EDITOR'S NOTE: Ever since we launched LA Community Policing, we have operated under the premise that non profit community-based efforts (in our case a grass roots advocacy for better public safety and quality of life) would go a long way toward convincing both the powers-that-be to allow such inclusion, and, secondly, to go to the community once things opened up, encouraging residents to spend their valuable time, energy and money on volunteering to make a difference. We're delighted the survey here proves our central point, that there has been a previously untapped resource, America's people, who could .. and WOULD .. play an active role in government, law enforcement and many other quality of life issues.

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Advocacy spending by nonprofits yields significant benefits in L.A. County

March 1, 2010

The LA Times

Most charitable giving goes to programs that provide a service rather than try to fix the system. But a study of Los Angeles County nonprofits found that spending on advocacy and organizing can yield major benefits for the communities that donors want to help.

The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy estimated that for every dollar invested in the work of a selection of advocacy groups, there was $91 in benefits to local residents.

"It is far...above the kind of bang for the buck that you get when you invest in funding direct services," said Aaron Dorfman, executive director of the Washington-based philanthropy watchdog.

Dorfman said he hopes the report released Tuesday will encourage foundations to consider investing at least 25% of their grant dollars in advocacy, organizing and civic engagement.

Between 2004 and 2008, the committee collected and verified data from 15 groups engaged in fighting poverty, improving health and education, defending minorities and other causes. It found that the $75.5 million spent by the groups on this kind of work generated nearly $6.89 billion in benefits to residents.

The report's authors acknowledge shortcomings in their attempt to put a dollar value on advocacy work. The groups studied were often part of coalitions that also contributed funds; policymakers don't base their decisions only on what non-profits tell them; and not all the results can be quantified.

But independent analysts said the report shows there are tangible benefits to supporting advocacy groups.

"These are the organizations that are working to make sure that money is going to people in need and that it is benefiting their communities," said Elizabeth Boris, director of the Urban Institute's Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy.

Among the examples cited in the report:

--ACORN Los Angeles helped build a coalition of labor and community groups to increase the state minimum wage by $1.25 to $8 an hour. The change generated $2.65 billion in additional income in the county over four years.

--InnerCity Struggle campaigned for the construction of two new schools in East Los Angeles at a cost of $299 million. The first is set to open in the fall.

--The Asian Pacific American Legal Center, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights and other groups helped persuade state legislators not to abolish programs that provide food, cash and medical aid to legal immigrants.

Nearly 3,000 charitable foundations are active in the county, providing grants totaling $2.1 billion in 2007, according to the report. But only a small portion support advocacy work.

"I think often that advocacy can be seen as a controversial thing," said Alicia Lara, vice president of community investment for United Way of Greater Los Angeles, which supports some of the groups in the report. "I'm not particularly interested in funding organizations that are just doing the adversarial, stone-throwing kind of approach."

But she said her foundation does not believe it can achieve its poverty alleviation goals without addressing "the big policy issues." Although it does much of its own advocacy work, she said it also gives 5% of its funding to community groups engaged in "problem solving."

Karin Wang of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center hopes the report will encourage others to make advocacy part of their giving.

"Otherwise, you are not addressing the root cause of the problem," she said.