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 nonprofit advocacy and civic engagement has helped people use their own voices to share their stories, call for change, and hold leaders accountable.

Given the pivotal role of nonprofit advocacy and civic engagement in the 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.

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.

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%).

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.

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.

Read the full article about nonprofit advocacy and civic engagement at Independent Sector.