Nonprofit Advocacy & Civic Engagement Research
Landmark research on the declining state of nonprofit influence through advocacy and civic engagement — and how to reclaim it.
Advocacy Is Core to Nonprofit Health
Nonprofits are catalysts for systemic change in the United States. Our organizations bring people together to educate leaders — particularly policymakers — about our missions, community challenges, and potential solutions. More importantly, for almost 200 years, American nonprofits have helped people use their own voices to share their stories, call for change, and hold leaders accountable.
Given the pivotal role of advocacy and civic engagement in the nonprofit sector, it is important to understand the extent to which organizations participate in these types of activities. What types of organizations advocate? What motivates or prohibits them from advocating? What resources do nonprofits need to increase impact and create more equitable systems?
By answering these questions, we’re working to equip sector leaders with the tools they need to fulfill their missions and serve their communities.
The Current State of Nonprofit Advocacy
Our research fills a 20-year gap in data around nonprofit advocacy and civic engagement. We provide evidence-based insights on how and why advocacy has changed in the last two decades, how it varies by organization, and how sector leaders can reclaim their influence.
The Retreat of Influence
This quantitative research is based on a nationally representative survey that illustrates the extent to which U.S.-based nonprofits advocate.
The Pursuit of Influence
This qualitative research is based on a series of interviews that explores the underlying reasons why organizations do or do not engage in advocacy and civic engagement activities.
Earning Influence
Independent Sector convened an advisory group of nonprofit executives and policy practitioners to co-create recommendations on how to strengthen nonprofit advocacy.
Data Highlights
31%
A significantly lower proportion of nonprofits report advocating or lobbying compared to 20 years ago.
Only 31% of nonprofits report engaging in advocacy or lobbying over the last five years, which is less than half of the percentage of nonprofits that reported ever lobbying in 2000 (74%).
70%
Mission plays the largest role in determining nonprofit advocacy and lobbying.
Approximately 70% of policy-engaged nonprofits report their mission encourages their policy engagement. Among nonprofits that do not engage in policy, 56% report policy engagement does not apply to their mission.
32%
Today, significantly fewer nonprofits know the advocacy activities they can legally do, compared to 20 years ago.
In 2000, over half of 501(c)(3) public charities (54%) knew they could support or oppose federal legislation. Today, only 32% of nonprofits are aware of that fact.
13%
Only 13% of nonprofits conduct nonpartisan activities to help people vote.
Among nonprofits that advocate, 1 in 5 provide people with nonpartisan voter information.
57%
Nonprofits that belong to collaborative groups advocate at higher rates than those that are not members.
Of nonprofits that belong to local, state, or national coalitions, 57% advocate or lobby, compared to only 12% of nonprofits that do not belong to such coalitions.
36%
Although a majority of nonprofits have a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statement, only 36% engage in policy activities to create more equitable systems.
However, policy-engaged nonprofits’ investment of time and resources in DEI activities is much higher than for non-policy-engaged nonprofits.
Take Action
The decline of nonprofit influence calls for concerted and coordinated action by the sector. Advocacy is about nonprofits working together alongside their communities. The issues raised in this research cannot be solved by a single organization alone.
Review these additional resources to help you and the members of your network quickly understand key findings from this research and what is at stake.
Only 13% of nonprofits conduct nonpartisan activities to help people vote, despite being more effective than other organization types in getting people across the political spectrum to vote. Use the Nonprofit Voter Empowerment Playbook to develop your organization’s voter engagement plan and increase voter participation
Significantly fewer nonprofits know the advocacy activities they can legally do today, compared to 20 years ago. This is — in part — due to a lack of clear and understandable rules about what is allowed and what is appropriately prohibited. Learn more about the need to clarify nonprofit civic engagement rules and contact the IS policy team to get involved.
Coalitions can help nonprofits to work towards their missions, provide services to the communities they serve, amplify their voices, and share intelligence, resources, and workload. Learn more about our Nonprofit Coalition Connection.
Advisory Group Recommendations
Our Nonprofit Advocacy Research Advisory Group brought together nonprofit executives and policy practitioners to develop recommendations on how to strengthen sector advocacy.
