Why building relationships with public officials should be part of your nonprofit's strategy.
The election is over. Some elected officials are returning to office. Others are preparing to take office for the first time.
Here's a question I'd encourage every nonprofit leader and Board member to ask: Do the people representing your community actually know what your organization does?
I don't mean whether they've heard your organization's name. Do they understand the work you're doing? The people you serve? The impact you're making?
I've spent a lot of time working with nonprofits and in government and politics, and one thing I've seen repeatedly is that many organizations simply don't engage with elected officials.
I understand some of the hesitation. Nonprofits don't want to be seen as partisan. They don't want to create controversy or put themselves in an uncomfortable position. Depending on your mission, there may be elected officials whose positions are fundamentally at odds with your organization's work.
I get that. You need to be thoughtful about whom you engage and how.
But being nonpartisan doesn't mean being invisible.
Don't wait until you need something
One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is waiting until they need something before reaching out to an elected official.
Maybe it's a funding request, a policy concern, or an issue that suddenly needs attention. That's when someone decides it might be helpful to know the mayor, county supervisor, or state legislator.
I'd rather see organizations build those relationships long before there's an ask.
Introduce yourself. Explain what your organization does. Share the impact you're having. Offer to be a resource.
If your organization works on housing, for example, wouldn't it be great if an elected official called you when they were trying to better understand a housing issue or considering a policy change?
That's where I think nonprofits should want to be. Not just another organization asking for something, but a trusted community resource that elected leaders know they can turn to.
And that starts with making sure they know you exist.
Show them the work
One of the best ways to build those relationships is to invite elected officials to see your organization in action. If you have a program, facility, or event that helps tell your story, invite them to visit. Let them meet the people doing the work and, when appropriate, the people benefiting from it.
But don't make the perfect site visit a requirement before you introduce yourself.
Ask for a meeting in their office. If you're at the Capitol or City Hall, take an appropriate opportunity to stop by, introduce yourself to staff, and say hello. Sometimes even a brief conversation can begin a longer relationship.
And remember that legislative staff matter too. They're often the people researching issues, gathering information, and helping elected officials understand what's happening in their communities.
You don't need to arrive with a long presentation or a list of requests. Sometimes the most important outcome is simply that someone knows who you are, understands your impact, and remembers your organization the next time a relevant issue comes up.
Your Board has a role here too
This is the part I think nonprofits often overlook.
Your Board members have relationships. They know people. They have professional and personal networks that can help open doors for your organization.
Are you actually asking them to use those connections?
I'm involved with a group working on a particular policy issue right now. As we talked through the decision-makers involved, someone asked whether anybody knew members of the committee that would be considering it.
One Board member raised their hand. They had a personal relationship with someone on the committee.
That connection was worth knowing about.
It doesn't mean asking for special treatment or assuming the relationship guarantees a particular outcome. It means having someone who can help make an introduction and start a conversation.
This is exactly the kind of work I think Board members should be doing. Not managing staff or getting involved in every operational decision, but building relationships, making introductions, and helping the organization become better known in the community.
And it doesn't have to be complicated. Have your Board spend a few minutes identifying which elected officials represent the communities you serve, who already has relationships with them, and where introductions might be helpful.
You may be surprised by the connections already sitting around your Board table.
Make the relationship about your mission
None of this means your nonprofit needs to become political or compromise its values. You can be thoughtful about which relationships make sense, engage professionally, and keep the focus on your mission and the communities you serve.
The goal isn't to make every elected official your biggest fan. It's to make sure the people who can help shape your community understand the work you're doing and recognize the expertise your organization brings.
Election Day might change who represents your community. But it doesn't change your responsibility to make sure the people representing that community understand the work you're doing.
So once the election is over, make a list. Who should know your organization better? Who should you invite for a visit? And who haven't you talked to in far too long?
Don't wait until you need something to introduce yourself.
And if your Board or leadership team needs help thinking through its community relationships, Board engagement, or broader organizational strategy, I'd love to talk. This is the kind of practical planning and governance work I enjoy helping organizations tackle through True Compass Strategies.