Rules of the Game: The Bolder Advocacy Podcast

  ROTG137 Politically Motivated Attacks Revisited   Nonprofit advocates face a complex environment in 2025 where political disagreements routinely escalate into targeted attacks—ranging from carefully crafted misinformation to more extreme tactics like organizational funding cuts, subpoenas, and personal targeting. This episode explores the emerging challenges advocates encounter, offering insight...

Today we're wrapping up our eight-part series by exploring how labor and economic justice nonprofits can advance their missions through advocacy. We'll cover recent developments and examine both lobbying and non-lobbying strategies that advocates are using to improve economic justice for all.   Attorneys for this episode     Tim Mooney Susan Finkle Sourlis Sarah Efthymiou   Shownotes Current Event...

Today we're diving into the seventh installment of our eight-part, issue-based podcast series, and we will explore how nonprofits that operate in the health and disability rights space can boldly advance their missions through advocacy. Not only will we touch on recent developments in the news, but we'll also discuss various lobbying and non-lobbying strategies currently being used by nonprofit ad...

Today we're diving into the sixth of our eight-part series, exploring how nonprofits champion democracy and protect voting rights. We'll unpack the strategies these organizations use to advocate for democratic participation while operating within the law. This conversation feels especially urgent as we see acceleration to challenges to voting rights and democratic institutions in 2025.   Attorneys...

  On this  episode , the fifth installment of our eight-part , issue-specific series, we'll explore how nonprofits can boldly and safely advocate for gender and reproductive justice. We'll review recent policy developments and discuss how nonprofits can respond through legislative, executive , and judicial branch advocacy. Join us as we break down the rules and share recent examples of how nonprof...

In today's episode continuing our eight-part series, we examine how nonprofits are effectively advocating for environmental justice. We'll analyze practical strategies for building awareness and securing advocacy funding while navigating the regulatory frameworks that govern nonprofit activism. Join us for a clear-eyed look at how organizations are making meaningful progress in environmental prote...

On this episode of the Rules of the Game podcast (the third in an eight-part, issue-specific podcast series), we'll discuss recent headlines impacting criminal legal reform advocates and explain how nonprofits can take action with legislative, executive branch, and judicial branch advocacy. From responding to legislative proposals to initiating litigation, nonprofits nationwide are standing up to...

On this episode of the   Rules of the Game   podcast, the second installment of our eight-part series focusing on critical issues, we dive into the latest headlines shaping racial justice and immigrant rights. We'll explore how nonprofits can play a pivotal role in advocating for change through legislative, executive, and judicial channels. From raising awareness to securing funding for advocacy e...

On this episode of the Rules of the Game podcast (the first in an eight-part, issue-specific podcast series), we'll discuss recent headlines impacting the LGBTQ+ community and explain how nonprofits can take action with legislative, executive branch, and judicial branch advocacy. From responding to executive orders to initiating litigation, nonprofits across the country are standing up to fight fo...

  For regular listeners of the pod, yo u may recall that we 've discussed fiscal sponsorship in past episodes . Fiscal sponsorship is a great way for a new charitable organization to work with an existing 501(c)(3) to get up and running (including engaging in important advocacy) wh ether waiting to receive its own IRS tax-exempt status or not . Today, we're going to look at this topic form a diffe...

Threats to find and deport undocumented immigrants in the United States have grown immensely since the start of the Trump administration. Nonprofits can continue fight for immigrant rights and include undocumented activists in their advocacy efforts. Even though we at Alliance for Justice aren't immigration lawyers (so what comes out of our mouth will not be legal advice), we felt it was important...

Does your nonprofit want to build power and amplify its impact by engaging in robocalling and texting campaigns? Would it surprise you to find out that while this type of advocacy can effectively boost your reach and put you in touch with thousands (even millions) of supporters, it also comes with rules related to opt-out requirements, mandatory disclaimers, prior consent, and more? On this episod...

Every day we answer questions from nonprofits about how they can be the most effective advocates they can be while staying legal. On this edition, we answer some of your questions as we get ready for a big year of advocacy!   Attorneys for this Episode Brittany Hacker Monika Graham Tim Mooney   How can a grantmaking organization effectively fund advocacy efforts while adhering to IRS regulations a...

