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 explore key questions and issues related to public policy affecting nonprofits and philanthropy.
The symposium considers what additional research is needed to create better policies to sustain more vital institutions, meet social needs, and support civil society in the years to come. Through the symposium convenings and the additional conversations it creates, we seek to build bridges, deepen personal connections among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, and inform relevant, evidence-based nonprofit policy.
Event Recording
Nonprofit Civic Infrastructure: A Recipe for a Thriving Nation: What do we know about public policies that strengthen nonprofits and philanthropy at all levels of government? 2024’s theme focuses on experience- and research-based policy ideas to strengthen the sector’s civic infrastructure.
Past Symposia
To 2024 and Beyond: Public Policy Recommendations for the Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy
As the nation looks forward to the 2024 elections and beyond, what public policy recommendations should be considered by policymakers and others who care about the important role that nonprofits play and philanthropy play in society?
Key Links:
- Event Recording
- Key Takeaways
- Event Summary
- Nonprofit Policy Forum Special Issues (forthcoming)
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.