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To read a summary of the national meeting, see Deliberations, Decisions, and Planning: National Meeting Highlights. Background Page on Nonprofit Congress website Weigh in on the discussion on the Nonprofit Congress Blog
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Advocacy and Grassroots Organizing Among Top Priorities of Nonprofit Congress
For two days in October 2006 over 380 nonprofit delegates from 47 states and the District of Columbia met in Washington to "chose their priorities and began to develop tactics to get us there", according to Audrey Alvarado, executive Director of the National Council of Nonprofit Associations (NCNA). The meeting "was long overdue in that it purposefully brought together in dialogue the small-to-mid-size and often excruciatingly-local groups that make up the largest proportion of nonprofits in the U.S.," according to a column by Ruth McCambridge, in the Philanthropy Journal . She noted that selection of advocacy and grassroots community activity as one of the top priorities, "if embraced, could re-introduce this sector to the base and practice of its potential power and effectiveness." The other two priorities are organizational effectiveness and public awareness and support.
This effort has already generated healthy discussion and debate about how nonprofits can be more effective at achieving their goals, the need for a broader role in setting public priorities in addition to delivery of services, and the role that advocacy and grassroots organizing play in making positive change. Learn more about what the Nonprofit Congress is doing nationally and in your state, and join the dialog on what comes next.
About the Nonprofit Congress
The idea for the Nonprofit Congress came from Alvarado and Robert Egger, executive director of the DC Central Kitchen, who promoted the idea that "the nonprofit sector can be a more powerful force in our country if nonprofits acted collectively." In an Oct. 18 press release they say "The Nonprofit Congress is a national movement to connect nonprofits to each other and help charitable organizations be proactive and empowered to make impact at t he state level." It is meant to be a first of its kind, ongoing effort to bring small nonprofits together to promote a common vision Fact Sheet and be proactive, inclusive, collective, bottom-up and striving to raise the voice of nonprofits.
The process started with a Declaration of American's Nonprofits calling for uniting the sector was signed by thousands of individuals. To get feedback, ideas and bottom-up participation the Nonprofit Congress held 117 town hall meetings and a survey that formed the basis of a briefing book Voices from the Field that identified key aspirations for the future, obstacles and challenges and possible solutions to overcome them. The briefing book was then used by delegates to the national meeting to identify top priorities and develop a strategic plan for the sector.
During the meeting each state met to come up with a state-based plan to work on the three priorities. An action plan based on the national meeting will be widely disseminated by NCNA and in 2007 and 2008 nonprofits will have the opportunity to participate further. A follow-up national meeting is planned for the spring of 2008, hopefully in time to influence party platforms in the 2008 elections.
The briefing book statement on advocacy and community organizing says, "A priority of the nonprofit sector is to advocate for the sector at large and engage our constituents to solve problems at the grassroots level." It identified 17 aspirations, including:
- offering "necessary leadership to change the culture from 'me' to 'us',
- making nonprofit work and advocacy "driven by the community and recipients of the services", and
- ensuring the "power of nonprofits is built on, recognized and used effectively in policy-making decisions to empower the people we serve."
- increasing grassroots organizing to affect change
- work toward big picture policy change
- ensure client involvement in solving their own problems and implementing solutions, and
- training on nonprofit lobbying regulations.
Where Do We Go From Here?
The Nonprofit Congress has already generated dialog about the role of the sector in public policy and the potential for charities to speak with one voice. For example, the theme of the national meeting was "Many missions, one voice". McCambridge's two-part commentary in the Philanthropy Journal noted the independent, small and locally focused nature of the sector, asking, "Is it reasonable to expect them to have a collective national agenda?" After describing the upbeat ending to the national meeting, she noted that "the task will now be how to translate high spirits and cross-state camaraderie into a fluid by dynamic platform for a revitalized democracy." She goes on to note that the effort will have to reach out and involve more groups.
Part 2 of her commentary raises thornier questions about "the unique role of nonprofits in creating change through citizen action." Noting that the advocacy priority is the sector's "most powerful rallying cry because it most speaks to core purpose", she goes on to express concern that advocacy and grassroots mobilizing will become uncoupled, which would weaken the effort. McCambridge said delegates at the Congress "appeared to be far more comfortable discussing advocacy than organizing — too familiar and potentially a fatal flaw for any plan to revitalize nonprofit standing in crafting the future."
Commentator Todd Cohen's column in the Philanthropy Journal noted the Nonprofit Congress's failure to launch a national civic agenda, saying the process "simply wrote a job description." He likened nonprofits to an 800-pound weakling, that "While it can lead the charge for social change, the sector fears or is blind to its strength and, at the slightest criticism or whiff of it, assumes the fetal position." Cohen said nonprofits tend to let funders dictate priorities, failing "to unleash their constituents' collective power, an asset that truly could make a difference in America." He goes on to challenge nonprofit trade group leaders to be willing to mobilize the nonprofit sector for change, and not "shun the grassroots organizing needed to engage nonprofit and their clients, donors and volunteers in civic activism."
Want to respond to these comments? Have other issues to raise? You can weigh in on the Nonprofit Congress Blog