Aspen Nonprofit Advocacy Recommendations.

The Aspen Institute's Nonprofit Sector Strategy Group assessed nonprofit performance in advocacy functions and offered recommendations for improvements in the recently released pamphlet, The Nonprofit Contribution to Civic Participation and Advocacy.

According to Cinthia Schuman, director of NSSG, the 30-member panel began discussions on the subject in late 1998.

"The group basically underscored the importance of advocacy as a fundamental function of nonprofit organizations," she said, "and that nonprofit organizations have special insights perspectives based on their involvement in issues."

Some of the panel recommendations to nonprofits include:

* Assess the effect of existing laws and regulations on nonprofit advocacy;

* Expand resource base for advocacy;

* Increase support for the advocacy function within nonprofit organizations;

* Expand the base of knowledge on nonprofit policy advocacy by systematically examining scale and breadth on NPO involvement in advocacy activity.

Schuman said, "Educating nonprofit organizations and corporations and the new donor--let's call them the new wealthy--about the importance of advocacy and the very important way in which advocacy builds communities and h helps to provide a solid base of knowledge in which public policy is formed."

For a free copy of the pamphlet Giulia Campanaro of the Nonprofit Sector Strategy Group at [phone], or [e-mail].