Advocating for Policy Change in Nonprofit Coalitions

Fyall, Rachel; McGuire, Michael

doi:10.1177/0899764014558931

Cited by 43 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 29 publications

(39 reference statements)

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“…Coalitions are widely recommended as organizing structures that promote effective nonprofit advocacy (Bass et al ; Donaldson ; Fyall and McGuire ; Smith and Lipsky ), and the interviewees emphatically supported this sentiment. Resource sharing and “strength in numbers” are two obvious reasons why coalitions enjoy greater policy influence than individual organizations.…”

Section: Findings: Mechanisms For Nonprofit Policy Influencementioning

confidence: 93%

The Power of Nonprofits: Mechanisms for Nonprofit Policy Influence

Fyall

2016

Public Administration Review

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The dramatic increase in public funding for nonprofit organizations has raised concerns about the potential disadvantages of a nonprofit sector that is too reliant on government funding. Using nonprofits to deliver public programs also presents risks for the public sector, but the question of nonprofit policy influence is largely absent from discussions of public–nonprofit service collaborations. The motivation for this article stems from the contradiction between the perceived weakness of publicly funded nonprofits and their potential for policy influence. This research asks, how do nonprofits exert policy influence? Using a grounded theory approach, the research draws on the attitudes and experiences of professionals and elected officials involved in policy making and policy implementation in the area of low‐income housing. The findings indicate a variety of mechanisms through which the government–nonprofit relationship can strengthen the power of nonprofit organizations, sometimes while weakening their government counterparts.

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Section: Findings: Mechanisms For Nonprofit Policy Influencementioning

confidence: 93%

The Power of Nonprofits: Mechanisms for Nonprofit Policy Influence

Fyall

2016

Public Administration Review

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“…Th e literature concurs that the foremost reason for NGOs to undertake assessment of their advocacy work is to gain knowledge to improve strategy ( Almog- Bar & Schmid, 2014 ;Bagnell Stuart, 2007 ;Beer & Reed, 2009 ;Borgman-Arboleda & Clark, 2009 ;Coe & Schlangen, 2011 ;Coff man, 2009 ;Forti, 2012 ;Fyall & McGuire, 2015 ;Guthrie, Louie, & Foster, 2005 ;Innovation Network, 2009 ;Jackson, 2014 ;Mulholland, 2010 ). NGOs engaging in advocacy indicate that the greatest benefi t of evaluation is that it assists them in refi ning strategies and determining the next steps in a campaign ( Innovation Network, 2008 ).…”

Section: Opportunities and Challenges In Evaluating Advocacymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Scholars Gen and Wright (2013) have synthesized other authors' advocacy logic models and theories of change into a composite grid that identifi es inputs, activities, and short-, medium-and long-term outcomes. It is not likely that advocates will pick up the model, given the other more accessible, practitioneroriented toolkits in the literature that provide guidelines for use.…”

Section: Models For Advocacy Planning and Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most literature on TOCs emphasize the importance of clarifying the rationale for why each activity or interim outcome is expected to lead to a certain result, based on the evidence and accepted theories rather than just on the advocates' intuition. Gen and Wright (2013) perform some of this footwork by identifying theories from multiple disciplines that help explain why certain advocacy activities can be expected to lead to changes in key audiences. Th ey recommend further empirical research on the connections between these variables to reinforce or refute their hypotheses and advance the development of methods to measure progress in advocacy initiatives.…”

Section: Models For Advocacy Planning and Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“Advocates Change the World; Evaluation Can Help”: A Literature Review and Key Insights from the Practice of Advocacy Evaluation

