This event took place on Thursday, June 6, from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm as a hybrid event hosted at the FIU Main Campus, and virtually via Zoom. 

Advocacy 105 Training in collaboration with the FIU Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership. During this pragmatic training seminar, attendees will learn from attorney Yolanda Cash Jackson and Voices for Healthy Kids, experts in the field of advocacy and government affairs.

Learn how to effectively speak up on community issues by learning or sharpening necessary skills and strategies to be successful advocates, while adhering to 501(c)(3) “lobbying activity” regulations. This training will equip you with the necessary tools while focusing on promoting a more equitable society and advocating for positive local and state policies!

VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

IN-PERSON
8:30 AM- 12:00 PM

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs,
11200 S.W. 8th Street, SIPA II 260, Miami, FL 33199

Metered parking will be available at the Surface parking lot/ Lot 9, for more information click here.

*Registration and breakfast will start at 8:30 am for the IN-PERSON session.

8:30 AM – 8:50 AM
Attendee Arrival, Registration, and Breakfast for IN-PERSON participants

9:00 AM – 9:05 AM
Welcome Remarks by The Women’s Fund Miami-Dade & FIU Maurice Ferre Insitute

9:05 AM – 9:10 AM
Introduction to Gender Equity Index Leadership Pillar by Viviana Alvarado Pacheco, Senior Research and Policy Manager, The Women’s Fund Miami-Dade.

9:10 AM – 9:55 AM
“Local Advocacy + Government 101” presented by Yolanda Cash Jackson, Government Law Attorney/ Shareholder, Becker and Poliakoff, P.A

10:05 AM – 10:20 AM
15 minute break

10:20 AM – 11:20 AM
“Advocacy vs Lobbying” presented by Allen Mattison, Partner, Trister, Ross, Schedler & Gold, PLLC

11:20 AM – 11:30 AM
Special Session: Getting Out the Vote for Amendment 4 Presented by Anna Hochammer

11:30 AM – 11:35 AM
End of VIRTUAL Training

11:35 AM – 12:00 PM
Interactive Group Discussions for IN-PERSON participants, Moderated by Marya Meyer, Executive Director, The Women’s Fund Miami-Dade

12PM 
End of IN-PERSON Training

To refresh your memory, consider reviewing the Advocacy 101, Advocacy 102, Advocacy 103, and Advocacy 104 workshops here.

We hope you and many members of your networks and organizations can join us!

This event will have closed captioning available, if you need any other accommodations please contact camila@womensfundmiami.org by May 24

If you don’t automatically receive the link to the event upon RSVPing
please check your spam folder, or contact camila@womensfundmiami.org

Thank you to FIU Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership for their support.

PANELISTS

Yolanda Cash Jackson is an experienced Government Law attorney who has established a strong reputation in the community for her leadership and commitment to civic, charitable, and professional organizations. She concentrates her practice in the area of Governmental Relations and has developed a proficiency in state government funding and appropriations. Ms. Jackson has excellent working relationships with several of the state’s leading elected officials and policymakers.

Ms. Jackson was elected to Becker’s Management Committee in 2010.

RECOGNITION

  • City and State Florida, The Florida Women Power 100, honoree, 2022
  • Florida Trend Magazine, Floridian of the Year Award, 2022
  • Urban League of Broward County, Honoree for the Margaret Roach Humanitarian Award, 2022
  • Florida Trend Magazine, Florida’s 500 Most Influential Business Leaders, 2021
  • South Florida Business Journal, Influential Business Women Honoree, 2021
  • The South Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America, Whitney M. Young Award Recipient, 2021
  • National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division, Outstanding Minority Partner/Majority Firm Award Nominee, 2021
  • Top Lobbyist, National Institute of Lobbying & Ethics (NILE), 2020
  • Daily Business Review, Professional Excellence Awards, Best Mentor, 2020
  • Wanda and Janice Wilson Foundation, Top Florida Lobbyist Award, 2019
  • Hero of Liberty City Award Recipient, 2019
  • Carole-Ann Taylor Legend Award, 2019
  • Miami Herald, Influencer Project, 2019
  • Daily Business Review, Most Effective Lawyer Award, 2018
  • Dade County Bar Association, Legal Luminary Finalist, 2017
  • Children of Inmates, Inductee into the League of Superheroes, 2017The only non-elected, non-government official to receive this honor for the third time.
  • Onyx Magazine, Women on the Move, 2017
  • City Year Miami, Legal Professional of the Year, 2017
  • Florida Trend Magazine, Florida’s Legal Elite, 2016
  • Gertrude Rush Award, 2016
  • St. Johns Community Development Corporation Inc., Chairman’s Award, 2016
  • National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women, President’s Award, 2016
  • Top 100 National Black Lawyer, 2015
  • Lauderhill Regional Chamber of Commerce, Woman of Distinction, 2015
  • Women of a New Tribe: Miami Icons
  • Junior League of Miami, Women Who Make a Difference Award
  • University of Florida Annual Association of Black Alumni Weekend, Keynote Speaker
  • Broward Black Elected Officials, Community Service Award
  • ICABA, Recognition Honoree Award; one of the 100 Most Accomplished Blacks in Law in South Florida
  • Community Leader of the Year
  • Les Bonnes Amies Club, Distinguished African American Women with Vision, Dare and Care
  • Sun Post Magazine, Woman to Watch
  • Miami-Dade County Commission, In the Company of Women Award, 2007
  • The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division of Governors Government Affairs Symposium, 2007
  • Jessie Trice Hero Award, 2004

