I traveled to Washington, D.C., last week for an advocacy conference that included two days of whirlwind visits to Capitol Hill, meeting with nearly 25 members of Congress.

These MoCs, (Members of Congress) from red and blue states alike had many issues of concern in common and lots of interesting things to share.

• Change is needed, coming and going to be historic! Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) said it best. “Sometimes you don’t know when you are making history. But this year, we know that in 30–40 years we will look back at this [November] vote, and it will tell us what our country is all about and where we are going for the next 200.”

• Renewable energy is a hot topic on the Hill. Many members of Congress—particularly those from Washington, Montana and Ohio—feel renewable energy must be a huge focus to help decrease our energy dependence on foreign oil while creating U.S. jobs. Check out the new movie Fields of Fuel that just recently won the People’s Choice Award from Sundance Film Festival. (Think a younger-generation, cutting-edge Michael Moore on the environment, with guest clips of our own Sen. Maria Cantwell and Rep. Jay Inslee.)

• We are paying for it through the nose, with no tissues in stock! The Iraq war is costing us, by some estimates, $1 billion a day. Think veterans’ mental and physical health and debt payments for the next 100 years!

All the while, I kept thinking about how what I was hearing applied to our local community and Pyramid clients.

• The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program, which provides free fresh produce in public schools, in the Farm Bill might be expanded.
• Title VII that trains nurses and doctors to work in diverse communities needs more funding.
• “Our country has a sick care system, not a healthcare system. Let’s focus resources on prevention and wellness,” as urged by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA).
• From treatment in military courts to privacy at medical facilities, women in the military need better response and protection related to sexual assault. Thanks to Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) for their work to make it happen.
• And so much more…

Whatever issues you might follow, just remember that “democracy is a contact sport,” as Rep. Nancy Boyda (D-KS) likes to say. Get your helmets on …

Wonky though it may seem to some, the state legislative session that ended April 22 is going to make a real difference for Washington state and its residents, not to mention Pyramid’s clients, many of whom championed budget requests or policy changes this year and won.

• Climate Solutions helped Washington state become a leader in reducing fossil fuel consumption that will reduce global warming and enhance the clean energy industry.
• NARAL fought for a sex education bill that will now require schools to teach sex education and provide medically accurate and comprehensive information about sexual health.
• The Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle secured capital funds to increase security at secular, Jewish human service agencies throughout Puget Sound.
• The Washington State Budget & Policy Center’s research findings played a decisive role in convincing the legislature to hold off on re-imposing an inequitable property tax initiative.

These achievements prove that nonprofits can have a major impact on our communities by having a major impact on our government. They prove that advocacy creates change. Consider the positive impacts of this year’s legislative decisions:

• 100,000+ additional kids will receive health care coverage.
• 9,700 more students will be able to enroll in higher education.
• More funding will support immigrants transitioning to citizenship and preparing to enter the workforce.
• Same-sex couples will have rights to hospital visitation, organ donation authorization and inheritance when there is no will.
• Washington state will become the second state to have paid family leave (up to five weeks) to care for a new child or adopted children.
• Statewide carbon emissions will be reduced to 1990 levels by 2020, 75% of 1990 levels by 2035 and 50% of 1990 levels by 2050.

Your organization might not be directly engaged in advocacy right now, but—directly or indirectly—advocacy could be an important tool for accomplishing your mission. Ultimately every nonprofit in our community is affected by legislative decisions like these because they improve the world in which we live.

Last Thursday, the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle held its annual fundraising dinner. Attendance at the event increased five-fold over last year, yet it was more intimate than ever before. Roughly 1300 Jews and a few non-Jews — that is as many as were at Bill Clinton’s fundraiser for Maria Cantwell — gathered at the Sheraton on September 28, exactly two months after the hate crime shooting that killed one and critically injured five Federation staff.

The dinner gave the Jewish community an opportunity to move forward in strength. There were people there who have never been connected to the “organized” Jewish community, folks who were old-timers in that regard, young and old, big and potential donors, politicians and the public.

We laughed, we cried, we raised a lot of money.

This event reminds us what community dinners and luncheons are really about, what they can accomplish beyond just the fundraising. As Robin Boehler, Chair of the Federation’s board of directors, said, this event is mostly about connecting. In her parting words, she challenged people to connect to the community this year: Don’t be alone, don’t feel alone, don’t miss this opportunity to build community. We are all stronger from tragedy and move together in strength.

As we read seemingly daily about shootings and deadly accidents, we feel the pain of the victims and can only hope they have strong communities surrounding them, supporting them and sustaining them as they move forward and begin to heal.