Advocacy Policy

Advocacy Roles for United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County
(approved by the Board of Directors on 08/18/10)
 

Self Advocacy and Individual Advocacy: Action to ensure individuals obtain services for which they are eligible.

• 2-1-1 of WNC will provide the resources, information and support for these two types of advocacy as it serves individual callers seeking information and assistance. (Such as the eligibility for public housing or other public benefits.)

• Community Fund Committee will consider recommending funding programs that provide these two types of advocacy for clients. (Such as court accompaniment for victims of crime.)

System Advocacy: Action to change community conditions, structures or institutions.

• Community Fund Committee will consider recommending funding programs that appropriately conduct or propose system advocacy clearly connected to one or more needed improvements. (Such as advocacy by several agencies for child care subsidies.) 

• UWABC Board will consider advocacy recommendations on issues clearly within the goals of the Middle School Success focused initiative and United Way internal programs (such as Calling for 2-1-1 Act, charitable tax deductions, fundraising accounting standards, national community service, etc.).

• Community Fund staff will continue a convening role with agencies and local elected officials to present/discuss/respond to public policy issues for health and human services. (Such as hosting an event with UWNC and the NC Budget and Tax Office to share results of recent legislative session.)

• UWABC will facilitate means for individuals to learn about and communicate their positions on issues including those aligned with UWABC needed improvements and internal programs. (Such as how to contact your legislator, how to learn more about legislation about education/income/health, or what positions UWABC has taken.)

Note: Any system advocacy efforts must fall within the list of what nonprofits CAN do to address public policy: educating the public, announcing a position (of the Board) on an issue, distributing reports, seeking media coverage, researching and making recommendations, preparing opinion editorials, providing testimony and lobbying as allowed by law.