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Advocacy Overview

One of the most important elements of MCN’s mission is to advocate for policies that support Massachusetts nonprofits and against those that make it more difficult for nonprofits to pursue their charitable mission. Scroll down to learn more about our ongoing advocacy work.

To achieve our goals, MCN works with legislators and elected and appointed officials to educate them and garner their support. MCN also works with nonprofits across the state to involve them in these efforts through education and engagement at critical points in the legislative process.

MCN’s Public Policy Agenda

The Massachusetts Council of Nonprofits (MCN) works to strengthen nonprofits and the communities they serve. In pursuit of those outcomes, MCN works with partners to advance collective goals including racial justice, inclusion, and opportunity for all.

Critical to MCN’s mission is a robust public policy agenda focused on three goals important to the entire nonprofit sector:

1
Helping the people served by nonprofits
2
Strengthening nonprofits’ ability to serve people and communities
3
Ensuring fair tax policy and supporting accountability

Public Policy Forums

MCN’s Public Policy Forum series brings nonprofit organizations and government leaders together for candid conversations about issues impacting the nonprofit sector.

Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest information about upcoming Public Policy Forums.

Past Forums

Pat Moore
May 22, 2026
MA State Senator Cindy Friedman
March 20, 2026
Elizabeth LaMontagne
December 11, 2025
Quentin Palfrey
July 29, 2025
Michael T. Caljouw
February 26, 2025
Steve Koczela
November 20, 2024
Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz
September 24, 2024
Secretary Kate Walsh
May 8, 2024
Secretary Edward Augustus
February 15, 2024
Audrey Gasteier and Mike Levine
November 15, 2023
Secretary Patrick Tutwiler
September 18, 2023
Secretary Yvonne Hao
May 23, 2023
Secretary Lauren E. Jones
April 18, 2023

Federal and Advocacy Updates

MCN’s Federal Roundtable provides current updates and helpful resources on the Trump Administration and its priorities on wide-ranging policy issues. Click here to learn more about these updates.

As the Legislature enters the second year of its two-year session, MCN is regularly monitoring bills that impact the sector, submitting testimony, and advocating on behalf of nonprofits across the Commonwealth and the people they serve. Click here to learn about some of our recent advocacy accomplishments, or see our advocacy & lobbying guide here.


Federal Impacts Survey

For the past two years, MCN has launched an annual Federal Impacts Survey in partnership with The Boston Foundation and MassINC Polling Group. The surveys – completed by hundreds of nonprofit leaders – have helped capture the impact of the Trump administration’s disruptive federal policy actions on nonprofits, and led to in-person results panel discussions.

Learn more about the latest Federal Impacts Survey results here.


Additional Questions?

If you have additional questions, please get in touch!