Michal Almog-Bar

Advocacy Activities of Nonprofit Human Service Organizations A Critical Review

Policy advocacy is widely regarded as an eminent feature of nonprofit organizations’ activities, allowing them to represent their constituencies. The article presents a literature review of research on nonprofit policy advocacy that has been published over the last decade, focusing on advocacy by nonprofit human service organizations (NPHSOs) and its unique characteristics and contributions. The review focuses on several key topics, including: the definitions and origins of the term advocacy and its current uses in studies related to NPHSOs; the current situation and prevalence of NPHSO advocacy activities; organizational and structural variables as they relate to policy advocacy; dependence on external funding sources and policy advocacy; strategies, tactics, modes of operation, and the effectiveness of NPHSO policy advocacy. The article presents and discusses the implications of this research and suggests directions for future research.

Revisiting Collaborations Between Nonprofits and Businesses An NPO-Centric View and Typology

Collaborations between nonprofits and businesses (CBNB) are a developing field of action. Much of the research deals with the business’s perspective. Usage of third sector and nonprofit management methods is a relatively new field of research. This article presents a qualitative case study of a three year collaboration between a nonprofit organization (NPO) and a pharmaceutical company that focuses on the NPO’s unique perceptions and points of view about the partnership. The findings reveal that the most crucial element affecting the success or failure of a collaboration is the added value that the business partner brings to the relationship. Furthermore, power relations suggest that weak positioning might benefit the NPO. We introduce the Fields of Action Typology of collaborations between nonprofits and businesses that adds a content layer to current classifications of CBNB and is helpful for defining and examining the benefits NPOs can derive from CBNB.

A Façade of Collaboration

Abstract The study presented in this article examined the relationship between philanthropic foundations (PFs) and the government in social policy-making. The Yaniv Project, which aimed to establish collaboration between PFs and the Israeli government in the field of children and youth at risk in Israel, is analysed as a case in point. The findings reveal that the collaboration that emerged was ceremonial and symbolic. The government and the PFs perceived the collaboration more as a technical means of achieving their own goals and gaining control than as a relationship that benefits both parties. The article discusses the implications of those relationships for PFs and the government.

Therapy or human right? The meaning of recreation for children and youth with disabilities in the ''Krembo Wings'' youth movement

BACKGROUND Research shows that leisure or recreation promotes health, quality of life and wellbeing. Participation in leisure is also a fundamental right of people with disabilities. Studies report disparities in leisure participation between children and youth with and without disabilities. Youth movements are a form of leisure activity, and are of particular importance in Israeli society. OBJECTIVE In this study we set out to explore how the youth movement Krembo Wings (KW) outlines the meanings of recreation for children and youth with disabilities. Our theoretical framework centers on the critical perspective of a disability study committed to disability rights. METHODS We conducted a qualitative study of KW. Data were drawn from multiple sources: published and unpublished documents, website materials, and semi-structured interviews with various key people in the movement. Data were analyzed through directed content analysis and were categorized into either the biomedical model or the social model of disability. RESULTS Most of our findings show that KW adopts a biomedical understanding of disability. Nonetheless, indicators of the social model, though few, were also evident. CONCLUSIONS Although the biomedical model was found to be dominant in Israel, there are promising indicators of change. Our somewhat mixed findings might suggest that KW is at a transitional phase between biomedical thinking and a more rights-based approach.

Bringing public policy into policy practice

Summary Policy practice is a core element of social work practice. The rationale for this type of practice and its key strategies and methods has been discussed at length in the literature. However, insights from public policy theories have not been employed in order to better understand the ways in which social workers can influence social policy formulation. This article seeks to broaden and enrich the theoretical foundations of policy practice by incorporating knowledge from two leading frameworks of the policy process – the Multiple Stream Framework (MSF) and the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) – into the policy practice discourse. Findings This article underscores the potential contribution of these frameworks to the engagement of social workers in the policy process by discussing the practical implications of their theoretical insights upon the roles and tasks of social workers engaged in policy practice. It does so by employing the frameworks to better understand the roles and the tasks of social workers in three streams in the policy process: problems, policy and politics. It also underlines social workers’ potential role of policy entrepreneurs. Applications The insights emerging from the MSF and the ACF can guide social workers in their efforts to influence the policy process. By drawing upon these frameworks, social workers will not only be able to see the wider policy picture but they should be better able to identify possible roles and relevant tasks for themselves in order to influence this process.

