The University of Washington Alumni Association is forming a nonprofit organization to mobilize the school’s 300,000 alumni to get more involved in politics and advocate for higher education in Olympia.

The group UW Impact has hired two Olympia political consultants to help run the organization. Chris Vance is the former chairman of the state Republican Party, and Christian Sinderman is a Democratic consultant. Neither is a UW alum.

Organizers say UW Impact is not a political-action committee and won’t back candidates or lobby the Legislature.

Although it is concerned about the state budget, “our vision is much bigger than the next legislative session,” Eddie Pasatiempo, a past president of the UW Alumni Association, told The Seattle Times.