Lobbyists Are More Affordable Than You Think, Especially for Nonprofits
Professional advocacy can fit a nonprofit budget. Explore flexible engagements, from monitoring legislation to representing a single policy priority, that help organizations protect funding and advance their missions.
Written by
Parker White
When most nonprofit leaders hear the word lobbyist, they picture expensive political consultants working for major corporations, industry associations, and organizations with enormous budgets.
That perception has kept countless nonprofits from considering one of the most valuable investments they could make in their mission: professional representation at the state capitol.
The reality is that lobbying services can be structured around an organization's needs, priorities, and budget. For nonprofits operating with limited resources, hiring a lobbyist may be considerably more attainable than expected.
Every year, state legislatures make decisions that directly affect nonprofit organizations. In Colorado for example, since 2020 thousands bills have passed the legislature. In short, policy at the state level moves fast.
These bills determine funding for social services, establish requirements for healthcare providers, regulate charitable activities, and create programs that can expand or restrict a nonprofit's ability to serve its community.
Yet many nonprofits invest considerable time in fundraising while dedicating little or nothing to influencing the government decisions that affect their financial stability. That creates a significant vulnerability.
According to the National Council of Nonprofits, government grants and contracts account for approximately 31.8% of charitable nonprofit sector revenue, compared with 13.1% from individual, foundation, and corporate donations combined.
One of the biggest misconceptions about lobbying is that organizations must spend tens of thousands of dollars annually to receive professional representation. Lobbying arrangements can take several forms.
A nonprofit might retain a lobbyist for a legislative session, hire someone to advocate for a particular bill, commission an analysis of proposed regulations, or establish a limited monthly engagement focused on monitoring legislation.
On the lighter end, these contracts can start for as low as $830 a month, or $10,000 a year - and more active lobbying can get secured for as low as $30,000 per year. The return on that investment, in both financial benefit and accomplishment of the mission, is exceptional.
This flexibility creates opportunities for organizations that previously assumed lobbying was beyond their financial reach.