Policy Change Toolkit for Community Foundations

Community foundations have a unique capacity to promote upward mobility through policy advocacy and address deep-rooted barriers to economic success, dignity, and equity within their communities. They are well-positioned to drive systemic change that improves people’s lives. By engaging in policy, community foundations can manage complex issues that require collaboration across sectors, but challenges such as funding constraints and political considerations can limit their ability to create impact, making structured support essential. This Urban Institute toolkit provides community foundations with a five-step model for effective policy advocacy: (1) preparing to engage in advocacy by assessing readiness and setting goals; (2) defining specific problems and identifying policy solutions; (3) understanding the policy environment to navigate local political landscapes; (4) drafting a clear, actionable policy change agenda; and (5) building a campaign to implement the selected policy change. By adopting this model, community foundations can create informed, sustainable strategies that leverage their resources, local connections, and independent status to drive policy changes that advance upward mobility. The toolkit also shares case studies, showing how community foundations across the country are making meaningful local impact by outlining policy priorities that address local economic and social issues.