As the federal election approaches, there’s increasing talk and media about the issues affecting our communities and what the different political parties are committing to do. It’s during these pre-election months that nonprofits have an increased opportunity to share our voice and bring attention to the issues we fight for every day. By engaging in nonprofit advocacy, we can help candidates understand our perspectives and get voters to think more deeply before they put an ‘X’ on the ballot.

Although ABNN is primarily Alberta-focused, Government Relations is one of our strategic areas of action (along with Data Strategy, Sector Value & Impact and Workforce Development), and there's no doubt that federal politics impacts our province and its communities.

We believe Alberta nonprofits have a role in helping our sector speak out and influence the issues that matter to us. To help your organization shape the debate, we have pulled together a list of resources:

1. If you only had time to read one resource, we’d recommend the Ontario Nonprofit Network’s Advocacy Toolkit. From ‘framing your ask’ to ‘engaging social media’, this Toolkit walks you through how to put together an effective campaign. Want a quick read? Read their Advocacy Tip Sheet.

2. The go-to resource for national election action is Imagine Canada’s Federal Election Hub. Scroll down to the ‘What the Sector is Doing’ section to see election resources by sub-sector. The Election Hub also has information about rules of engagement, Imagine Canada’s policy priorities and election alerts.

3. ABNN's Nonprofit Public Policy Page has election resources developed by Alberta nonprofits. From letter templates to advocacy toolkits and issue-specific briefs, there are a variety of tools your organization can draw from. 

Now is the time to let our collective voice echo across the nation!

Our sector can influence the vote. Let’s share the story of our value and impact, work together to have our perspective heard and collaborate on advocacy work so that we can learn from each other and amplify our efforts.

We encourage you to share your nonprofit’s work with the ABNN community by tagging ABNN on social media, emailing us and using #cdnVOTE2019 and #weadvocate.