Glass¹

2017

Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation

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It is only since the new millennium that assessments of policy and systems change initiatives have been given much attention in practice or in research. A comprehensive literature review of advocacy in human services non-profi t organizations (NGOs) has found a "lack of systemic, rational evaluation and measurement of the eff ectiveness of advocacy. " Similarly, in a survey of 211 NGOs that undertake advocacy, only one in four (24.6 percent) reported that this work had been evaluated. While the survey was conducted in the United States, it is likely that Canadian NGOs are in a similar situation, not because of a lack of interest or value for evaluation but, rather, because assessing systems change initiatives is challenging territory and NGOs face considerable resource and time constraints that put such evaluation low on the priority list. Th is article provides a review of key insights from advocacy evaluation practice and research that may help orient and inform NGOs as they decide on evaluation strategies. I will outline the state of the fi eld of systems-and policy-change evaluation in North America as well as its benefi ts and challenges. Finally, a synthesis of the main steps in advocacy evaluation planning and implementation off ers a broad map to NGOs seeking to enhance this practice in their own organizations. (24,6 pourcent) ont indiqué que ce travail avait été évalué. Le sondage a été eff ectué aux États-Unis, mais il est probable que les ONG canadiennes se trouvent dans une situation semblable, non par manque d'intérêt ou de reconnaissance de la valeur de l' évaluation, mais plutôt parce qu'il n' est pas facile d' évaluer des changements de nature systémique et que les ONG doivent composer avec des contraintes de temps et de ressources qui font que l' évaluation n' est pas une priorité. Cet article propose des éléments clés tirés de la pratique et de la recherche de type « advocacy » qui permettront d'informer et de guider les ONG dans leur choix de stratégies d' évaluation. Je ferai état des avancées dans le champ de l' analyse des politiques et des systèmes en Amérique du Nord, de même des avantages et des défi s qui y sont liés. Finalement, une synthèse des principales étapes de la planifi cation et de la réalisation d'une évaluation de type « advocacy » pourra guider les ONG qui souhaiteraient améliorer cette pratique dans leur propre organisation. Resumé : Ce n' est que depuis le dernier millénaire que l' on s'intéresse davantage, en pratique ou en recherche, aux initiatives visant à créer des changements dans les systèmes et les politiques. Une analyse documentaire exhaustive des activités de plaidoyer dans les organisations à but non lucratif (ONG -organisations non gouvernementales) off rant des services humanitaires montre « un manque d' évaluation et de mesure systémique en ce qui a trait à l' effi cacité du plaidoyer ». De même, dans un sondage de 211 ONG ayant des activités de plaidoyer, seule une sur quatre

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“…Some CoCs (those with network administrative organizations) even have 501(c)(3) status, and all have a board governance structure that mirrors that of more typical nonprofits. There is also a robust literature on advocacy coalitions or networks (Chin ; Fyall and McGuire ). Again, the context is not the same, particularly the purpose of the network and the type of participants.…”

Section: The Relationship Between Network Capacity Network Governancmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Structural Variations in Collaborative Governance Networks Influence Advocacy Involvement and Outcomes

Mosley

Jarpe

2019

Public Administration Review

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Collaborative governance is intended to solve complex problems and promote democratic outcomes by connecting ground-level stakeholders with government. In order for these goals to be met, however, participants must have meaningful influence and opportunities for voice. Using national survey data from Continuums of Care (CoCs) mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, this article investigates what structural characteristics of collaborative governance networks are related to promoting stakeholder inclusion and voice through policy advocacy involvement. Specifically, it investigates which network characteristics are associated with (1) the frequency of advocacy involvement by the network, (2) providers' engagement in and influence over that advocacy, and (3) the CoC having stronger relationships with policy makers. Findings show significant relationships between greater network capacity and network advocacy, and between network governance structure and provider engagement and influence in that advocacy. Networks have stronger relationships with policy makers when providers are more engaged, providers have more influence, network capacity is higher, and direct advocacy tactics are used. Evidence for Practice• To meet the accountability and democratic goals of collaborative governance, networks should promote stakeholder inclusion and voice; advocacy is one way to do that. • Participant engagement and influence in advocacy may be depressed in networks that are governed by a network administrative organization; these groups may need to take steps to ensure that providers stay involved. • Increasing provider engagement and influence in advocacy is associated with the network having stronger relationships with key decision makers, which, in turn, may help collaborative governance networks more effectively fulfill their purpose and improve service delivery systems. • To promote strong relationships with policy makers, collaborative governance networks should focus on increasing direct advocacy tactics. • Smaller collaborative governance networks and those that are located in rural regions often have less strong relationships with decision makers, so their advocacy efforts may benefit from these changes the most.

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Advocating for Policy Change in Nonprofit Coalitions

Cited by 43 publications

References 29 publications

The Power of Nonprofits: Mechanisms for Nonprofit Policy Influence

The Power of Nonprofits: Mechanisms for Nonprofit Policy Influence

“Advocates Change the World; Evaluation Can Help”: A Literature Review and Key Insights from the Practice of Advocacy Evaluation

How Structural Variations in Collaborative Governance Networks Influence Advocacy Involvement and Outcomes

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