Education Sessions

The Community Foundation of Johnson County Nonprofit Alliance Education Sessions are a series of virtual educational sessions based around a variety of topics focused on nonprofit professional & skill development, community resource & knowledge-sharing, and the nonprofit sector’s response to current events. Sessions are FREE to attend and all are welcome.

Session Description:

Nonprofit advocacy is more than permitted—it’s powerful. This 45-minute session offers a clear, accessible introduction to the legal rules that shape advocacy and lobbying by 501(c)(3) organizations, with practical takeaways for nonprofit leaders, staff, board members, and volunteers alike. We’ll demystify what’s allowed, explore real-world examples that moved the needle, and dispel the myths that hold organizations back. Along the way, we’ll hint at some of the deeper strategic and constitutional currents shaping nonprofit advocacy in today’s environment. Bring your questions, your curiosity, and your energy for impact!

Speaker Bio:

Paul Thelen is Director of the Larned A. Waterman Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center at the University of Iowa, where he has spent the past decade advancing nonprofit leadership, strategy, and public policy. He is a co-founder of the Iowa Nonprofit Alliance and an active voice for Iowa’s charitable sector, engaging decision-makers locally, statewide, and nationally on issues that matter to the charitable and philanthropic sector. Through his teaching, planning, and policy work, Paul helps nonprofit leaders build influence—and use it effectively. He also teaches two nonprofit courses at the College of Law and serves on the Iowa Supreme Court Commission for Continuing Legal Education. He is the 2024 recipient of the David J. Skorton Award for Excellence in Service to the University of Iowa. He is a longtime friend of the Community Foundation of Johnson County who brings wit and wisdom to every session!