On this episode of the podcast, we will talk about the deluge of executive orders and a new memo freezing funding that has come in at the start of Trump's new administration. How will they effect the work of non-profits and what can you do to support or oppose these and future executive orders.   Attorneys for this Episode Tim Mooney Brittany Hacker   Federal Funding Freeze Memo and Executive Orde...

For those who caught our most recent podcast on Nonprofit New Year's Resolutions – Resolution #2 was to conduct an Advocacy Check Up. In this episode, we're deeper into how to do that. We released new Nonprofit Self-Assessment tool, designed to help nonprofit organizations assess your overall compliance with federal and state advocacy-related tracking and reporting requirements, and to identify op...

It's officially 2025, and nonprofits across the country are diligently preparing for upcoming legislative sessions, a presidential transition, and other critical advocacy initiatives. The Alliance for Justice Bolder Advocacy team is here to help when questions arise about nonprofits' ability to engage with government officials and pursue policy change. In the meantime, we've also compiled a list o...

A recent Fifth Circuit holding in Memorial Hermann has caught the attention of lawyers in our space, with some wondering if the tax law rules on how 501(c)(4)s operate may change. But what did the court really say, and how should 501(c)(4) advocacy organizations react? On this special holiday edition of the pod, we are joined by Larry Gold of Trister Ross Schadler and Gold to understand what this...

On this episode, we discuss how nonprofits can engage in advocacy during this time of transition and prepare for 2025. Attorneys for this episode Sarah Efthymiou Víctor Rivera Labiosa Melissa Marichal Zayas Show Notes   Post-Election Communications: Prohibition on Campaign Intervention ·       Keep in mind that 501(c)(3)s should never indicate that they support or oppose candidates for public offi...

It's the holiday season, and we here at the Rules of the Game podcast would like to embrace the opportunity to give thanks to several amazing nonprofits, who thrived in the face of adversity, boosted civic engagement, successfully led the charge on critical advocacy initiatives, and supported their communities in times of need. From North Carolina, to Colorado, to Missouri, and beyond, nonprofit a...

The people voted on Tuesday for their choice of candidates and in many states they also voted on Ballot measures or ballot initiatives. Ballot measures offer voters a way to participate in direct democracy and can be a powerful tool for change. On this epis ode, we will discuss some of the ballot measures that were up for a vote in 2024 and the results .   As regular listeners will know ballot mea...

On today's episode, we dive into rules surrounding partisan activities for employees of 501(c)(3) organizations. With the election just around the corner, we will give you some best practices for how to keep your 501(c)(3) safe from any partisan activity while you engage in electoral work a s an individual.        Attorneys for this Episode Melissa Marichal Zayas   Brittany Hacker   Victor Rivera...

Election season is well underway and politics is everywhere. It's one of  our busiest time at Bolder Advocacy. On this episode, we bring you three of your questions to answer on the pod... it's another round of Ask Us Anything, Electionpalooza Edition!   Lawyers for this episode Tim Mooney Susan Finkle Sourlis Monika Graham   Shownotes - Question: Presidential campaigns working with outside groups...

With only a small handful of weeks remaining until the general election, you may be wondering about how you or your nonprofit can get involved in voter assistance activities such as providing rides to the polls, registering voters, and helping voters vote by mail. Would you be surprised that these activities are often regulated by both state and federal law? On this episode, we'll discuss our Prac...

 This is a special rebroadcast of our episode on election protection and nonpartisan voter assistance from 2022. Since the original airing, Bolder Advocacy, in partnership with The Democracy Capacity Project, has expanded our series of state law guides on nonprofit voter assistance. Most states are covered and you can find them on our resource library page. We'll be back in two weeks with a brand...

As AI continues to advance, its potential to influence elections and democracy, both positively and negatively, has become a critical issue. In this episode, we delve into the rapidly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence and election disinformation with Jonathan Mehta Stein where he discusses how AI, particularly generative AI, can be used to create deepfakes and other misleading conte...