A blog post by Robin Mockenhaupt, VFN’s Directory, Policy & Advocacy
The Virginia Funders Network (VFN) was represented at The Commonwealth Institute’s (TCI) Annual Policy Summit on Monday, November 10, in Richmond. This annual summit draws advocates and representatives from organizations across Virginia to spend a day looking at what meaningful progress has been accomplished and what new opportunities and challenges are ahead. Multiple VFN Members were in attendance. The annual summit is an opportunity to reflect on how Virginia can lead the way in centering people in policy for the future.
The morning keynote speaker was Lt. Governor-Elect Ghazala Hashmi, who made history in the November elections as the first Muslim and first Asian-American to serve statewide office in Virginia, and the first Muslim woman elected to a statewide office anywhere in the nation. She outlined the policies she supports including strengthening jobs and the economy, improving education, protecting the environment, expanding housing, enhancing health care, supporting families, and promoting good governance. She inspired the audience with the closing that “Good policy builds the scaffolding of justice.”
The morning plenary focused on addressing the Federal Reconciliation Bill’s (H.R. 1) impact on Virginia’s families. TCI’s President and CEO, Ashley Kenneth, moderated a discussion with two speakers, Tram Nguyen, the Co-Executive Director and co-founder of New Virginia Majority, and Delegate Bonita Anthony, who represents parts of Norfolk and South Chesapeake (Virginia’s 92nd House District). The discussion focused on what H.R. 1 means for the future of Medicaid, SNAP, and tax policy in Virginia. A resource, the HR1 Cuts Mapping Visualizer from Voices for Virginia’s Children, offers interactive maps that provide projections statewide and by locality of this new law.
Both plenary speakers had advice for advocates about how to be most effective. Tram encouraged participants to be bold, to avoid an “austerity mindset” when thinking about how to pay for policies, and to work hand-in-hand with lawmakers to benefit residents in our communities. Delegate Anthony suggested advocates use a multipronged, rather than single-focused, approach to impact policies across issues. She encouraged participants to put an advocacy infrastructure in place and to develop a continuity framework to ensure essential functions continue. An afternoon plenary focused on advocacy storytelling and highlighted the work of three advocates’ use of their personal stories to create a narrative for change.
Breakout sessions throughout the day addressed important policy issues on Virginia’s safety nets, thriving schools, the criminal justice system, the Virginia tax code, immigrant communities, statewide collective bargaining, community violence, the medically uninsured, and English language learners.
The policy summit was a good learning opportunity for funders and advocates to work together towards Virginia’s future.