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Lesson 1: Theoretical and Historical Roles of Nonprofit Organizations

THE NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP AND DEMOCRACY CURRICULUM LESSON 1 The Theoretical and Historical Roles of Nonprofit Organizations in Advancing Social Justice and Fostering Democracy By James V. Riker, Ph.D.

Developed with the support of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation

THE UNION INSTITUTE CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP AND DEMOCRACY PROJECT WASHINGTON, D.C.

December 2001

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Lesson 1: Theoretical and Historical Roles of Nonprofit Organizations

The Nonprofit Leadership and Democracy Project

LESSON 1 The Theoretical and Historical Roles of Nonprofit Organizations in Advancing Social Justice and Fostering Democracy CONTENTS PART I: The Recipe for Lesson 1: Overview and rationale for the lesson, the key concepts and issues for debate, the learning objectives, background information on the significance and relevance of the lesson to learners, and how to tailor the materials to diverse audiences. PART II: Nonprofit Leadership and Democracy Lesson: The lesson examines the theoretical and historical roles of nonprofit organizations in promoting social change in the United States. It consists of two parts: Session 1 focuses on how nonprofit organizations foster democracy and contribute to social justice, and explores the challenges and opportunities that nonprofit organizations confront. Session 2 provides an analytical framework for examining the relationships between nonprofit organizations and social movements, and the main arenas of action for nonprofit advocacy. PART III: Menu of Enrichment Activities: Activities include stories and narratives of nonprofit leaders, case studies and research on social justices issues, simulations and role plays for a mock town hall meeting, exercises in developing an effective advocacy strategy and resource guide. PART IV: Resources for Nonprofit Leadership: Recommended readings on the theoretical and historical roles of the nonprofit sector, and various social movements from the civil rights, environmental, labor and women’s movements. PART I.

THE RECIPE FOR LESSON 1

This lesson provides instructors and facilitators with a suggested recipe for the lesson – that is, the ingredients for stimulating new perspectives and critical thinking in current and future nonprofit leaders about the mission and strategic vision of the nonprofit sector. It presents the overall rationale, learning objectives, significance and relevance of the suggested lesson plan. The recipe approach offers flexibility for making the lessons available to multiple audiences (e.g. academic, practitioner). For instance, instructors can shape and tailor the lessons to the specific levels (e.g., undergraduate, graduate, practitioner) and experiences of their learners.

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A. Overview and Rationale for Lesson 1 This opening lesson sets the political, economic and social context for understanding the theoretical and historical roles of nonprofit organizations in promoting social change in the United States. This section presents the content of Lesson 1 for use with learners and practitioners. It lays out the main topics and issues to be covered in two sessions of 75-90 minutes each. Session 1 examines the concepts of democracy and social justice, highlights the main arenas of action for achieving justice and democracy, and challenges learners to discuss and analyze what constitutes substantive, meaningful progress in each area. Session 2 focuses on the historical roles of nonprofit organizations within the context of broader social movements. It provides a narrative overview of the trajectory of particular social movements and the role that nonprofit organizations played in these efforts. The purpose is to rediscover the inspirational moments and to renew the original visions and capture the intent behind them that led to the creation of many nonprofit organizations and their engagement in broader social movements for social, economic and political change. Several key social movements have stimulated debate and action about democratizing the rules and practices governing the economy, society and government. Learners will use the concepts and framework presented in the first session to analyze the social movement discussed in the second session and place them in the context of contemporary initiatives to promote social justice and democracy. Special emphasis will be given to understanding the historical roles and theoretical possibilities that nonprofit organizations, both working alone and as part of social movements, can play in reconfiguring power relations, i.e., the rules and practices of the economy, society and government sectors. B. Introduce Key Concepts and Points of Debate To focus and initiate each lesson, key concepts are defined from different perspectives as a basis for initiating discussion and points of debate about how to understand, apply and adapt these concepts based on each learner’s thinking and life experience. Handouts of key concepts for the lesson will be given to learners to review and discuss. The purpose is to provide a fundamental knowledge base and to stimulate debate about different perspectives on the main concepts and ideas presented in the lesson. C. Learning Objectives for Lesson 1 Lesson 1 addresses all of the following four core capacities for nonprofit leaders. The lesson’s primary emphasis is on developing nonprofit leaders’ capacities to

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engage in strategic analysis, in participatory research, and in public issue advocacy that promotes positive social change. Core Capacities for Nonprofit Leaders Addressed in Lesson 1

