Nonprofits are engaging in less policy-oriented advocacy than they did 20 years ago, according to a study in 2023 by Independent Sector.
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In 2022, less than a quarter of nonprofits lobbied for any legislation, down from three quarters of organizations five years earlier, according to the survey.
As a follow-up, Independent Sector interviewed 40 nonprofit agencies across the country in an effort to find out why advocacy had diminished so substantially.
Nonprofit leaders reported several reasons for their decrease in advocacy efforts, the primary being a lack of resources or capacity. It’s often a stretch for nonprofit leaders to complete their regular duties, much less take on extra advocacy efforts. Smaller nonprofits don’t have extra staff and funding to engage in advocacy, Independent Sector found.
Another barrier to engaging in advocacy, according to the study, is a lack of understanding of the rules related to nonprofit advocacy. One nonprofit leader told Independent Sector, “I know that there could be a line between what we can do and what we can’t do because of our nonprofit status. And I’m not sure that I necessarily understand where that line is.”
The complex nature of the policy process, including the rapid pace of legislative sessions, the inability to react quickly enough to proposals, and the difficulty in getting personnel to the capitol to speak with legislators leaves some nonprofits feeling ill-equipped to engage in policy advocacy.
Less frequently cited was that nonprofit leaders are unaware of legislation and regulations that affect their organizations, making it difficult to know when to engage in advocacy.
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Because leaders of charitable organizations do not want to appear political or partisan, they often refrain from engaging in advocacy. According to some leaders who were interviewed by Independent Sector, politicization of issues in recent years has led to disagreements among board members and staff about whether a policy position will be perceived as partisan or biased. Leaders also mentioned the possibility that advocacy efforts might conflict with the personal political beliefs of some nonprofit board members or employees.
When they have attempted to engage in advocacy efforts, nonprofit leaders described encountering disinterested leaders and unreceptive officials. Advocacy often involves establishing relationships, and some nonprofit leaders said they don’t have the necessary connections to decision-makers.
One leader told Independent Sector, “There is a lot of nonprofit wisdom that could inform system change, but getting your voice truly heard feels like a lot of work—so that is why I am guessing many nonprofits don’t participate at the same level as their possible value. Maybe we need to be asking government to create more systems for working with nonprofits than the opposite.”
Nonprofit leaders said that engaging with coalitions of like-minded organizations can help maximize their advocacy efforts without stretching their staff and resources beyond capacity. Coalitions have helped them overcome other barriers, including advocating within the regulations for nonprofits and being alerted when policies that affect their organization are proposed.
MinistryWatch reached out to some Christian ministry leaders about their advocacy efforts and found they are not shying away from engaging with policy leaders.
Citygate is a network of faith-based crisis shelters that hosts an advocacy event in Washington D.C. each year to allow its members to engage with elected officials and other government and policy leaders about key issues. The next event is March 3-5 and is planned by an 8-member team.
Citygate president Tom De Vries told MinistryWatch its members don’t lobby for funding during the event, but they share stories and first-hand knowledge about their experiences working with the homeless population.
De Vries said Citygate members act as their advocates at the local, state, and federal level. At its annual conference, Citygate tries to equip its members for advocacy. It also hosts webinars and conference calls throughout the year to further equip its members about best practices regarding homelessness, poverty, addiction recovery, and mental health issues, which those members can then use in their policy advocacy.
According to De Vries, Citygate plans to lean into advocacy under the new Trump administration. He said the group enjoyed a good relationship with the homeless czar in the first Trump administration, Dr. Robert Marbut, and also with Jeff Olivet in the Biden administration.
“When the new executive director is appointed, we hope to lean into that relationship as well,” De Vries told MinistryWatch.
Citygate doesn’t plan to stop its advocacy efforts. “We will continue to be actively engaged with governmental leaders, many of whom we try to educate and inform regarding the challenges and issues our ministries face on the frontlines.”
When the Institute for Survivor Care was founded, it did not expect to engage in much advocacy work. But in its work to equip Christian ministries to serve those who have been trafficked or sexually exploited, it has “discerned the need to defend the value of Christian care and a biblical worldview — both for practitioners and for survivors who want faith-based options.”
The institute has increased its advocacy efforts by expanding the role of founder Dr. Jeanne Allert to include policy advocacy and by hiring a director of research and policy.
Allert said the Institute for Survivor Care attempts to equip leaders of shelters that care for trafficking survivors to advocate for themselves by providing training, mentoring, and research.
She is optimistic about working with the Trump administration to serve trafficking survivors more effectively.
“The Trump Administration has — and we anticipate will continue to — mitigate those policies harmful to survivors, and obstructive to faith-based organizations serving in this field,” Allert said.
“We are proactively seeking opportunities to support the [a]dministration’s efforts to strengthen policy and legislation that will contribute to ensuring that survivors have options for their care, including faith-based options.”
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