Professional Development Series

Fundraisers are powerful storytellers and relationship builders—but how can they also be effective advocates? This webinar demystifies the intersection of fundraising and advocacy, equipping nonprofit professionals with the knowledge and confidence to engage in mission-driven policy work. Participants will:

- Clarify the difference between advocacy and lobbying.

- Explore the full spectrum of nonprofit advocacy—from education to direct lawmaker engagement.

- Understand the legal boundaries for 501(c)(3) organizations, including IRS definitions of lobbying and permissible activities.

- Discover how fundraisers can contribute meaningfully to advocacy efforts through storytelling, data, and donor engagement.

Whether you're new to advocacy or looking to deepen your impact, this session will provide practical tools and low-barrier entry points to help fundraisers become powerful policy partners.

Note: This webinar was recorded live and presented on September 11, 2025.

PRESENTER:

Blair Abelle-Kiser, Ph.D., joined Social Current in 2022 after working in health policy on Capitol Hill, the nonprofit sector, and as a biomedical researcher. Most recently, Blair served as Director of Government Relations and Advocacy for NephCure Kidney International.

During her time in public service, she served as a professional staff member of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. She led a corporate investigation into insider trading and financial improprieties, as well as conflicts of interest associated with Operation Warp Speed’s leadership, and the politicization of scientific information. Before joining the Select Subcommittee, she worked for Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), where she served as a health policy fellow. In Senator Brown’s office, she led a range of legislative and oversight efforts related to public health and healthcare. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked with several community hospice advocacy organizations and a Republican office to help craft the bipartisan COVID-19 Hospice Respite Care Relief Act of 2020.

Prior to public service, Blair spent several years as a medical research scientist on several industry and NIH-funded projects. Her work focused on developing research projects and clinical trials to improve the lives of African Americans with Sickle Cell Disease. She earned a doctorate in Biomedical Science from Morehouse School of Medicine in 2017 and a bachelor’s in biology from the University of Kentucky in 2011.