From Passion to Policy: How Nonprofit Organizations Can Shape Government Outcomes

Joshua Higginbotham, President, Joshua Higginbotham Consulting, LLC

Track: Communication & Advocacy

Audience: Nonprofit Organizations, Grantmaking Organizations, Executive Directors, Board Members, Volunteers, Marketing/Communications
Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate

Learning Objectives

  • Public Policy analysis and application
  • Community Engagement strategies
  • Real and measurable signs of success

Brief Summary

Joshua Higginbotham has presented advocacy and coalition-building trainings to numerous association conferences and many local chambers and civic organizations. Participants consistently rate his sessions as one of the highest of the entire conference because he combines practical, immediately usable tactics with real-world legislative war stories that only a former lawmaker can tell.This fast-paced, interactive session is designed specifically for executive directors, board members, staff, and volunteers of nonprofits, Main Street programs, commissions, CVB’s, and tourism organizations. Attendees will leave with a complete advocacy toolkit they can begin using the day they return home.

Detailed Summary

Why This Matters Now

  • The current policy landscape for nonprofits in West Virginia and nationally: shrinking state budgets, DOGE, government shutdowns, and new opportunities in 2026.
  • Why silence is no longer an option: case studies of recent losses (and wins) that turned on just a handful of phone calls, emails, or testimonies.
  • Joshua will share personal stories from his time in the Legislature when a single well-organized coalition turned certain defeat into landmark victories.

The Indispensable Role of Nonprofits & Businesses in the Policy Process

  • The myth of “leaving politics to the politicians” and why preservation outcomes are too important to outsource.
  • How active engagement increases funding success rates: data showing organizations that advocate directly receive 3x–6x more state and federal grants than passive applicants.

How to Effectively Engage Elected Officials—Local, County, State & Federal

A step-by-step playbook that works whether you are meeting a city council member or a U.S. Senator:

  • Local & county: How to get on the agenda, craft a 90-second elevator speech, and turn council members into champions (with examples from successful landmark district expansions).
  • State Legislature: Scheduling meetings in Charleston, testifying in committee, submitting position letters, hosting district site visits that actually move votes (Joshua will share the exact script he used as a legislator when constituents wanted his support).
  • Federal: How to work with congressional staff, submit requests, support or amend legislation, and leveraging existing partners in DC.

Every participant will receive a customizable meeting request template, testimony outline, and one-pager template.

Best Practices in Advocacy & Ethical Lobbying Techniques

  • Grassroots vs. Grasstops: when to use each and how to combine them for maximum impact.
  • The “3-M” framework: Message, Messenger, Medium—how to craft messages that resonate with conservative, moderate, and progressive lawmakers alike.
  • Digital advocacy: turning social media followers into callers and emailers; sample timelines that generated 1,500+ contacts in 48 hours.
  • In-person influence: the surprising power of handwritten notes, site tours, and bringing elected officials to your preserved properties.
  • Ethical lobbying: West Virginia Ethics Act do’s and don’ts, gift rules, registration requirements, and how small organizations can advocate aggressively while staying 100% compliant.

Coalition-Building Strategies That Actually Work

  • Identifying unlikely allies: chambers of commerce, real estate developers, tourism boards, veterans’ groups, environmental organizations, and faith communities.
  • How to lead without controlling, share credit generously, and keep coalitions together when opinions differ.

Action Planning

Participants will complete a one-page “First 30 Days Back Home” advocacy plan. Joshua will stay after the session to answer individual questions.

This workshop deliberately avoids vague inspiration and instead delivers concrete, field-tested tools that even the smallest all-volunteer organization can implement immediately.