Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: Nonprofit Leadership Podcast
Host: Dr. Rob Harter
Guest: Betsy Cooper, Director, Aspen Policy Academy (Aspen Institute)
Episode: How Can Social Impact Leaders Turn Their Passion for Social Change into Policy Impact?
Date: October 13, 2025

This episode explores how social impact leaders can translate passion for social change into practical policy action. Dr. Rob Harter interviews Betsy Cooper about the processes, tools, and skillsets needed for impactful advocacy and policy work, navigating government barriers, integrating policy engagement into nonprofit innovation, the evolving intersections of AI and policy, and developing cross-sector solutions to society’s biggest challenges.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Translating Passion into Policy Impact

• Policy Impact as a Leadership Skill
  Betsy explains the Aspen Policy Academy’s philosophy: “Policy impact is a leadership skill. It's just like learning how to write well or learning how to deal with conflict. Everybody can learn how to translate your ideas into impact.” (03:59, Betsy Cooper)

• Six-Step Program for Policy Impact
  The Aspen Policy Academy teaches a concrete six-step process:

  • Define the problem
  • Research it
  • Identify solutions (ideas track)
  • Map stakeholders
  • Build tools for communication
  • Directly advocate for change

  “You're really good at ideas generation, but you need to focus a little bit more on figuring out how to advocate.” (06:41, Betsy Cooper)

• Guardrails for Nonprofits Betsy outlines the legal boundaries and opportunities for advocacy and lobbying, encouraging a consult with resources like Boulder Advocacy and highlighting avenues with executive and judicial branches beyond legislative lobbying.

2. Overcoming Government Barriers & Constraints

• Government as Funder and Regulator
  Government funding brings intricate requirements, and regulation applies universally:
  “We tend to think about these as constraints, but they also create an equal playing field. ...You can also imagine the chaos that would ensue from that.” (09:22, Betsy Cooper)
• Managing Risk
  Nonprofits should assess their risk profile and compliance carefully but also recognize the stability and fairness rules add to the sector.

3. Integrating Policy Engagement & Social Innovation

• Policy as a Strategic Lever
  Policy engagement is one tool among many (“not the only tool” 11:00), but neglecting it can limit long-term structural change. For example, addressing homelessness in Oakland may require both direct service and policy change to achieve systemic impact.

  "The benefit of changing policy is that when you change a policy, you change it for everyone, not just for yourselves." (12:12, Betsy Cooper)

4. Practical Tools: Memos, Briefs, and Implementation Plans

• Policy Memos and Briefs

  • Memos: Sent to policymakers already engaged, succinctly stating recommendations
  • Briefs: More public-facing, similar content
  • Key: “Policy memos and briefs are great, but they’re not sufficient.” (13:39, Betsy Cooper)

• Operationalizing Policy Proposals
  Betsy urges supplementing memos with practical tools—drafting actual regulatory language, operational plans, or toolkits:
  “If the policymaker says, yes, I want to do this, they're ready to hit the ground running and actually implement the idea.” (15:52, Betsy Cooper)

5. Case Example: Utah’s Data Centers & Water Usage

• Real-World Success Story
  A cohort advocated for water use targets for Utah’s tech data centers, engaging the right officials, providing actionable reports, and specific policy language. Their comprehensive approach resulted in new state action:

  “It worked because...they took the time to actually share the idea with the direct decision maker, not just publish it into the ether.” (17:55, Betsy Cooper)

6. Essential Skills for Social Impact Policy Leadership

• Three Key Skills Areas
  • Strategic Impact Thinking: Develop and execute multi-step strategies, build coalitions, and sequence stakeholder engagement.
  • Policy Communication: Use concise, direct formats; “put your bottom line up front” (21:13); adapt tone for policy audiences.
  • Stakeholder Mapping: Identify influencers and decision-makers; tailor arguments to stakeholder motivations (“Your motivation, your stakeholders are not the same…” 22:08).

