Legislative Day

Each year, usually in March, MNN hosts an MNN legislative Day in Nurses Hall at the State House.

The four purposes of Legislative Day:

1.  To help our members learn how to effectively advocate for or against policy changes in state law or regulations;
2. To provide an opportunity for our members and friends to lobby on topics selected for that year that affect the nonprofit sector;
3. To network with others in the sector who are or who want to be engaged in policy advocacy for their own organization, for their subsector ( Arts, Human Rights, Education, Human Services, Housing, etc.) or for issues that affect the sector as a whole.
4. To recognize our Legislator of the Year – the state senator and the state representative who have contributed the most to our nonprofit sector and the people they serve during the prior year.

What happens on Legislative Day?

After morning refreshments, the day begins at 9:30 AM with a welcoming by legislative leaders and/or constitutional officers, followed by a workshop on how to lobby effectively. The issues chosen for lobbying for that year are then explained and participants are then asked to go to the pre-arranged visits with their legislators and/or legislative staff to explain and ask for support on the issues of interest.

A packet for each legislator will be prepared by MNN and each participant will be asked to distribute them to the legislative offices they visit and to explain why the issues selected are important. Members who also want to lobby for issues that affect their own specific subsector are invited to do so at this time.

Participants are then asked to return to Nurses Hall for a short de-briefing session. The entire event us usually concluded by noon.

Past Legislative Days: Legislators of the Year

2009 – Rep. Charles Murphy and Senator Susan Fargo for their help in passing the bill to raise the threshold for requiring an external financial review – saved small nonprofits thousands of dollars per year;

2010 – Rep. Antonio Cabral for his help in passing the bill to create Massachusetts Nonprofit Awareness Day and to Sen. Rob O’Leary for his work in giving foundations the flexibility to expand the portion of their endowments they can allocate to funding nonprofits.

If you are interested in being one of the sponsors for 2011 Legislative Day, please go to our Sponsorship page.