Lesson 1

Strategic Analysis

Participatory Research

üü

üP

Innovative Civic Action ü

Public Issue Advocacy üP

This scale represents the level of intensity in a lesson devoted to each core capacity. The specific learning objectives for the learner and/or practitioner within Lesson 1 include: 1. Knowledge Building, Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking a. Enhance learners’ knowledge of key factors affecting nonprofit organizations (NPOs’) work on social justice and democracy. b. Provide learners with an understanding of key concepts (i.e., nonprofit organizations, democracy, social justice, social movements) and points of conflict. c. Enable learners to think critically about what constitutes meaningful progress on social justice and democracy. d. Enhance learners’ understanding about nonprofit sectors’ (and leaders’) role as an advocate for disempowered groups, and the strategies for addressing and overcoming institutional manifestations (i.e., social structures, distribution of resources) of social injustice. e. Stimulate thinking and reflection about the relationships between nonprofit organizations and social movements, and the implications for nonprofits’ mission, strategies, operations, and practice. 2. Skills Development a. Sharpen learners’ analytical, political and strategic skills for effective nonprofit advocacy and action on social justice and democracy. b. Enable learners’ to assess the potentials and requirements for building and sustaining a collective effort to address problematic social and political conditions.

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c. Apply different approaches to nonprofit advocacy and action according to the particular context, such as organizational, economic, political and social resources and skills at the community, state and national levels. d. Enhance learners’ appreciation of the need to work with, listen to, and take account of the perspectives of diverse constituencies and stakeholders, regardless of their economic, race, or gender status. 3. Attitudes and Expectations a. Develop learners’ appreciation and respect for the values of social justice (e.g., equity, inclusion, empowerment) and democracy (e.g., access, inclusion and participation, voice). b. Encourage self-reflection of one’s own ethical and political beliefs. c. Respect and be sensitive to differences in values, norms and attitudes of individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds and experiences. d. Shift learners’ expectations to develop creative and innovative strategies and solutions to social justice and democracy. D. Significance and Relevance of the Lesson Why should learners and practitioners care about these issues? 1. The lesson develops critical thinking about the processes and dynamics of social change in the United States. 2. The lesson provides a depth of analysis, experience and tools to guide nonprofit leaders’ actively engaged in social justice and democracy. E. How to Tailor the Lesson to Diverse Audiences The curriculum is designed to provide a fundamental base of knowledge and experience on nonprofit leadership. The flexible combination of the recipe for the lesson and menu for enrichment activities will enable instructors to tailor lessons for different organizational settings and diverse audiences. This array of possible options will enable the instructor or facilitator to take an active role in shaping the scope, content, format and complementary activities for a lesson and/or set of lessons that can be adapted to suit specific audiences from undergraduate and graduate students, to practitioners.

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F. Possible Sequencing Options for Lessons by Themes In addition, to expand on and enable further in-depth treatment of the themes and issues introduced in this opening lesson, this lesson can be mixed, matched and sequenced with other lessons in multiple ways according to themes or audiences, for instance. Lesson 1 is seen as a pivotal part of a broader set of lessons focused on the two themes of building democracy and advancing social justice. Possible sequencing options by themes include: ·

Nonprofit Organizations’ Role in Building Democracy: Lessons 1, 4, 6, 7

·

Nonprofit Organizations’ Role in Advancing Social Justice: Lessons 1, 5, 8, 9

·

“Tool Kit” for Effective Leadership – Summary of Nonprofit Organization Leadership and Strategic Vision Issues: Lessons 2, 3, 10

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PART II. NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP AND DEMOCRACY LESSON 1 The Theoretical and Historical Roles of Nonprofit Organizations in Advancing Social Justice and Fostering Democracy SESSION 1: Introducing Key Concepts about Nonprofit Organizations’ Roles in Advancing Social Justice and Fostering Democracy (Estimated time: 90 minutes) HANDOUT 1.1: Key Concepts – Actors and Strategies Nonprofit Organizations Nonprofit organizations are private, voluntary organizations that promote the public interest. Implicit is a concern for a broader social purpose and mission to address unmet public needs not effectively fulfilled by either the market or government. The primary focus is on nonprofit organizations as defined as 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 organizations in the United States tax code. Social Movement A social movement is the shared activities of diverse actors comprised of individuals, nonprofit and other social organizations to mobilize citizens at all levels of society to influence politics broadly, and ultimately to achieve genuine social change as it concerns the rules, processes and practices of society, the market, or the government. Organizing Organizing is a primary strategy that nonprofit organizations and social movements use for collective action to bring together people and groups to take action on social justice issues at multiple levels. It may take various forms from creating local institutions, to national political organizing, and popular mobilization of people at the grassroots. Advocacy Advocacy is a primary strategy used by citizens to influence the public decisions affecting their lives at the community, national and international levels. Advocacy takes many forms from personal action to collective efforts at lobbying. Public issue advocacy is citizen political action focused on influencing the policies, programs and practices of governments, corporations and nonprofit organizations. Coalition-building A coalition is a set of actors (e.g., nonprofit organizations, foundations, labor unions) that coordinate shared strategies and tactics to influence decision-making concerning the public interest and social policy broadly.

