ProgramsNYU Wagner Capstone: Advocacy and Political Action (Fall 25' to Spring 26')ProjectsAdvocacy Dashboard and Capacity-Building Strategy for Multi-Issue C...

Project Title: Advocacy Dashboard and Capacity-Building Strategy for Multi-Issue Church Engagement

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF)

Details
Project Title Advocacy Dashboard and Capacity-Building Strategy for Multi-Issue Church Engagement
Project Topics Community Organization and Social Action Growth Strategy Information Technology (IT) Political Organization, Policy Change, and Advocacy PR & Communications
Skills & Expertise
Project Synopsis: Challenge/Opportunity
We are a global denomination with active churches in 37 states, DC and Puerto Rico. We are wanting to better mobilize our pastors and lay leaders so they may add their voices to the debates in the public square. As a denomination, we provide leadership in advocacy on immigration matters, hunger policy, predatory lending and public education. We also support our churches raising their voices on the local, state and federal issues that are closest to their members and ministries.

 
Our congregations vary widely in theological and political orientation and in their readiness to participate in advocacy. To support and activate this diverse network, the organization seeks to build two complementary tools:

  1. A policy monitoring and engagement dashboard to help internal staff and congregations stay informed and act on timely state and federal issues.

  2. A tiered capacity-building roadmap to assess local church readiness and scale engagement through trainings, leadership pipelines, and tailored resources.
 
Project Synopsis: Activities/Actions Required
 
Working with advocacy staff in D.C., Kentucky and Texas as well as partner congregations across the country, students will:

  • Design a dashboard prototype that tracks key policy developments in immigration, education, and poverty, and curates tailored engagement actions for church audiences.

  • Conduct a network-wide landscape scan to assess the levels of advocacy engagement across churches and identify common barriers and assets.

  • Segment churches based on advocacy readiness and recommend customized pathways for deeper engagement (e.g., toolkits, trainings, public witness opportunities).

  • Develop a sustainable model for equipping churches with timely alerts, position summaries, and resources appropriate for their context and capacity.

  • Provide recommendations for internal systems and technology integrations that support the long-term implementation of both tools.

 


 
Project Synopsis: Expected Results
 
  • Development of a wireframe or prototype for a policy engagement dashboard tailored for church and staff use.

  • Landscape analysis of existing church engagement levels and typology of readiness segments.

  • Tiered roadmap with strategies for scaling advocacy capacity at the local level.

  • Strategic recommendations for linking dashboard insights with broader advocacy goals and campaigns.

  • Practical communications templates, resource distribution strategies, and onboarding tools for congregations.

 

Project Timeline

Touchpoints & Assignments Date Type

Program Kickoff

 Sep 12 2025 Event

Teams

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No Teams Available