Chapter 2 - Advocate and Serve

Mer som dette

Johannesburg, South Africa

Ved Joshua Hart

Special Education in Ontario K-12 (Policy and Resource Guide)

Ved Danny Giancola

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Ved Jason Foley

Canadian Confederation

Ved Isaac Garel

Chapter 2 - Advocate and Serve

Advocacy refers to activism

Through advocacy, may receive addition state or federal funding.

Difficult to manage and require different organizational skills than those needed to provide direct patient care.

Policy advocacy known as lobbying refers to specific efforts to change public policy or obtain govt funding for a social program.

May involve mobilizing voters, pitching media stories, to influencing elected officials and the political process.

When I took this topic, I was expecting it to be more on a personal note of making a change in a person's life, but this chapter discusses more on the issue of the environment or education reform.

Self Help-low income home loan agency

2002, launched Center for Responsible Lending - a nat'l subsidiarythat conducts research, advocates for both state and federal policy reform and help state based groups change lending laws.

Soon other groups around the country contacted Self Help for assistance in passing similar legislation.

The state of NC enact the landmark NC Anti-Predatory Lending Law

Mobilized state coalition of 70 allies - credit unions, churches, AARP, NAACP, etc.

Realized educating 1000s of borrowers would never work, instead advocated the stronger industry regulation.

Aggressivelyy fought predatory lending

Never to Late to advocate.

Some organizations may start at the very beginning or decades later.

Best Nonprofits advocate and serve.

Can test new models to inform their proposed policy solutions.

Through direct services, gain a firsthand view of problems facing their constituents.

Couple policy reform with direct services to create a greater impact.

Virtuous Cycle - both policy advocacy and direct service - create impact that is greater than the sum od it's parts

Discover new solutions that can be implemented through their program.

Close to their customer and can modify their approach necessary.

Organizations gains a 1st hand view of problems that impacts their constients directly.

Principles for success of researched organizations

Find funding for advocacy through flexible sources i.e. earned income or/and donations.

Hire experienced lobbyists who have access to key decision makers on Capital Hill.

Preserve credibility and integrity-maintain their data,scientific facts, and analysis without compromise.

Balance pragmatism with idealism by working within political system appealing to the broad majority

Don't Let fear keep you out of political arena.

Great nonprofits find a way to overcome the challenges.

Many organizations fear funders will stop supporting them or they don't have the skills to manage lobbying.

Policy Advocacy

To achieve large scale social change, gov't needs to be part of the solution.

Powerful force for social change.