The explosive growth of nonprofit advocacy and public policy groups in the last thirty years has coincided with the expansion of government. There are currently more than 1000 nonprofit organizations classified by the IRS as working to change public opinion and public policy. Three-fourths of the 1,200 public policy research organizations were founded after 1970 emphasizes Johnson (2007). They perform an invaluable role. Nonprofits operate with "non-distributional restraint" offers donors and the public confidence that their dollars support the activities they intend, rather than benefiting individuals. (Johnson, 2007)
Urban Institute (2006) researched nonprofit advocacy in Nonprofit Organizations’ Advocacy Activities: Association Participation and Responsibility. Advocacy in the most general sense has long been part of the mission of nonprofit organizations. Efforts to address poverty, disease, and despair by direct assistance to those suffering from them, constituted advocacy in the insistence that no person should have to suffer such conditions. This kind of philanthropic advocacy focuses on socio-economic conditions and advocates their improvement through the voluntary efforts of private persons. (Urban Institute, 2006)
Today, the role of nonprofits is as vital as ever: some would say even more so. Yet, we live in times of diminishing nonprofit and foundation resources, government spending cuts and increasing community needs stress Neighborhood Funders Group (2002). If left unchecked, public policy will serve the biggest and strongest interests, which too often means those with financial influence. Enabling nonprofit organizations to participate in the public policy arena is the most effective way to give voice to people who often go unheard, help nonprofits and foundations fulfill their missions and bring about lasting change. (Neighborhood Funders Group, 2002)
Unless we as a sector start significantly engaging in public policy, we’ll continue to lose resources. What can we do to change this? How can we become more involved? How do we mobilize our constituencies and members to support our clients, members and ourselves? Richard Male (2005) ponders these questions.
References
Johnson, J. (2007). Nonprofit Advocacy. Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. Available online: http://www.learningtogive.org/papers/index.asp?bpid=40
Neighborhood Funders Group, (2002). Funding Nonprofit Advocacy: The Increasing Role of Foundations. NFG REPORTS 3:9 Available online: http://www.nfg.org/reports/93increasingrole.htm
Urban Institute. (2006) Nonprofit Organizations' Advocacy Activities:
Association, Participation and Representation. Urban Institute. Available online: http://www.urban.org/advocacyresearch/background_paper.html#advocacy
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