Across the country, 1.9 million nonprofits drive local economic growth, enhance cultural vibrancy, and deliver essential services. Polls show Americans trust nonprofits more than government, corporations, and the media. Yet nonprofits and philanthropies often struggle to convey their value to policymakers, funders, the media, and the public. 

How can the nation’s nonprofits and philanthropies better assess and communicate about their contributions to our communities and our country? Submit your paper proposal for consideration for the 14th annual Symposium on Public Policy for Nonprofits, to be convened virtually on Friday, September 12, 2025. 

Sponsored by the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), Independent Sector, and Nonprofit Policy Forum, the symposium will bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to explore key public policy issues affecting nonprofits and philanthropy. It also will consider whether additional research is needed to create better policies to sustain vital institutions, meet social needs, and support civil society in the years to come. 

The current administration’s push to reduce government spending — including contracts with nonprofit service providers — highlights the need for nonprofits to strengthen their storytelling, use data more effectively, and communicate their valuable contributions strategically. 

This year’s symposium will explore how nonprofits and philanthropy can increase public, media, and government investment in their success — just as they are invested in working together to meet the needs of communities nationwide. 

Submission Details

The symposium invites proposals from nonprofit and philanthropic professionals, researchers, and other sector stakeholders by Friday, May 2, 2025. Submissions should address the following questions at the national, state, or local level: 

• Communicating Value: How can nonprofits and philanthropy effectively communicate their value and impact to policymakers, the public, and the media? What are examples of successful communication strategies?   

• Leveraging Data and Storytelling: How can organizations effectively combine data and storytelling in their communications? What makes nonprofit storytelling most impactful? What pitfalls should organizations avoid? What tools can help nonprofits communicate their impact? How can these strategies be integrated into fundraising, government relations, research, and programmatic roles? 

• Building Public Understanding: What is needed to help policymakers, the public, and media better understand the work and impact of nonprofits? How might major policy changes — such as spending freezes or budget cuts — affect nonprofits and the communities they serve? 

• Measuring Sector-Wide Impact: While significant progress has been made in measuring the impact of individual nonprofit organizations, assessing the collective impact of the nonprofit sector remains challenging. Where do current efforts stand in measuring the sector’s overall impact? What promising approaches are emerging? What major obstacles hinder further progress? 

• Strengthening Media Relationships: What is the current state of the relationships between the media and nonprofits and philanthropy? What should these relationships look like ideally, and what can be done to bridge the gap between the current reality and the desired state? What examples highlight effective partnerships or strategies to improve these relationships? 

• Engaging Government: How can nonprofits and philanthropy better communicate their impact to government without inadvertently encouraging the transfer of responsibilities without adequate resources?

Proposal Guidelines

Paper Proposals Due May 2, 2025

Submissions are encouraged from across the nonprofit ecosystem, including researchers and nonprofit and philanthropic professionals. Paper proposals are due on Friday, May 2, 2025 and should be submitted online through the Independent Sector website as a single PDF document that includes: 

• Proposal title. 

• 600-word proposal outlining the applicant’s preliminary plan for a 2,000 to 4,000-word research or experience-based article, essay, case study, or commentary. The proposal should address the theme and explore its connection to public policy. 

• Short bio and short resume/CV for all authors. 

Review Process

The symposium planning committee’s review panel, composed of academic and practitioner reviewers, will evaluate all proposals. Authors will be notified in late June 2025 of their invitation to the online policy symposium. Final papers for presentation at the symposium are due Friday, August 15, 2025. Applicants selected to present at the September symposium will receive a $250 honorarium.  

Papers presented at the symposium may be revised by the authors and submitted by February 2, 2026, for consideration in Nonprofit Policy Forum’s special issue on Public Policy for Nonprofits and may take the form of research articles, research notes, policy briefs, commentaries, case studies, or other relevant formats. Please see the Nonprofit Policy Forum website for details about the process for submitting to the journal. 

Authors may also be invited to take part in a session at the ARNOVA annual conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 20-22, 2025. Please note that those interested in attending will be responsible for covering their own expenses. 

For further information about the symposium, please contact Emily Rogers at emilyr@independentsector.org or Mirae Kim at mkim216@gmu.edu.