Policy advocacy involvement by human service providers is important to help protect vital services and government funding streams, but for many organizations participation is limited. Meanwhile, scholars know little about managers’ beliefs about advocacy, compromising our ability to create effective interventions. Using qualitative data from homeless service providers, this article investigates what holds nonprofit managers back from greater advocacy involvement. Findings indicate that managers have a broader working definition of advocacy than is generally found in research and limited understanding of the legal regulations. Belief in the organizational and mission-related utility of advocacy was more important for helping managers overcome capacity-related barriers than a social justice orientation. Read more.
The Beliefs of Homeless Service Managers About Policy Advocacy: Definitions, Legal Understanding, and Motivations to Participate
Administration in Social Work
Year: 2013