Introduction to the Symposium “Nonprofit Advocacy and Engagement in Public Policy Making”

We are pleased to have the opportunity to edit this special symposium on “Nonprofit Advocacy and Engagement in Public Policy Making” in Nonprofit Human Service Organizations (NPHSOs). A call for papers was issued 2 years ago, and the response of scholars and researchers was beyond expectations. We could not include all of the articles submitted for publication in this symposium, but we are certain that they will be published in other international forums. After careful review of the submissions, five articles were selected, which represent current and solid research in the field from various theoretical and empirical perspectives. The findings of studies conducted in different countries reflect the limited scope of advocacy activity in NPHSOs (Berry & Arons, 2003; Boris & Krehely, 2003). Most NPHSOs view service provision as their core activity, as reflected in their mission and goals, and in their contractual relations with the government. Consequently, they do not allocate adequate resources to promote advocacy activities and programs. The limited advocacy activity has also been attributed to their dependence on external resources, which causes them to conform to the funding agents’ policies, although there is also research evidence pointing in other directions (Chaves, Stephens, & Galaskiewicz, 2004; Mosley, 2011). The collection of the articles in this symposium provides a comprehensive description of the current situation of advocacy activity in NPHSOs and analyses of the driving and restraining forces that affect this activity. The articles also deal with other issues related to the strategies and tactics that these organizations use in the attempt to initiate advocacy activities, uphold human rights, and promote equal opportunities and democratic values. In keeping with this ideology, advocacy activities in NPHSOs aim to protect disenfranchised, marginalized, and 502584 NVS43110.1177/0899764013502584Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector QuarterlySchmid and Almog-Bar research-article2013

Collaboration between philanthropic foundations and government

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine collaboration between the government and philanthropic foundations in the age of new governance. This focuses on analysing the relationship that was formed between PFs and the government in Israel during the development and operation of two joint projects initiated by PFs, which aimed to promote collaboration between the two sectors in the fields of children at risk and the public education system. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative, thematic content analysis was used to study the relationships that emerged between the PFs and the government. Data were collected from an examination of documented materials and interviews with key participants in the two projects from both parties. Findings – The article presents the interface between government and philanthropic foundations in the age of new governance. Several major factors that shape these relations in collaborative projects emerged from the comparative analysis of the two case studies and are relevant...

Correlates of Trisectoral Partnerships in the Human Services: Implications for Policy and Practice

ABSTRACT The paper presents and analyzes findings from a study of trisectoral partnerships in the human services, including government, nonprofit human service organizations, and businesses. Based on a conceptual framework, the paper analyzes associations between input, process, and outcome variables, representing the different stages in the formation and establishment of partnerships. The findings clearly indicate associations between the major input and process variables and the outcomes of the partnership. Implications for the policy and practice of the formation and the sustainability of trisectoral partnerships are proposed and discussed.

Cross-Sector Partnerships in Human Services: Insights and Organizational Dilemmas

The article presents a mixed-method study of 15 cross-sector partnerships (CSPs) in human services. The study sought to examine the activities, organizational characteristics, and relationships among organizations from the government, nonprofit, and business sectors at three interrelated stages of the partnership: inputs, processes, and outcomes. The findings indicate that socialization prior to entering CSPs is an important component of building the partnership and attaining its espoused goals. Power struggles inhibit the achievement of goals in CSPs, whereas joint decision making and reaching a consensus contribute to achieving goals and added value in terms of improving the quality of services and clients’ well-being. The article presents insights and highlights the dilemmas that CSPs face with regard to their operation and processes. The implications of these dilemmas for establishing and managing effective CSPs as well as for nonprofit policy are discussed.

Cross-Sector Partnerships in the Human Services: An International Perspective

In recent decades, partnerships in general and cross-sector partnerships in particular have become an area of interest and exploration for many scholars in different countries. This is a result of ...