Ebook: A Voice for Nonprofits

America's nonprofit organizations come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from major symphony orchestras to PTA's run by a handful of volunteers. Increasingly, however, nonprofits are being used to deliver basic governmental services. This is particularly evident in the areas of health and human services, and these organizations are a lifeline to millions of Americans. Nonprofits develop creative solutions to complex problems and their mission-driven work force provides services efficiently and enthusiastically. Yet despite the great good done by these organizations, they are discouraged by federal law from participating in leglisative lobbying efforts, even on issues that affect their clients directly. Jeffrey Berry and David Arons believe that this governmental policy harms the most vulnerable populations, denying them effective representation in the US political system. This volume charts the dramatic increase in the number of nonprofits in the United States, documents the effect of government restrictions on the participation of nonprofits in the policymaking process, and finally, makes recommendations for how the problem should be addressed. The analysis is based on an original large-scale survey of nonprofits from around the country conducted by the authors, as well as focus groups and interviews with executive directors and nonprofit board members. Berry and Arons believe that nonprofits can effectively deal with many of the ills afflicting our society. However, as more responsibility is put on these groups, it has become increasingly important to endow them with the tools they need to carry out their missions. This book provides a positive set of recommendations that will allow nonprofits a voice to influence public policy.