The Lowdown: What’s Next for Legislative Advocacy in New York

On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, Advocacy Institute hosted a virtual funder briefing to discuss the obstacles and opportunities facing social justice organizations across the state, the current political landscape, how the Advocacy Institute is poised to support legislative advocacy work, and the role that you can play as funders. We talked with participants in our leadership development program, the Advocacy Leadership Accelerator (ALA), about the shifts they’re making in their work and how the ALA program is supporting them.

While the outcome of the presidential election will have significant impacts on the future of legislative advocacy in our state, we also know that advocates cannot rely on leaders in office alone to deliver for our communities—especially as New York State politics continues to lurch towards the right. At this moment, funders must continue to invest in the ability of folks on the ground to build the power and skills needed to fight and win real change. This is especially true in light of the cultural and legal backlash to racial justice work and the rights of women and LGBTQ+ people. Rather than retreating from organizations engaged in social justice advocacy work, funders should seize this moment to strengthen and bolster their commitments to this work.

If you have any questions, please contact our Development and Communications Manager, Chi Anunwa, at chi@advocacy-institute.org.