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A. How Nonprofit Organizations Contribute to Building Democracy HANDOUT 1.2: Discussion of Different Conceptions and Perspectives on Democracy and Social Justice Democracy 1. Democracy Is a Series of Informed, Ongoing Public Dialogues about Accountable Governance. The challenge is to give people the capacity to reproduce these public dialogues about what constitutes accountable governance in their communities and organizations. We have so few good models. 2. Democracy Is a Process, Not a Product. 3. Democracy Is the Work of the People. What you work in creating, you have a stake in. People create a democracy through joint work in shared civic activities. 4. Democracy Means Empowerment: Nonprofits should not act solely on behalf of the people, but instead focus on empowering people to act for themselves. 5. Democracy Is Inclusive and Ensures Voice: Democracy means including people affected by problem, especially the disenfranchised and powerless, in all phases of work and ensuring them a voice in the decisions that affect their lives. 6. Democracy Is Participatory and Ensures People a Stake in the Process. Democracy is when people have a sense of ownership of the process and fully participate in it. Nonprofit organizations should also focus on restoring a sense of efficacy to the people. 7. Democracy Means Self-Governance: Democracy is when people can selforganize to make decisions about their own affairs. Social Justice 1. Social Justice Is Righting Injustices: Social justice means redressing current and past wrongs and inequities. 2. Social Justice Is What Is Right for Society. But, the Fundamental Question Is: Who Decides? The terms and standards for social justice change over time, groups, and place. 3. There Must Be a Place Where People Learn What Social (In)Justice Is. 4. Social Justice Means Acting for Equity: Equity is when people have the same opportunities for resources. 5. Does the Concept of Social Justice Presume Universal Standards? 6. There Are Many Dimensions of Justice: not just economic, but legal, political, social, environmental, etc. 7. One Should Evaluate Social Justice Based on: a. Social structure: A just social structure allows all to flourish and thrive. b. Distribution of All Goods and the Relationship to the Social Structure. 8. Are Shared Values a Precondition for Social Justice? If it is a democratic process, people only need to share the values for dialogue and exchange.

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B. How Nonprofit Organizations Foster Democracy Many nonprofit organizations regularly struggle with the issue of how to foster and deepen democracy within the communities that they serve. The challenge is how to make democratic practice a fundamental part of nonprofit organizations’ mission, strategy and operations. What are the underlying values for democratic practice? How can nonprofit organizations actively engage with the community and enable all citizens to have a voice in decision-making that affects their lives? How can nonprofit organizations build responsive institutions and processes that enhance and sustain democratic participation at the local, state and national levels? Nonprofit organizations contribute to democracy in several important and overlapping ways: ·

Advocacy Role: As an advocate and catalyst for disenfranchised peoples, nonprofit organizations enable and empower people to activate and realize their voice in the decisions that affect their lives. As advocates, nonprofit organizations work on behalf of people to help them (a) access resources; (b) inform or influence decisions; and (c) express their needs and concerns.

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Educational Role: As an agent for building the capacity of people to analyze, reflect and act on their own behalf, nonprofit organizations seek to inform, educate and empower people through a wide range of strategies and activities.

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Mediating Role: As a mediator between public and private interests, nonprofit organizations seek to promote dialogue, exchange, conflict resolution among members of society.

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Mobilizing Role: As defenders of the public interest, nonprofit organizations seek to mobilize people to take collective action on critical social justice issues.

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Participatory Role: As the need for public input on key social issues arises, nonprofit organizations seek to develop participatory mechanisms and processes that engage all people in the decisions affecting them at all levels of public (e.g., as citizens, consumers) and private life (e.g., as workers, volunteers).

·

Service Provider Role: As important social needs remain unmet, nonprofit organizations provide essential services to specific publics and communities.

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·

Accountability Role: As agents for accountability, nonprofit organizations monitor and influence the practices and policies of government, business and other nonprofit actors. In the process, nonprofit organizations seek to build transparent and accountable democratic institutions.

C. How Nonprofit Organizations Contribute to Social Justice Bearing in mind differing perspectives on social justice, how do nonprofit organizations contribute to social justice? Some of the ways that nonprofits do include: ·

Acting as Advocates for Equality – Nonprofit organizations, acting individually as well as collectively as part of broader social movements, have been effective proponents and advocates for equality on the basis of race, gender, disability or representation. Their work has focused on securing rights for disenfranchised peoples in the public and private spheres.

