Do Nonprofit Organizations Have Room for Advocacy in Their Structure? An Exploratory Study

Advocacy as a practice strategy has been part of social work since its inception. However, our knowledge of the advocacy structure within organizations is limited. Guided by institutional theory, the purpose of this study was to explore factors that impact the structure of advocacy within human service nonprofits. Frequency of advocacy participation was also explored. Results showed that formalization and knowledge of the lobbying law increase the odds of an organization having an advocacy structure. Frequency of advocacy participation, however, was low even among those organizations that reported having an advocacy structure. Implications for research, practice, and education are discussed.