Advocacy, Democratic Theory, and Participation

This document was part of the Multicultural Philanthropy Project, funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. A series of fourteen guides examine the ways in which various gender, ethnic, cultural, religious and racial groups use their gifts of time, money, and talent. They reflect the ways giving and voluntarism are embedded in American life and challenge the notion that philanthropy is the exclusive province of elites. The guides include discussion topics, research questions, and literature overviews with annotated bibliographies. They were developed both to integrate the study of philanthropy into the curricula at colleges and universities, and to provide a tool to nonprofit professionals in the area of development and fundraising. Each volume provides background information on a selected community that will help practitioners work effectively with these groups. Divided into three sections -- Theory and Participation, Pluralism and Interest Groups, and Advocacy in Practice -- this volume explores the relationship between the formation of associations and democratic practice. Beginning with Madison's federalist papers, the chapters explore why individuals have formed organizations, the most important reason being the desire to redress perceived inequalities, imbalances and injustices. The guide is designed with a dual purpose; to provide a clear conceptual and historical foundation for those interested in the advocacy role of nonprofit organizations and to offer lessons learned from case studies for those actively involved in community advocacy. The guide can best be used to examine historical and contemporary models of change from the work of community organizer, Saul Alinsky to the current practices of environment, economic and health-related public interest groups.