Advocacy That Works: Navigating Government, Rules, and Real‑World Influence

Advocacy is an essential skill for nonprofit leaders—but doing it well requires a clear understanding of how government works, what’s permitted under CRA rules, and which approaches actually lead to change. This practical, nonpartisan workshop demystifies advocacy in the Canadian context and equips participants with the knowledge and skills needed to engage decision‑makers with confidence and integrity.

Participants will gain a grounding in Canada’s system of government, including the distinct roles and responsibilities of municipal, provincial, and federal governments, how parliamentary democracy functions, and the respective roles of elected officials and the public service. The session will also clarify how the Canada Revenue Agency views advocacy—what charities are permitted to do, where the boundaries lie, and how to stay compliant while still being effective.

Moving from theory to practice, the workshop explores advocacy techniques that work—and those that don’t—drawing on real‑world experience and case studies. Participants will examine successful advocacy campaigns, including Food4Kids and Making Home (Sustainable Waterloo Region), to understand how strategy, relationships, timing, and storytelling come together to create impact.

The session also focuses on the core skills required for effective advocacy, including strategic communication, persuasive presentations, critical thinking, storytelling, political radar, environmental scanning, and digital and media literacy.

The workshop concludes with a panel discussion featuring leaders with experience across municipal, provincial, and federal politics, offering diverse perspectives on how advocacy works from the inside. Panelists will share lessons learned and discuss how nonprofits can engage decision‑makers constructively, credibly, and across party lines.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Explain how Canada’s system of government works, including the roles and responsibilities of municipal, provincial, and federal governments, and how parliamentary democracy functions
• Distinguish between the roles of elected officials and the public service, and understand how decisions are shaped within government
• Identify what charitable organizations are permitted to do under CRA rules related to advocacy, and recognize activities that fall outside those boundaries
• Assess which advocacy approaches are most effective for different goals, audiences, and contexts—and understand common pitfalls
• Apply key advocacy skills, including clear communication, persuasive presentations, critical thinking, and compelling storytelling
• Use political radar and environmental scanning to identify opportunities, risks, and timing for advocacy efforts
• Strengthen digital and media literacy to engage responsibly and effectively in public and online spaces
• Analyze real‑world advocacy case studies to draw practical lessons that can be applied within their own organizations

Panelists

Colleen James – Executive in Residence, Capacity Canada

Colleen James was elected to Regional Council in October 2022, representing City of Kitchener residents. Colleen’s professional career includes more than 15 years of experience in municipal government at both the city and regional levels. As the founder Divonify Incorporated, Colleen is a leading consultant on equity and inclusion. Locally, nationally, and internationally, Colleen partners with a wide range of public, private, and not-for-profit organizations and businesses that are committed to change. Colleen’s values are central to her work as a leader. These values determine her approach to making decisions as a Councillor on behalf of the community. These values include building trusted relationships; having equity-informed community discussions; listening and collaborating; empowering and amplifying; taking meaningful action and being accountable.

Colleen graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours B.A. in history, political science, and Caribbean studies. She holds a master’s degree in leadership, higher, and adult education from U of T’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). In 2020, the Canada International Black Women Event named Colleen one of the Top 100 Black Women to Watch. In 2021, she was named one of the Top 25 Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Persons of the Year by the Canadian Multicultural Group. In 2024 Colleen was awarded the Public Service Excellence Award by Women of Dignity International.

Mike Morrice – Executive in Residence, Capacity Canada

Elected as the first-ever Green MP in Ontario, Mike Morrice served as the Member of Parliament for Kitchener Centre from 2021 to 2025, using his platform to amplify his community’s concerns. This includes his advocacy and progress made in ending legislated poverty for people with disabilities, urgent action to address the climate crisis, and addressing the housing affordability crisis.

While serving as MP, Mike worked to address wealth inequality through dedicated advocacy for the Canada Disability Benefit and interim Disability Emergency Response Benefit, to improve housing affordability through his Private Members Motion 170 – pushing to ensure affordable housing funding actually results in homes folks can afford – and Private Members Motion 71, calling to end tax exemptions enjoyed by corporate investors. He has advocated for election reform, calling for a citizens’ assembly on election reform through his Private Members Motion 76 and his subsequent work with former MP Lisa Marie Barron. To address the concurrent climate and affordability crises, Mike put forth Private Members Motion 92, calling to place a windfall tax on the excess profits of fossil fuel companies, allocating the resulting funds towards proven climate solutions and measures to increase affordability for Canadians.

Prior to his election, Mike founded Sustainable Waterloo Region, co-created Climate Action Waterloo Region, piloted Canada’s first Green Economy Hub, and founded Green Economy Canada to share this work across the country

Jim Miller – Executive in Residence, Capacity Canada

Jim Miller is an Executive in Residence at Capacity Canada focusing on mentoring nonprofit leaders and supporting organizations by strengthening their governance, strategy, and public‑facing impact. He is also the Principal of Connect Public Affairs, Founder and CEO of Your Brain Is Not Full. His work focuses on strategic intelligence, public affairs, and policy insight, helping nonprofit, business, and government leaders navigate complex and rapidly evolving information environments.

With more than two decades of experience, Jim has served as a strategic advisor to cabinet ministers at both the federal and provincial levels in Canada, bringing a deep understanding of public policy, advocacy, and institutional decision‑making. His professional expertise includes competitive intelligence, foresight and scenario planning, open‑source intelligence, and reputation management.

Jim holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, a Master of Arts in Public Policy from the University of Guelph, and a Master of Information Studies from the University of Toronto. He has also completed doctoral‑level coursework in Information Studies at McGill University. In 2023, Jim was named a Fellow of the Council of Competitive Intelligence Fellows and currently serves as President of the Association of Independent Information Professionals.