With the release of an extensive new report, Beyond the Cause: The Art and Science of Advocacy, Independent Sector has started a conversation about how the nonprofit and philanthropic sector can increase its influence on public policy. As president of the Alliance for Justice –a leading national authority on nonprofit advocacy and the rules and laws that govern it — I am pleased at the attention being paid to the essential role of nonprofits in the democratic process.
The Independent Sector report is a well-intentioned effort to bring to the fore the often neglected subject of the importance of funder support for advocacy work, and to inspire greater activity by both grantmakers and the full range of nonprofit organizations themselves. However, from our reading we think the report has some weaknesses in its methodology and conclusions.
While we have written a detailed assessment of the report, our concerns fall broadly into five categories:…