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Defining Basic Human Needs – Nonprofit organizations address basic human needs of all people to be full and productive members of society. This work ranges from defining basic levels of access to primary health care to the standards for affordable housing and a living wage.

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Serving as a Voice for Justice – Nonprofit organizations raise fundamental issues for debate about injustice and the values that should guide the building of a just society, such as racial and economic justice.

Discussion Questions: As a nonprofit leader, you are asked to address the following fundamental questions: 1. What constitutes meaningful progress on social justice and democracy? 2. What criteria, measures and indicators should be used to gauge whether progress is occurring on these issues? 3. What are the institutional and political barriers that prevent democracy and social justice from flourishing in our communities and society? 4. What structures, if any, are antithetical to democracy and social justice? What examples can you give to support your analysis? 5. How can a more supportive political environment be created that recognizes and acts on these issues?

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D. Challenges and Opportunities that Nonprofit Organizations Confront, and that Affect Their Approaches and Activities 1. Economic Realities Nonprofit organizations increasingly operate in an unfavorable economic environment where the impact of market practices can distort their commitment to its broader mission. For instance, the high cost of living, low wages, welfare reform and other economic policies have severely undercut the likelihood that grassroots community people and volunteers can participate in nonprofit organizations’ activities. ·

To learn more about how nonprofit organizations actively engage in advancing social justice, see Lesson 5.

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To learn more about how nonprofit organizations are mobilizing for economic justice through living wage campaigns, see Lesson 6.

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To learn more about how the issues of representation, race and class dynamics plays out in the case of the environmental justice movement, see Lesson 8.

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To learn more about how nonprofit leaders have advanced social justice through grassroots activism and national coalition-building in the case of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), see Lesson 9.

2. Political Realities Nonprofit organizations operate in an increasingly unfavorable political environment where Congress has enacted tax and political regulations that limit their advocacy rights. Many nonprofit organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to influence political decision-makers who are seeking funds for their re-election. Despite these challenges, some nonprofit organizations are developing innovative and effective approaches to advancing social justice and fostering democracy that reach out to and engage disempowered and disenfranchised people in their communities. ·

To learn more about the theoretical possibilities and opportunities for nonprofit organizations to advance social justice and foster democracy, see Lesson 1.

·

To learn more about the role of nonprofit organizations in fostering political and economic democracy, see Lesson 4.

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·

To learn more about the role of nonprofit organizations in promoting campaign finance reform, see Lesson 7. 3. Organizational Issues As nonprofit organizations renew their mission and practice, they face the multiple organizational challenges of reinvigorating their leadership role, addressing internal democratic practice and accountability, and reassessing their relationships with funding organizations, government agencies, and their communities. Nonprofit leaders seek to be responsive to existing and new social needs in the communities and to strengthen their organization’s capacities to address them. ·

To learn more about the dynamics affecting nonprofit organizations’ survival and viability – such as funding (who sets the agenda) and advocacy rights, see Lesson 2.

·

To learn more about how to promote the accountability and responsiveness of nonprofits organizations (NPOs), see Lesson 3.

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To learn more about tools and resources for sustaining the strategic vision and leadership of nonprofit leaders, see Lesson 10.

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SESSION 2: An Analytical Framework for Understanding the Theoretical and Historical Roles of Nonprofit Organizations in Advancing Social Justice and Fostering Democracy (Estimated time: 90 minutes) A. Examine the Relationships between Nonprofit Organizations and Social Movements What roles have nonprofit organizations played in broader social movements for social justice and democracy? This lesson examines the relations between nonprofits organizations and social movements in important historical initiatives for social change in the United States such as the Civil Rights, environmental, and women’s movements. Each of these social movements has had a significant impact on changing the political discourse and strategies of nonprofit organizations as they work collectively to address critical social and political issues. Dimensions of issues and arenas of social action All social justice and democracy issues, and thus nonprofit advocacy, have economic, political and social dimensions. In democratic countries all societal rules – or the absence thereof – that regulate political, economic and social activities ultimately are governed by political decisions. Depending upon their characteristics, however, different issues are primarily political, economic and social, and advocacy activities therefore occur in one of these three arenas. As shown in Table 1 below, the economic arena focuses on the rules and practices of the market economy, the political arena on the rules and practices of the political system, and the social arena on societal rules and practices outside the economic and political realms. Each of these arenas presents different opportunities and challenges to nonprofit advocacy, and each has different measures of meaningful progress and successful advocacy work. Table 1: Main Arenas of Action for Nonprofit Advocacy by Issue Area Main Arena of Action Economic – focus on the rules and practices of the market economy Political –focus on the rules and practices of the political system and government programs Social – focus on the rules and practices of society (in relation to race and gender)

