Public Policy and Advocacy Strategies

Issue Spotlight

Sponsored by the Funders' Committee for Civic Participation, the Funders Census Initiative 2020 serves as a clearinghouse of information for philanthropies interested in the upcoming decennial census. Resources include key milestones for 2020 census planning and preparations, updates on the Hard to Count mapping project that identifies areas with significant numbers of people most likely to go uncounted, an action plan for philanthropic support and engagement, and other materials to facilitate funder involvement.

A new white paper "Creating a Healthier Colorado" describes the Colorado Health Foundation's journey to creating and endowing a 501(c)(4) organization. Beginning in 2011 when the foundation began to transition its nonprofit tax status from public charity to private foundation, Colorado Health Foundation looked for creative ways to sustain – and even increase – the influence of Colorado’s health advocates. A willingness to stretch beyond the conventional led the foundation to do something unprecedented: to create and endow Healthier Colorado, a separate and independent 501(c)(4) political organization that was free to actively engage in direct lobbying with policymakers, as well as organize and activate Coloradans to speak up about important health policy issues.