Prepared analysis to launch national non-profit’s first state policy campaign
Amanda and CAP professionals worked with a national nonprofit to conduct a comprehensive landscape analysis to identify states for targeted local advocacy work. Amanda prepared and gave presentation to the non-profit’s major funder on the findings (a nationally recognized philanthropic organization) and worked in concert with nonprofit staff to launch the initiative.
Created first comprehensive federal policy agenda for a national non-profit, leading to new $16 Million annual funding stream
Amanda created the first comprehensive federal policy agenda for a national non-profit. She expanded its agenda from a primarily reactionary platform into a proactive strategy with appropriations, legislative, regulatory, and Departmental targets. This strategy netted results, including the creation of a new $16M annual funding stream for organization priorities, and representative on a major federal negotiated rulemaking committee.
Member assistance campaign to implement major federal reauthorization
Amanda lead and managed all organizational initiatives concerning the passage and implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act. This included creation and management of an ESEA legislative agenda, development of relationships with key federal policy makers and staff in the executive and legislative branches, and, upon passage of ESSA, the creation and execution of a federal regulatory and appropriations agenda that successfully adapted to administrative changes.
She didn't stop at reauthorization. She doggedly created and executed a public technical assistance and resource initiative for the ESSA transition to ensure organization members had the tools they needed to advocate for needed state-implementation policies and to deal with real world transition challenges on the ground. This included the creation and management of a member-led federal policy committee, and the design of a five-part, two year resource calendar that ultimately included forty linked ESSA resources and member updates.
Troubleshooting federal policy for State success
Amanda worked with California stakeholders to identify the federal root of a damaging state law that was quickly becoming the subject of a costly, protracted, and harmful legal battle. When informed of the problem the initial response from Congressional staff was to do nothing, as "we don't change federal policy to address one bad court ruling in one state." But doing nothing wasn't an option.
Amanda crafted an advocacy strategy that included uncovering the evidence that this was not a "one state issue". Using a national network of members and state affiliates she identified the states and jurisdictions that were impacted- potentially 35% of the national industry- and brought members in to DC to present policy makers with the face of the issue. Not only did she get the original federal policy changed for the next year, but she ensured the change was incorporated into the major reauthorization bill and fixed for the future.
1 campaign, 4 years, changes in 25 state laws for a National non-Profit
Amanda crafted and executed multi-state policy strategies that culminated in state law changes in twenty five states over a four year period. To do this Amanda built relationships with national and state partners to advance legislative agendas, ultimately getting the client's policy agenda independently advanced by six national organizations and more than three dozen state organizations.