Social Movements/Issue Area* · Union Movement (1930s) · Environmental Movement (1970s-1990s) · Welfare Rights Movement (late 1960s-early 1970s) · Civil Rights Movement (late 1950s-late 1960s) · Women’s Movement (“2nd Stage:” 1960s)

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Note: These movements and issue areas are listed in these categories here for illustrative purposes. EXERCISE 1.1: Analyzing particular social movements and nonprofit organizations By using the conceptual framework outlined above in Table 1, you are asked to identify other historical and contemporary social movements and issue areas for analysis. Your analysis of specific social movements should be guided by the following discussion questions. Discussion Questions: 1.

What was the primary arena of action for the movement? To what degree was the movement affected by or reside in other arenas?

2.

How did the different arenas of action shape the movement’s strategy and activities?

3.

How did the missions and constituencies of leading nonprofits involved in the movement constrain their particular organizational strategies and operations? Practitioners: How do your organization’s mission and constituencies constrain its particular organizational strategies and operations?

4.

If the movement led to the creation of new nonprofits, why did this occur? Practitioners: To what extent did your organization emerge from a social movement?

5.

What constituencies were not represented by the nonprofits that played key leadership or mobilization roles? Why not? Practitioners: What constituencies are not represented by your own and/or other nonprofits playing key leadership or mobilization roles? Why not?

6.

What nonprofits with leadership/mobilizing potential did not play important roles in the movement? Why not?

7.

What were the leadership factors that led to these movements’ success? Do these lessons apply across various social movements? Why or why not?

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8.

How do the concepts of social justice and democracy relate to the work and mission of particular nonprofit organizations? Practitioners: How do these concepts relate to the work and mission of your organization?

9.

What principles guide that organization’s work on social justice and democracy? Practitioners: Do you have principles that guide your organization’s work on social justice and democracy? What are they?

10.

Practitioners: What implications does this discussion have for the future work (i.e., mission, governance, strategy, practice) of your organization?

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PART III. MENU OF ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES: Lesson 1 To complement the lesson sessions, a menu of enrichment activities offers additional options for achieving the specific learning objectives and needs of . These enrichment activities use a range of pedagogical approaches and techniques to engage learners and practitioners actively in the learning process. This menu is illustrative of possible ways that activities can be mixed and matched according to the interests and needs of learners and practitioners. These enrichment activities offer creative, interactive strategies for learning about social justice issues and the role that citizens and nonprofit organizations play in bringing about change from the community to the national levels. They offer multiple ways to plug learners into a wider array of social justice issues drawing on experiential perspectives of nonprofit leaders and practitioners. 1. Stories and Narratives of Nonprofit Leaders (e.g., videos, readings, guest presentations) Cold Anger: A Story of Faith and Power Politics (1990). By Mary Beth Rogers, Denton, TX: University of North Texas Press. This book draws on the first-hand organizing experience of Ernie Cortez, Southwest Regional Director of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF). This account provides a social justice perspective on defending the public interest and advocating for the common good based on experiences in organizing local communities. Interview with Fannie Lou Hamer (1983). New York: William Greaves Production, National Black Archives, Video, 51 minutes. In a gripping on-camera interview, Mrs. Hamer talks about the values she learned from her parents, her experiences growing up in the Deep South and the radicalizing events that led her to risk her life in the struggle for human rights in America. The program includes archival footage of the Civil Rights protests and of the historic Democratic Convention of 1968. The Women and Organizing Documentation Project Video (2000). The Union Institute, Center for Women, Washington, DC, Video, 32 minutes. Presents the first-hand experiences of five women activist leaders engaged in organizing and advocacy for social justice on a diverse range of issues. Web site: www.wmm.com/catalog/pages/c536.htm 2. Case Study Method The main emphasis here is to use the case study method to expose learners to real problems taken from various experiential settings as the basis for reflection and critical thinking about different approaches to problem solving and action on social justice issues.

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a. PREPARE CASE STUDIES ON SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES: Prepare a case study about a historical social movement or contemporary social justice issue (see the list of recommended resources in Part IV, pages 33-36). You should first examine the issue, and then act with you colleagues as a group to make a decision on the issue. Why is the issue considered to be a social justice issue? What is the most appropriate process for engaging the community in the decision-making concerning this issue? ·

Understand and frame the problem: Why is it a social justice issue? How is the issue framed? (e.g., the siting of a hazardous waste facility in the community; racial profiling practices of police). Recommended Reading: Gamson, William A. (2000). Framing Social Policy. The Nonprofit Quarterly, 7(2), December. Web site: www.nonprofitquarterly.org/advocacy/framing.php

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Develop critical research questions and procedures: For example, what are the possible uses of the proposed hazardous waste site in the community? How are decisions made about land use? What zoning bylaws exist? What are the costs and benefits of different choices? What are the priorities for our community?