7. New Directions for the Aspen Policy Academy

• Broadening Access
  Initially focused on technologists, now emphasizing universal skills for anyone seeking civic engagement—including lived and community experience.
• Expanding Programming
  New offerings target both subject-matter experts and the general public: “Anyone can join if you’re just looking to get a sense of the skills you would need to advocate for change.” (25:48, Betsy Cooper)

8. Cross-Sector Collaboration for Big Problems

• Beyond Government
  Policy change also happens within companies and organizations:
  “If Google changes the way that it's filtering out certain content ... [it] will have dramatic effects on our experience, just as if the federal government had required that same change.” (27:34, Betsy Cooper)
• Focusing Scope Tackle achievable objectives: “Set that concrete goal within your broader mission... try to take little bites out of that and make progress step by step.” (29:02, Betsy Cooper)

9. AI and Policy: Emerging Intersections

• Nascent but Growing Influence Governments and nonprofits are starting to explore AI for efficiency (e.g., job application automation, contracting):
  "Everyone is looking at AI to see what efficiencies might be possible… I think people are going to be digging into AI much more." (31:24, Betsy Cooper)
• Sector Opportunity Advanced nonprofits have a unique opportunity to help government build capacity.

10. Nonprofit Policy Engagement: Trends and Opportunities

• Rising Demand for Training Over 10,000 participants enrolled in Aspen Policy Academy’s programs in less than a year: “That really shows interest in the policy space” (32:46, Betsy Cooper)
• Navigating Uncertainty Some apprehension exists among nonprofits and funders, but Betsy encourages adaptive, creative engagement:
  “This is not a time to lean out on policy. It’s a time to be smart, though...” (33:35, Betsy Cooper)

Notable Quotes

“Policy impact is a leadership skill. It's just like learning how to write well or learning how to deal with conflict. Everybody can learn how to translate your ideas into impact.”
— Betsy Cooper (03:59)

“You may care about your issue because of one reason, but your stakeholder may care about your issue for another reason... sometimes your motivation, your stakeholders are not the same.”
— Betsy Cooper (22:08)

“The benefit of changing policy is that when you change a policy, you change it for everyone, not just for yourselves.”
— Betsy Cooper (12:12)

“It worked because...they took the time to actually share the idea with the direct decision maker, not just publish it into the ether.”
— Betsy Cooper (17:55)

“This is not a time to lean out on policy. It's a time to be smart, though, to take a moment to reevaluate how the landscape has changed...”
— Betsy Cooper (33:35)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Topic overview – 00:01
• Translating passion to policy action (Six-step process) – 03:59
• Nonprofit guardrails for advocacy – 06:50
• Government limitations & risk management – 08:08
• Policy engagement as missing piece in innovation – 11:00
• Communicating through memos, briefs, and operational tools – 13:38
• Effective advocacy example: Utah data centers – 16:58
• Top skills for policy-focused social impact leaders – 20:00
• Aspen Policy Academy’s new direction – 24:19
• Cross-sector collaboration & setting achievable goals – 27:31
• AI’s role in policy and social impact – 30:10
• Trends in nonprofit policy engagement – 32:25
• Getting involved with Aspen Policy Academy – 34:34

Resources Mentioned

• Aspen Policy Academy: aspenpolicyacademy.org
• Boulder Advocacy: Resource for nonprofit legislative advocacy guidance
• Upcoming Programs: Announcements via Aspen Policy Academy listserv

Overall Tone & Takeaways

Betsy Cooper’s approach is practical, empowering, and optimistic—she urges nonprofits to embrace policy work as a learnable leadership skill and to leverage succinct communication, strategic planning, and coalition-building to move ideas to action. The episode demystifies legal concerns for nonprofits, provides actionable examples and templates, and highlights the growing importance (and accessibility) of policy training, especially as new tools like AI transform the advocacy landscape.

To learn more or sign up for Aspen Policy Academy programs:
aspenpolicyacademy.org — "Sign up for our listserv and you’ll be the first to know when that program opens.” (34:34, Betsy Cooper)