PROFESSIONAL / COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

  • Miami-Dade Beacon Council
    • Chair-Elect, 2021
    • Board of Directors and Executive Committee, October 2020 – September 2024
    • Chair, Urban Initiatives Task Force (UITF), 2020
    • Chair, CEO Search Committee, 2022
  • National Black Lobbyist Association (NBPLA), Co-Founder
  • University of Florida Levin College of Law, Keynote Commencement Address, 2019
  • University of Florida Foundation, Board Member, 2016-2017
  • University Florida Levin College of Law Trustees, Board Member, 2009
  • The Florida Bar New Standing Committee on Governmental and Public Policy Advocacy, Appointee
  • Greater Miami Chapter of the Links, Inc., Special appointment to the National Legislative and Public Affairs Commititee
  • Miami Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
  • Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Former Chair-State Advocacy Committee, and Leadership Florida
  • Orange Bowl Committee, Former Board Member
  • United States Senate Military Affairs Committee, Former Board Member
  • National Black Caucus of State Legislators, Corporate Round Table, Former Board Member
  • The International Women’s Forum, Former Board Member
  • Miami-Dade County Black Affairs Advisory Board Commission for Women, Former Board Member

ALLEN H. MATTISON

PARTNER

Allen Mattison helps nonprofit organizations to mitigate legal risks while maximizing their ability to advocate effectively for their public-policy missions.  From establishing corporations and securing I.R.S. tax exemptions, to managing employment matters and understanding options for political activism, he helps nonprofit leaders succeed in all phases of their organizations’ lives.  For nonprofit leaders who want to influence elections or pass new laws, he explains the available options and works with them to tailor their tactics to the relevant federal or state lobbying and campaign-finance regime.  For grant-funded section 501(c)(3) organizations, Allen teaches managers the line between educational and lobbying activities, so they can stretch their non-lobbying funds strategically to maximize their advocacy impact – saving scarce lobbying dollars for when they will have the biggest bang for the buck.

Before becoming a lawyer, Allen worked in political communications, serving as the Sierra Club’s national media relations director and in communications roles on campaigns and in the U.S. Senate.  These experiences give Allen perspective on the challenges nonprofit managers and grantmakers face in developing programs that maximize their advocacy power within the restrictions imposed on section 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations and PACs.

Using his communications background, Allen has helped numerous organizations understand how to structure their social media outreach without violating lobbying and campaign-finance restrictions.  He wrote Friends, Tweets, and Links: IRS Treatment of Social Media Activities By Section 501(c)(3) Organizations, 67 Exempt Org. Tax Rev. 445 (May 2011), one of the first scholarly articles to address charities’ election-related use of Facebook, Twitter and other social networking tools.  He also wrote Influencing Public Policy in the Digital Age: The Law of Online Lobbying and Election-related Activities (Alliance for Justice, Fall 2011), a plain-language guidebook for nonprofit managers seeking to maximize their social media power without violating relevant laws.

Education:
Georgetown University Law Center, J.D. cum laude, 2006
Washington University in St. Louis, B.A. with college honors, 1996

Prior Professional Experience:
Sierra Club, Director of Media Relations, Press Secretary
Nixon for Senate, Press Secretary
Office of U.S. Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, Deputy Press Secretary

Honors:
Shepley Award for Scholarship, Leadership and Service to Washington University

Publications:
Influencing Public Policy in the Digital Age: The Law of Online Lobbying and Election-related Activities, Alliance for Justice 2011; 2nd edition 2022.

Friends, Tweets, and Links: IRS Treatment of Social Media Activities By Section 501(c)(3) Organizations, 67 Exempt Org. Tax Rev. 445 (May 2011).

Can the New Bankruptcy Law Benefit Debtors, Too?: Interpreting the 2005 Bankruptcy Act to Clean Up the Credit-Counseling Industry and Save Debtors from Chronic Poverty, 13 Geo. J. on Poverty L. and Pol’y 513 (2006).