Shift #3: Email Sending Became a Compliance Issue

Organizations bulk-sending “Action Alerts” to massive, unengaged lists used to be common practice. Definitely not anymore. 

In 2025, major inbox providers implemented clearer expectations for high-volume senders. Microsoft introduced new sender requirements, following earlier guideline updates from Google and Yahoo.

At the same time, engagement benchmarks showed changing performance patterns. VoterVoice’s 2025 Advocacy Benchmark Report noted that open rates in early 2025 were lower than in recent years.

To stay visible in inboxes in 2026:

Shift #4: Corporate advocacy went mainstream

In 2025, advocacy increasingly became a tool for businesses seeking to align public positions with operational values.

Survey data from Sprout Social shows that many consumers report a higher likelihood of supporting companies that engage publicly on issues. This has contributed to more partnerships between nonprofits and corporate entities, combining advocacy expertise with broader reach and resources.

What this trend brings into 2026:

• For nonprofits, this brings opportunities for expanded reach and access to corporate financial resources. 
• For companies, this means finding the right match with nonprofits that align with your brand, message, and policy goals. 

Shift #5: Form Emails Are (Still) Dying

It’s been 10 years since the Congressional Management Foundation shared a tough truth on constituent engagement: fewer than 5% of congressional staff think form emails influence their bosses. That reality hasn’t changed. But what has changed is how risky they’ve become.

In 2025, we saw the cost of lazy automation. A fossil fuel company in North Carolina ran what looked like a grassroots campaign—until it was outed as fake. In Idaho, a lawmaker received a "constituent" email that listed himself as the sender. When lawmakers are exposed to grassroots fraud, grassroots campaigns can lose credibility.

This year, Wyoming lawmakers formed a subcommittee to deal with inbox overload and address the concerns of an advocacy org whose emails were going to spam. Lawmakers claimed that low-value messages were burying real constituent needs. Most Wyoming legislators have no staff. They read emails themselves. If it looks automated, it’s going to spam.

Now add AI to the mix. Lawmakers and staffers are even more skeptical that the voices reaching them are real. 

Jen Daulby, CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation, put it plainly: “This is not the time for robocalls or mass email campaigns that policymakers can easily dismiss.” She urged advocacy programs to put real people and real experiences front and center—like doctors explaining how policy changes affect patient care or federal employees sharing how diplomacy impacts local economies.

“This is not the time for robocalls or mass email campaigns that policymakers can easily dismiss.”

- Jen Daulby, Congressional Management Foundation

A personal note heading into 2026

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re energized by the creativity and adaptability we’ve seen across advocacy programs nationwide. Teams adjusted quickly, prioritized ethical practices, and developed new ways to keep supporters meaningfully involved.

From the Founders (Bree and Tom)

We started AdvocacyAI as practitioners seeing gaps in advocacy tools and tactics. This year we:

• Traveled 46,190 miles to meet partners (Bree lives in Japan)
• Attended 9 conferences
• Hosted 5 webinars
• Launched a blog and resource hub for advocacy practices

Some highlights: 

Our favorite part remains connecting with advocates working every day to impact policy.

The Organizations: Campaigns That Stood Out in 2025

The clearest way to see what advocacy looks like heading into 2026 is to look at what organizations actually did this year. These are a few campaigns that stayed with us and show how teams are combining digital tools, storytelling, and supporter energy.

Surfrider Foundation

In the last few weeks, Surfrider has sent more than 5,000 hand-signed letters to the administration in response to offshore drilling rules. Their supporters messages are physically delivered to the Bureau of Ocean Management, which are making the the volume and personal stories hard to ignore. See their campaign.

Mesabi Metallics 

Mesabi Metallics formed a coalition with  more than 400 Building Trades members to build support for a Minnesota project tied to green steel production. They mailed customers a QR code that led directly to an Advocacy Hub, where people could learn about the project and contact decision-makers. Governor Walz highlighted the project as a positive example for the state’s economic future.

Opportunity DC and the District of Columbia Building Industry Association

Opportunity DC and DCBIA supported one of the most significant housing reforms in DC in recent years, focused on tenant protections and eviction procedures. Their coalition used targeted outreach to individual city council members to help them understand the stakes of the bill.

Stand Up America

Stand Up America helped block gerrymandered redistricting plans in Indiana, Kansas, and Maryland by pairing on-the-ground organizing with digital outreach. Executive Director Christina Harvey described the Indiana Senate’s rejection of the plan as “an important victory for democracy,” and the campaign showed how steady constituent contact can influence state-level decisions.

The product: what we shipped in 2025

In 2025, AdvocacyAI moved from “just” action tools into more of a full workflow for supporter engagement, nurturing, and advocacy campaigns.

We shipped roughly 14 features and product updates, pushed about 310 code updates, and saw around 35% of new customers come from referrals by existing users. For many teams, the platform is now where actions, lists, and reporting live together instead of being scattered across tools.

Looking ahead, we’re focused on features that remove manual work: more automation around journeys, clearer insight into which lawmakers are engaging, and easier ways to connect advocacy metrics with the rest of your data stack.

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Growing the Team

Eric Jamous, Account Executive

Eric helps organizations, from nonprofits to national associations, think through their workflows for advocacy and how technology can help. unlock ideas and support using AdvocacyAI.

Pam Oliva, Director of Customer Experience

Pam boosts engagement and helps teams get the most from the platform through hands‑on guidance and strategy.

If you're planning for 2026

AdvocacyAI helps teams understand supporters, run engagement workflows, and report outcomes with clarity—supporting advocacy programs designed for long-term impact.