Symposium on Public Policy for Nonprofits
The Symposium on Public Policy for Nonprofits, convened annually by Independent Sector, the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), and Nonprofit Policy Forum, is designed to bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to explore key questions and issues related to public policy affecting nonprofits and philanthropy.


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Breaking Through the Noise: Assessing and Communicating the Impact of Nonprofits and Philanthropy
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 their contributions to our communities and our country?
Past Symposia
Nonprofit Civic Infrastructure: A Recipe for a Thriving Nation
Key Links:
- Event Recording
- Key Takeaways
- Nonprofit Policy Forum Special Issue (forthcoming)
To 2024 and Beyond: Public Policy Recommendations for the Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy
Key Links:
- Event Recording
- Key Takeaways
- Event Summary
- Featured Article: “A Commentary on Nonprofit Policy Development and Reform: The City and County of Denver’s Investment in the Wellbeing of the Nonprofit Sector” by Julia Mahoney, Wil Alston, and Ken Seeley
Nonprofits 9 to 5: Nonprofit Workforce and Nonprofits as Employers
Why & How of Civic Engagement: Legal, Practical, and Equitable Pathways for Nonprofit Civic Engagement in Elections and Democratic Participation
Nonprofit Policy Forum Featured Articles
- “The Role of Proximate Democracy Entrepreneurship in Building a Multiracial Democracy” by Yordanos Eyoel
- “Nonprofit Messaging and the 2020 Election: Findings from a Nonpartisan Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) Field Experiment” by Kelly LeRoux, Julie Langer, and Samantha Plotner
COVID-19 Response, Civic Engagement, and Philanthropic Oversight
Nonprofit Policy Forum Featured Articles
- “Nonprofit Political Engagement: The Roles of 501(c)4 Social Welfare Organizations in Elections and Policymaking” by Margaret A. Post and Elizabeth T. Boris
- “Party, State, Civil Society and Covid-19 in China” by Mark Sidel and Ming Hu
Public Policy Agenda for the 2020 Election
Read the Symposium Summary and Nonprofit Policy Forum Special Issue for more information.
Toward an Index of a Healthy U.S. Nonprofit Sector
Read the Symposium Summary and Nonprofit Policy Forum Special Issue for more information.
Partnership Acknowledgement
Independent Sector is pleased to partner to convene the symposium with the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), a diverse community of scholars, educators, and practice leaders who work to strengthen the field of charity, nonprofit, and philanthropic research to improve civil society and human life; and Nonprofit Policy Forum, an open-access academic journal that publishes original research and analysis on public policy issues and the public policy process critical to the work of nonprofit organizations.