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Gather, organize, and interpret critical information to understanding this social justice issue: For example, conduct a telephone interview with the appropriate city officials to obtain information on zoning or land-use requirements and the public process for decision-making in the community.

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Propose alternatives and make choices: You should provide a rationale to justify your choices. You will then present your decision in the form of a proposed resolution to the city council. All participants are asked to vote on the merits of the proposed resolution. Why did the proposed resolution pass or fail? What were the key factors? Recommended Reading: Candaele, Kelly, and Peter Dreier. (2000). LA’s Progressive Mosaic: Beginning to Find Its Voice, The Nation, August 21-28, 2000. Web site: http://past.thenation.com/issue/000821/0821candaele.shtml

b. GUIDED GROUP DISCUSSION WITH SOCIAL JUSTICE LEADERS: Invite social justice leaders to work with groups of students as they research the issue. Why did leaders frame the issue in the way they did? How did they organize and engage the community in the process? Provide leaders with background

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information and the research questions students have developed. Ask them to spend time with small groups in informal discussion. c. CLASS MEETING: Hold a class discussion, examining the different perspectives on the social justice issue presented in the case study. Encourage learners to ask questions and to present their own interpretation and analysis of the pivotal factors that led to successful impact and outcomes on the issue. 3. Simulations and Role Plays A range of collaborative activities involving simulations and role plays are proposed to help develop the conceptual comprehension, problem-solving and critical thinking skills of learners. a. MOCK TOWN HALL MEETING: Organize a mock town hall meeting at which learners will participate as citizens. Select a group of learners to act as the council, modeling it after the main players described in the case study’s community. Ask learners to re-examine their issue and develop a short paragraph stating and explaining their position. Arrange the classroom to represent a community or town hall meeting room. Create an area where other citizens can stand while making their statements. If time permits, various council groups in the classroom may present more than one issue. The council presents the issue at the beginning of the meeting. Learners then speak to the issue as citizens. Ensure that all learners have a chance to speak and allow time for questions and discussions once students have presented their statements. b. CLASS DISCUSSION: Ask learners to consider what their rights, duties and responsibilities are as individuals in the community. They may discuss the following questions and record responses in their journals: ·

What are your rights as a citizen of this community?

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What are your duties and responsibilities as a citizen?

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As a citizen, do you have a duty and obligation to serve a broader social purpose, such as promoting social justice and fostering democracy? Why or why not?

4. Exercises and Practica You are a director of a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote and advance social justice in your community. Given the need for action in your community, you are asked to engage in the following activities. The Nonprofit Leadership and Democracy Curriculum

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a. GROUP RESEARCH ON SOCIAL JUSTICE: Form a small group and select a social justice issue for joint research. Each member of the group should identify and collect relevant information about the issue. You should identify sources of information, including newspaper articles, minutes and transcripts of public meetings, and online resources (e.g., web sites of key groups, press releases, reports, etc.) that provide relevant background information, and personal interviews with officials, community members, or leaders of nonprofit organizations. You should identify whether any existing nonprofit organizations are engaged in advocacy for any of these issues. If appropriate, you should contact the relevant advocacy groups for information. You should organize your research to address the following questions: ·

What is this social justice issue about?

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How do the key institutions and the media characterize this social justice issue?

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How do citizens and nonprofit advocacy groups characterize and frame this social justice issue?

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What alternative perspectives and solutions will best advance social justice and deepen democracy on this particular issue?

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What criteria and indicators should nonprofit leaders use to evaluate whether progress is being made on this social justice issue?

b. DEVELOPING AN EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY STRATEGY: Based on your research, prepare a presentation on a social justice issue. Each group is asked to develop an advocacy strategy to influence decision-making around the issue. Also, you should discuss various advocacy techniques and develop an overall strategy or plan to influence the main decision-making institutions. Forms of Advocacy: ·

Grasroots organizing and activism – The focus is on building the capacity of grassroots people to bring about change through collective action. Grassroots people develop the skills, analysis, resources to become organized, identify issues, and develop activities toward addressing those issues.

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Policy research and monitoring – The focus is on monitoring and evaluating the impacts of policies and programs on the intended target groups and seeks to inform and improve the performance and responsiveness of key actors and institutions.

