Google Lobbying
Leadership

Social Media Roundup: A Lobbying Giant Steps Forward

How one of the tech world's biggest companies became a lobbying force in Washington. Also: A peek into a difficult year for nonprofits.

Google’s on our browsers, in our phones—and now, increasingly, in our nation’s capital. So what’s the Silicon Valley titan up to on Capitol Hill, and how does its recent lobbying actions apply to the associations space? Find out in today’s Social Media Roundup:

New to the Lobbying Elite

What does it take to ascend to the upper tiers of lobbying? As Google’s recent transformation shows, you’ll need a boatload of money. Just 10 years ago, Google ranked as the 213th-biggest corporate lobbying spender in the U.S.; but by 2012, it had shot all the way up to second place.

Described a “master of influence” in a Washington Post story by Tom Hamburger and Matea Gold, Google’s efforts to influence the decision makers in Washington are extensively detailed. From political action committees to partnerships with both Republican and Democratic organizations, the search giant has seemingly done it all.

Back in 2012, Google played a key role in launching the Internet Association, which seeks to “show Congress that the [i]nternet impacts every city, every district, and every state in every economic sector,” in the words of President & CEO Michael Beckerman. And the group is still working on building its network, most recently expanding its efforts in California.

Though Google’s spending is separate, many of its causes align with the association’s, and as its expenditures show, sometimes the best way to make your voice heard is through the power of the dollar. (ht @AssnGovRelPros)

The Struggle of Nonprofits

If your association is having a rough time keeping up with demand as a nonprofit, you’re not alone. The Nonprofit Finance Fund recently released the latest edition of the State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey. You can get the highlights from Associations Now‘s Katie Bascuas over this way, but Event Garde writer Kristen Parker has some thoughts on what they mean for organizations, particularly in light of the report’s assessment that there are “fundamental flaws in the way we finance social good.”

“Much of that ‘social good’ is financed by government grants,” Parker explains. “But nonprofits that receive such funding have experienced a sharp decline in financial support, which means they’re exploring other avenues for financial stability.”

Parker is curious what avenues you’ve found for your own organization in the wake of federal funding declines. Find things getting easier or a continued struggle? (ht @klparkermsu)

(wellesenterprises/ThinkStock)

Morgan Little

By Morgan Little

Morgan Little is a contributor to Associations Now. MORE

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