Yearly, SVCN surveys the nonprofit community and works with its Policy Council, a group representing a cross-section of the local nonprofit community, to set its partnership policy agenda for the calendar year. SVCN is committed to rigorously reviewing its policy priorities from the perspective of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, removing implicit bias, and identifying public policy solutions on behalf of the broad nonprofit community.

SVCN’s 2025 Policy Agenda is built on these Guiding Policy Principles:

By advocating for upstream solutions, nonprofit advocacy is an effective way to strengthen the nonprofit sector while also changing systemic inequities throughout our community. 

Collective action in advocacy is more likely to result in solutions to complex community problems than any single organization can achieve. And when nonprofits better understand each other’s work—as well as the relevant policy issues confronting each sub-sector—they can better support each other in unity.

Nonprofit and community alliances can benefit from leveraging SVCN’s power, positionality, access, and staffing to amplify their voices and influence decision-makers. 

Centering community means that those closest to harm determine the priorities for change, and should be at the forefront of that change; nonprofits should authentically seek to partner with and center community, especially marginalized and underserved community, in their advocacy efforts. 

To end injustice and create true social transformation, SVCN conducts advocacy in a way that centers racial justice and equity in every aspect of the work.