To Coerce or to Enable? The Effect of Government Funding on Policy Advocacy in Nonprofit Human Service Organizations

Abstract

Policy advocacy is an indispensable function of nonprofits. With government becoming a critical revenue source, how government funding influences their policy advocacy emerges as a wide concern. This research explores the effect of government funding on nonprofit policy advocacy in three aspects: advocacy participation, advocacy strategy, and advocacy venue. The study finds government funding encourages nonprofit participation in policy advocacy. Along with advocacy participation, government funding increases nonprofit use of both insider and outsider advocacy strategies. Again, when nonprofits decide to advocate insider government systems, government funding motivates nonprofits to advocate administrative agencies over legislative bodies.