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·

Public interest litigation – The emphasis is on legal reform to ensure protection of key rights and opportunities for disadvantaged groups;

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Coalition-building – This advocacy strategy focuses on building relationships among a key set of actors toward a shared analysis of a problem and some commonly defined strategy and joint action to address it.

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Campaigns are coordinated activities among groups to influence the behavior and policies of key actors such as business, government or other institutions.

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Public policy advocacy and lobbying – This focuses on changing, informing public policy at the local, state or national level. The emphasis here is on influencing policy by either involving professional advocates to target advocacy toward political leaders and/or mobilizing grassroots community people to target their advocacy toward political leaders and institutions.

The actual tactics that groups may employ include: letter writing, using local media, such as phone-in radio or TV shows, rallies and demonstrations, personal conversations with officials, and press conferences. c. TAKING ACTION: You are asked to form groups according to your research and position on an issue. Each group prepares a plan of action on how to build support for action the issue. Groups should discuss their positions and list the supporting evidence. Each group should discuss how they have framed the issue (by differentiating between key facts and opinions) in order to build support for their position. You should consider the various advocacy methods that nonprofit organizations and community groups use to influence decisions. You should include the following items in your group’s plan of action: ·

An overall statement that clearly sets out, explains, and frames the social justice issue.

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Position statements that analyze and propose possible actions on the social justice issue.

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Statements from officials and citizens that support your position.

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Information from your research that supports your position.

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The leading critiques of your group’s position and your response to those critiques.

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Exercises: 1. Compare and contrast the main arenas of action – economic, political, and social – for nonprofit advocacy. What main arena or arenas does your organization engage in and why? 2. How important is the political arena to achieving success on your particular issue area? 3. What strategies for advocacy were effective in making progress on a particular social issue? 4. What criteria should be used to evaluate effectiveness and impact? a. PRESENTATION TO OFFICIALS: Arrange for learners to present their folders to officials engaged in the social justice issue. They may make a brief presentation or send a letter and folders to officials of the main target institution. Ask learners to evaluate the outcome and effectiveness of their actions. b. ADVOCACY RESOURCE GUIDE: Ask learners to brainstorm how citizens can take part in nonprofit advocacy and influence decision-making at the local level. Compile their ideas into a guidebook for local action. Each learner can prepare a brief overview of effective strategies and tactics, documenting experiences from the field, to be compiled into a regularly updated advocacy resource guide. c. ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT REPORTS: Ask learners to consider how citizens are responsible for ensuring that government meets their needs. Learners can prepare reports evaluating the government's success in meeting their needs. The report may address various issues: the needs of citizens in their community, how the decision-making process operates, the role that nonprofit played in effective advocacy and strategies that they used, and the responsiveness of government to addressing citizens' needs. Learners prepare brief presentations from their reports and share their knowledge and insights with their groups.

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PART IV: RESOURCES FOR NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP A. Suggested Readings 1. Theoretical and Historical Roles of Nonprofits in Advancing Social Justice and Democracy a. Theoretical and Historical Roles of the Nonprofit Sector Alford, Robert R. (1992). The Political Language of the Nonprofit Sector, In: Richard M. Merelman, ed., Language, Symbolism and Politics, Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 17-50. Berresford, Susan. (1996). Perspective: What Nonprofits Can Do. Community Jobs, p. 8, 10, March. Bielefeld, Wolfgang. (1994). What Affects Nonprofit Survival? Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 5:19-36. Burns, Stewart. (1990). Social Movements of the 1960s: Searching for Democracy. Boston, MA: Twayne Publishers. Clotfelter, Charles T., ed. (1992). Who benefits from the nonprofit sector? Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. Clotfelter, Charles T., and Thomas Ehrlich, eds. (1999). Philanthropy and the Nonprofit Sector in a Changing America. Indianapolis, IN: Indiana Press. Gardner, Deborah S., ed. (1998). Vision and Values: Rethinking the Nonprofit Sector in America. A Report for the Nathan Cummings Foundation. New Haven, CT: Yale University, Program on Nonprofit Organizations. Hall, Peter Dobkin. (1994). Historical perspectives on nonprofit organizations. In R. D. Herman and Associates (Ed.), The Jossey-Bass Handbook of Nonprofit Leadership and Management, pp. 3-43. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Hall, Peter Dobkin. (1992). Inventing the Nonprofit Sector: and Other Essays on Philanthropy, Voluntarism, and Nonprofit Organizations. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Press. Lehning, Percy B. (1998). Towards a Multicultural Civil Society: The Role of Social Capital and Democratic Citizenship, Government and Opposition, 33(2):221, Spring. Minkoff, Debra C. (1997). Producing Social Capital: National Social Movements and Civil Society, American Behavioral Scientist, 40(5):606-619, March/April.

