The Emerging Role of Nonprofit Associations in Advocacy and Public Policy: Trends, Issues, and Prospects

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to review the emerging role and development of state and national associations of nonprofit organizations. The question this article explores is, “Do these associations increase the role of nonprofits in advocacy and participation in community decision making, and if so, to what degree do they help the sector exert influence in the public policy arena?” Many nonprofit organizations in America are now joining state and national associations that specifically focus on building organizational capacity and training in policy advocacy. During the past decade, these associations have grown not only in number but also in strength, and now provide platforms for their members to collectively influence public policies at the local, state, and national levels. This article examines the roles and levels of advocacy and public policy by the National Association of Nonprofit Organizations (NCNA) and a few statewide nonprofit associations ranked by NCNA as “high performers.”