NAWBO was founded in 1975 to advocate for women entrepreneurs and influence public policy. As a advocacy group, NAWBO represents small business issues, promotes member education on policy and legislation, and participates in conferences and testimony to develop better public policies. One of NAWBO's early successes was playing a key role in passing the Women's Business Ownership Act of 1988, which provided business loans to women without male co-signatures and created the National Women's Business Council. Public policy affects business success, personal life, and can relate to social, economic, and political issues, so NAWBO encourages members to get involved in the policy process.

1. PUBLIC POLICY WHY?

2. NAWBO was originally founded in 1975 to open doors for women entrepreneurs by transforming public policy and influencing opinion makers. NAWBO: Represents issues and concerns of small and women owned businesses Is one voice that translates into a formidable economic force that: The Foundation of NAWBO

3. Promotes member education and involvement Develops reports on public policy and legislative highlights Holds advocacy conferences Sponsors & attends public policy conferences Participates in Congressional testimony

4. NAWBO is an advocacy group that gives active and verbal support for causes or positions in order to assist in the development of better public policy. WHY?

5. Impact our business success and growth Affect our personal and family life Public Policies:

6. One of the first accomplishments of NAWBO was in 1988. NAWBO played a key role in the passage of The Women's Business Ownership Act, also known as H.R. 5050. This landmark legislation allowed women to receive business loans without the co-signature of a male relative. H.R. 5050 also created the National Women's Business Council, a body of women entrepreneurs and women's organizations that provides counsel to the President and Congress. Example:

7. Public Policy is usually related to: Social Science - people in society and how they relate to one another Economics- the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services Sociology- the behavior of individual people and groups in society Political Economy - ways in which economics and government policies interact Program Evaluation – the effectiveness and efficiency of projects, policies and programs Policy Analysis – determining which polices meet the goals Public Management – making sure government, non-profit, private, and public management operate in a similar way - they all have a direct effect upon the public –EEO, FLSA etc.

8. Most business owners tend to see no connection between public policy and their business. They see public policy as “too political”, and perceive it as not affecting them, their family or business. Public Policy is not Politics!

9. Public Policy comes before Politics! But remember…….

10. Politics and those that hold public office, such as governors, senators, the President, are involved with the art or science of running governmental or state affairs AFTER polices are suggested, established, approved, and finally become laws. All suggested or lobbied public policy doesn’t become law. The time to be aware and involved is before a policy actually becomes the law.

11. Assist in the development of better public policy Help to ensure governments’ accountability to citizens Give a voice to citizen interests Mobilize citizens to participate in the democratic process Support the development of a culture of democracy As a member of NAWBO you can become active in Public Policy and:

12. Visit NAWBO.org Click on: Advocacy Announcements - current events that NAWBO is participating in Policies & Positions - answers questions pertaining to Access to Capital, Federal Procurement, Health Care, and Tax Treatment Legislative Action Center Sign up for Legislative Alerts & Updates – direct email from National Look up your Elected Officials by zip code & get contact info Look up Issues and Legislation and Voting Not sure how things work in Washington – check out “Capitol Hill Basics” Elections & Candidates – look up by zip code and get contact info Advocacy Partners – Lists NAWBO’s Advocacy Partners NAWBO.orgmakes it easy to learn about and to get involved in Public Policy

13. In politics as in all things, money matters. As a result, the National Association of Women Business Owners Political Action Committee (NAWBO PAC), a non-partisan federal PAC was formed in 1999 to help move the NAWBO agenda forward. See NAWBO.org for further info. NAWBO PAC