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O’Connell, Brian. (1996). A Major Transfer of Government Responsibility to Voluntary Organizations: Proceed with Caution, Public Administration Review, 56(3):222-225. Powell, Walter W., and Elisabeth S. Clemens, eds., (1998). Private Action and Public Good. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Salamon, Lester. (1995). Partners in Public Service: Government-Nonprofit Relations in the Modern Welfare State. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. Salamon, Lester M. (1997). Holding the Center: America’s Nonprofit Sector at a Crossroads. A Report to the Nathan Cummings Foundation. New York: Nathan Cummins Foundation. Salamon, Lester M. (1999). The Nonprofit Sector at a Crossroads: The Case of America. Voluntas, 10(1):5-23. Salamon, Lester M. (1999). America’s Nonprofit Sector: A Primer. New York: The Foundation Center, 2nd Edition. Wolch, Jennifer. (1999). Decentering America’s Nonprofit Sector: Reflections on Salamon’s Crises Analysis, Voluntas, 10(1):25-35. Young, Dennis R. (1999). Complementary, Supplementary, or Adversarial? A Theoretical and Historical Examination of Nonprofit-Government Relations in the United States. In: Nonprofits and Government: Collaboration and Conflict. Elizabeth T. Boris and Eugene C. Steuerle, (eds.). Washington, DC: The Urban Institute, pp. 31-70. b. The Labor Union and Populist Movements Bronfenbrenner, Kate, Sheldon Friedman, Richard Hurd, Rudolph A. Oswald, and Ronald L. Seeber, eds. (1998). Organizing to Win: New Research on Union Strategies. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University ILR Press. Clemens, Elizabeth. (1997). The People’s Lobby: Organizational Innovation and the Rise of Interest Group Politics in the United States, 1890-1925. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. Cohen, Lizabeth. (1990). Making a New Deal. New York: Cambridge University Press. Goldfield, Michael. (1987). The Decline of Organized Labor in the United States. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

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Goodwyn, Lawrence. (1978). The Populist Movement. New York: Oxford University Press. Piven, Frances Fox, and Richard A. Cloward (1979). Poor People’s Movements: Why They Succeed, How They Fail. New York: Vintage Books. Zieger, Robert (1995). The CIO, 1935-1955. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press. c. The U.S. Environmental Movement Dowie, Mark. (1995) Losing Ground: American Environmentalism at the Close of the 20th Century. Cambridge, MA. MIT Press. Dunlap, Riley, and Angela Metig. (1992). American Environmentalism: The U.S. Environmental Movement, 1970-1990. Philadelphia, PA: Taylor & Francis. Hays, Samuel P. (1987). Beauty, Health, and Permanence: Environmental Politics in the U.S., 1955-1985. New York: Cambridge University Press. Natapoff, Sasha. (1989). Stormy Weather: The Promise of the U.S. Environmental Movement. Washington, DC: Institute for Policy Studies. Paehlke, Robert. (1989). Environmentalism and the Future of Progressive Politics. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Petulla, Jospeh M. (1980). American Environmentalism: Values, Tactics, Priorities. Texas A & M University Press. Sale, Kirpatrick. (1993). Green Revolution: The Environmental Movement, 19621992. New York: Hill and Wang. d. The Civil Rights Movement Branch, Taylor. (1999). Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years, 1963-1965. New York: Simon & Schuster. Dittmer, John. (1995). Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press. Goldfield, Michael. (1997). The Color of Politics: Race and the Mainsprings of American Politics. New York: The New Press. Lewis, John. (1998). Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement. New York: Simon & Schuster.

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McAdam, Doug. (1982). Political Process and the Development of Black Insurgency, 1930-1980. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. McAdam, Doug. (1988). Freedom Summer. New York: Oxford University Press. Morris, Aldon. (1984). Origins of the Civil Rights Movement: Black Communities Organizing for Change. New York: Free Press. Payne, Charles. (1995. I’ve Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. e. The Women’s Movement Feree, Myra Max (1994). Controversy and Coalition: The New Feminist Movement. New York: Maxwell MacMillan International. Gelb, Joyce, and Marian Lieff Palley. (1982). Women and Public Policies. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Katzenstein, Mary Fainsod. (1998). Faithful and Fearless: Moving Feminist Protest Inside the Church and Military. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Katzenstein, Mary Fainsod, and Carol McClurg Mueller. (1987). The Women’s Movements of the United States and Western Europe. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press. Mansbridge, Jane. (1986). Why We Lost the ERA. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

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