By Jill (Bennett) Iman, JVA Consulting

Inspired by an article from the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Creating High-Impact Nonprofits (2007), I am interested in further exploring this “secret” (as it is referred to in the article) of high-impact nonprofits’ ability to work outside the boundaries of their organizations. Specifically, they are able to mobilize multiple sectors of society from government to business, public to private. They effectively “bridge the divide between service and advocacy.” In other words, they serve and advocate, advocate and serve—constantly finding the intersections between direct service and policy advocacy in order to achieve social change.

One of the challenges we are faced with is looking past the immediate needs in our communities and allowing ourselves the opportunity to take a step back and examine the greater systemic issues that might be creating/contributing to these needs in the first place. When there are kids who do not have access to quality childcare, seniors with no health care coverage and families that are struggling to put healthy food on the table, the capacity and energy to engage in advocacy feels limited. But if your voice and that of those you serve aren’t present at the table, whom are you trusting to speak on your behalf?

Advocacy comes in a variety of forms, from reaching out to your representative in order to educate him/her on your organization to leading a petition to your local city council. There are a number of organizations all over our state that have decided, whether explicitly or not, that they need to be involved with policy advocacy.

One such organization that has already inspired me with its passion and commitment to social change is Re:Vision, a Denver-based nonprofit helping marginalized neighborhoods to cultivate community food systems and develop resilient economies. Noticing a potential roadblock to its mission in 2013, Re:Vision, together with the Sustainable Food Policy Council, spearheaded a policy initiative that would allow for the residential sale of uncut, fresh produce straight from a gardener’s house or community garden plot. Adopted by Denver City Council in July 2014, residents can now earn extra money by selling food directly from their gardens, ultimately, creating food and economic security for many vulnerable residents and community members (www.revision.coop).

Policy has always been on our minds at JVA, and often a critical piece of our clients’ work. Now, we are hoping to more formally and deliberately include it with what we are trying to achieve: supporting social changemakers as they work toward making the world a better place. Over the next few weeks and months, we will be sharing with you some of the ideas we come up with for incorporating policy. My hope is that you will be involved in the conversation and will offer your input, expertise, experiences and feedback along the way.

As we work toward creating a world that is more aligned with the needs of all people, please join us in our quest for finding, defining and living in the intersections of service and advocacy by asking how we can all inform the broader policy conversation.