C06 Session: Development of Advocacy Coalitions

Exploring the Development of Advocacy Coalitions: How Nonprofits Can Work Together to Win Policy Change

Thursday, August 3, 9:00am - 10:30am

Track:  Advocacy and Social Change

Presenters

Robin Katcher and Inca Mohamed, Management Assistance Group

Description

Few organizations alone have the power, resources, skills, relationships, and constituency base required to win important changes in legislation or public policy.  Coalitions can be an effective way to advance key policy goals.  In this interactive session, we will explore the various forms advocacy coalitions take, how they typically develop, and why they often start off strong and over time either fade away or fall apart.  Drawing on real case examples and participants' own experiences, we'll examine approaches and structures capacity builders can use to help advocacy coalitions succeed.

About the Presenters

Robin Katcher, Management Assistance Group

Robin Katcher has over ten years of experience working with nonprofit organizations, as an activist, trainer, organizer, board member, and consultant. Before joining MAG, she spent three years as the Legislative Director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence where she advocated for federal policy, developed a national coalition, and supported the devel-opment of local organizations. As an adjunct faculty member of the Gill Foundation, Robin has led trainings in fundraising and organizational development for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community groups. Robin also served as a founding board member of Jews United for Justice. At MAG, she has provided assistance to numerous organizations including the Land Trust Alliance, ACLU's affiliates, Primary Care Coali-tion of Montgomery County, ProTex, Western States Center, Wisconsin Council on Chil-dren and Families, National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Service-Members Legal Defense Network, Economic Policy Institute, Nebraska Appleseed Center, and Mental Disabilities Rights International.

Inca Mohammed, Management Assistance Group

Internationally recognized for her group facilitation and training skills, Inca Mohamed has over 25 years experience of working with and managing nonprofit organizations addressing gender equity, sexual and reproductive health and rights, youth development and diversity. Inca has served as a senior manager at Planned Parenthood in San Francisco, the Hawaii Department of Health, and The Door youth center in New York City. During her tenure at the YWCA of the USA, Inca provided leadership development and management consultation to YWCA affiliates across the country. Prior to joining MAG, Inca was a program officer at the Ford Foundation, where for seven years she was responsible for both domestic and international youth development programming. Among the organizations she has assisted are American’s for a Fair Chance, The Funders Network for Population and Reproductive Health, and Rights, Common Ground Community, International Human Rights Law Group, International Center for Transitional Justice, Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights Under the Law, and the Ford Foundation.