better invest in staff well-being click here.

4. Strengthen Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Commit to measurable actions to ensure your staff, board, and programs reflect and serve your community’s diversity authentically.

• Resources for strengthening DEI practices are available through the Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Justice and the Council of Nonprofits.

5. Improve Financial Transparency

Publish clear annual reports, be open about how resources are used, and communicate outcomes to maintain trust.

• For tips on how to demonstrate clear financial accountability take a look at the NCN’s post on financial transparency and public disclosure requirements.

6. Embrace Digital Transformation

Technology can amplify reach and efficiency. Adopt digital mechanisms for donor management, storytelling, virtual events, and operations.

• Refer to BA’s Influencing Public Policy in the Digital Age for best practices on engaging in online advocacy.

7. Build Sustainable Fundraising Strategies

Diversify revenue streams. Combine grants, recurring donations, sponsorships, private donors, and other opportunities for long-term financial health.

• If you are a foundation interested in expanding your advocacy funding, explore our Focus on Foundations hub.

8. Measure What Matters

Data-driven decisions help refine focus and prove impact. Develop and track meaningful metrics that demonstrate actual outcomes.

• Check out our Advocacy Evaluation Resources hub for sample benchmarks and guides to help your nonprofit assess its strengths, identify areas for growth, and become more effective in its advocacy.

9. Strengthen Community Partnerships

Collaborate rather than compete. Coalitions, community, local governments, and businesses can all amplify their missions through shared resources and reach.

• Find other like-minded organizations and work in coalition to register voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and to advance legislative and other policy priorities.

• Our Coalition Checklist provides information about common joint advocacy activities, resource sharing, and how to safely partner with other tax-exempt organizations.

10. Prepare for Midterm Elections

Remember: 501(c)(3) public charities may engage in nonpartisan voter education, issue advocacy, and civic engagement, so plan your election-season activities early to ensure the organization is impactful while remaining compliant.

• Browse Rules of the Game: A Guide to Election Related Activities for 501(c)(3) Organizations for a deeper dive on best practices for engaging in nonpartisal election season advocacy.

As we close out 2025, we at Boulder Advocacy wanted to take a moment to celebrate some truly important wins from the past year Wins made possible by nonprofits pushing for justice in every corner of the country. It’s been a long year, and while progressive movements have faced real setbacks, that’s not the whole story. On this episode, we are taking the time to celebrate advocacy wins within the nonprofit community this year.

Shownotes

• Housing and Economic Justice Victories
• Healthcare and Reproductive Justice Wins
• Understanding Advocacy vs. Lobbying
• Court Victories for Transgender Rights
• Nonpartisan Voter Engagement Successes
• Ballot Measure Victories

Resources

afj.org

In recent months, the threats facing nonprofit organizations have continued to develop at a furious pace. In the face of challenges like funding reductions and congressional investigations, nonprofits are taking the time to shore up their defenses and prepare for what’s to come. On this episode, we’ll discuss several recent events that have the sector talking so that your nonprofit can take the steps necessary to ensure your continued ability to boldly advocate on behalf of your communities.

Attorneys for this episode

· Brittany Hacker Leonard

· Tim Mooney

· Natalie Ossenfort

Shownotes

· In recent months:

o Federal Executive Orders & Memos:

§ March 7: EO entitled “Restoring Public Service Loan Forgiveness“, which makes employees of organizations with a “substantial illegal purpose” ineligible for public service loan forgiveness benefits.

· “Targets orgs supporting terrorism and aiding an dabetting illegal immigration”

§ August 28: EO entitled “Use of Appropriated Funds for Illegal Lobbying and Partisan Political Activity by Federal Grantees“, where the President directs the Attorney General to investigate whether federal grant funds are being used to support lobbying initiatives.

§ September 25: National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-7)+ Sept 22 EO designating Antifa as domestic terrorist org: designating domestic groups as terrorist orgs.

o Congressional Oversight (Letters and Hearings):

§ October 6: Ways and Means Committee Letter to IRS requesting investigation of specific nonprofits and revocation of their tax-exempt status

§ October 28: Letter sent to three 501(c)(3) foundations regarding their compliance with nonprofit tax law

§ November 5: Letter sent to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding its funding of “far-left” organizations via the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund

§ Check out the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law’s congressional investigations tracker for additional examples.

o State-Level Actions:

§ Texas: November 18 Executive Order designating certain organizations “foreign terrorist organizations“, barring them from purchasing property in the state.

· Stay alert:

o Be on the lookout for new state laws related to foreign contributions to ballot measures. At least 19 states have enacted bans on contributions from foreign nationals to ballot question efforts, nine during the 2025 legislative session alone.

o Expect a possible uptick in I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) Enforcement. Employers are required to timely and properly complete and retain Form I-9 for each employee they hire.

· What you can do:

o Don’t fall for the sternly worded “Letters to Santa” by Members of Congress.

o Conduct a compliance self-assessment with AFJ Bolder Advocacy’s “Advocacy Check-Up” tool.

o Take advantage of the Nonprofit Legal Defense Network (created in partnership with We The Action).

o Brush up on federal and state election season advocacy rules in advance of the 2026 Midterms, and adopt an election season advocacy policy for signature by staff, board members, and volunteers.

o Lobby against legislation that would create new barriers to your nonprofit’s advocacy. Just remember to stay within your public charity lobbying limits.

o Go on the offense.

o Reach out to AFJ’s Bolder Advocacy team for free technical assistance.

Resources

· Break in Case of Panic! hub

· Preparing for Politically Motivated Attacks on-demand webinar

· How Nonprofits Can Fight Back Against Trump’s Harmful Executive Orders blog

· Advocacy Check-Up: compliance self-assessment tool for 501(c)(3) public charities

· Nonprofit Legal Defense Network