Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Making the Iceberg Visible Again: Service Delivering Experiences as a Lever for NPOs’ Advocacy Under a Third-Party Government Regime

  • Research Papers
  • Published:
VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Under a third-party government regime, NPOs are largely funded to implement social policies and have open lines of communication with policy makers. When performing their advocacy role, questions may, however, arise about whether NPOs actually strive for policy change to structurally improve the lives of their clients or rather aim to secure these organizational benefits. Based upon a case study of 6 youth care organizations in Belgium, this article aims to highlight how such NPOs deliberately try to capture, process and translate a wide array of service delivering experiences within their organization. As such, their advocacy practice is constantly nourished by the micro-level of direct interaction with clients and the meso-level of internal debate amongst the NPOs’ staff. Using the peak of the iceberg as a metaphor, we argue it is important to focus on these more ‘invisible’ parts in which the advocacy claims of service delivering NPOs must be anchored.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akkerman, S., & Bakker, A. (2011). Boundary crossing and boundary objects. Review of Educational Research, 81(2), 132–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Almog-Bar, M. (2018). Insider Status and outsider tactics: Advocacy tactics of human service nonprofits in the age of new public governance. Nonprofit Policy Forum, 8(4), 411–427.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Almog-Bar, M., & Schmid, H. (2014). Advocacy activities of nonprofit human service organizations: A critical review. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 43(1), 11–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andrasik, K., & Mead, J. W. (2019). Know me before you speak for me: Substantive public representation among nonprofits. Public Performance and Management Review, 42(1), 34–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anheier, H. K. (2005). Nonprofit organisations: Theory, management, policy. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arvidson, M., Johansson, H., Meeuwisse, A., & Scaramuzzino, R. (2018). A Swedish culture of advocacy? Civil society organisations’ strategies for political influence. Sociologisk Forskning, 55(2), 341–364.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Augsberger, A., Springwater, J. S., Hilliard-Koshinsky, G., Barber, K., & Martinze, L. S. (2019). Youth participation in policy advocacy: Examination of a multi-state former and current foster care youth coalition. Children and Youth Services Review, 107, 101–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bass, G. D., Arons, D. F., Guinane, K., & Carter, M. (2007). Seen but not heard: Strengthening nonprofit advocacy. The Aspen Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beaton, E., Macindoe, H., & Wang, T. (2020). Combining nonprofit service and advocacy: Organizational structures and hybridity. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 49(1), 1–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry, J., & Arons, D. (2003). A voice for nonprofits. Brookings Institution Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Binderkrantz, A. (2005). Interest group strategies: Navigating between privileged access and strategies of pressure. Political Studies, 53(4), 694–715.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bliss, D. L. (2015). Using the social work advocacy practice model to find our voices in service of advocacy. Human Service Organizations Management, Leadership & Governance, 39(1), 57–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bogdan, R. C., & Biklen, B. K. (1998). Qualitative research for education: An introduction to theories and methods. Pearson Education Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boris, E., & Steuerle, C. (1999). Nonprofit and government: Collaboration and conflict. Urban Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyle, R., & Butler, M. (2003). Autonomy versus accountability: Managing Government Funding of Voluntary and Community Organizations. The Institute of Public Administration.

    Google Scholar 

  • Child, C. D., & Gronbjerg, K. A. (2007). Nonprofit advocacy organizations: Their characteristics and activities. Social Science Quarterly, 88(1), 259–281.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chin, J. J. (2018). Service-providing nonprofits working in coalition to advocate for policy change. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 47(1), 27–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clear, A., Paull, M., & Holloway, D. (2018). Nonprofit advocacy tactics: Thinking inside the box. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 29, 857–869.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crepaz, M., Hanegraaff, M., & Sanchez Salgado, R. (2021). A golden key can open any door? Public funding and interest groups’ access. West European Politics, 44(2), 378–402.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dalrymple, J. (2003). Professional advocacy as a force for resistance in social work. British Journal of Social Work, 33(8), 1043–1062.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daniel, J. L., & Fyall, R. (2019). The Intersection of nonprofit roles and public policy implementation. Public Performance and Management Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/15309576.2019.1601114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Corte, J., & Roose, R. (2020). Social work as a policy actor: Understanding social policy as an open-ended democratic practice. European Journal of Social Work, 23(2), 227–238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Defourney, J., & Pestoff, V. (2008). Images and concepts of the third sector in Europe. European Research Network.

    Google Scholar 

  • Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2003). Collecting and interpreting qualitative materials. Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donnelly, S., Ní Raghallaigh, M., & Foreman, M. (2019). Reflections on the use of community based participatory research to affect social and political change: Examples from research with refugees and older people in Ireland. European Journal of Social Work, 22(5), 831–844.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elsana, A. (2021). Managing the tensions between service and advocacy: The case of the AJEEC Social Change Service Organization, Naqab, Israel. International Journal of Social Welfare, 30, 106–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ezell, M. (1991). Administrators as advocates. Administration in Social Work, 15, 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garrow, E. E., & Hasenfeld, Y. (2014). Institutional logics, moral frames and advocacy: Explaining the purpose of advocacy among nonprofit human-service organizations. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 43(1), 80–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gerlak, A. K., & Heikkila, T. (2011). Building a theory of learning in collaboratives: Evidence from the Everglades Restoration Program. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 21(4), 619–644.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsieh, H.-F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277–1288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jansson, B. S. (2014). Becoming an effective policy advocate: From policy practice to social justice. Brooks/Cole.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klugman, B. (2011). Effective social justice advocacy: A theory-of-change framework for assessing progress. Reproductive Health Matters, 19(38), 146–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larsson, J. (2015). Quality over quantity? Technical information, interest advocacy and school closures in Sweden. Interest Groups and Advocacy, 4(2), 101–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lorenz, W. (2008). Towards a European model of social work. Australian Social Work, 61(1), 7–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu, J. (2018). Fear the government? A meta-analysis of the impact of government funding on nonprofit advocacy engagement. The American Review of Public Administration, 48(3), 203–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lustig-Gants, S., & Weiss-Gal, I. (2015). Why do social workers become policy actors. Journal of Policy Practice, 14(3–4), 171–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mellinger, M.S. (2011). Advocacy participation, structure and strategy among nonprofit human service organizations. Doctoral Dissertation, The University of Georgia.

  • Mosley, J. (2012). Keeping the lights on: How government funding concerns drive the advocacy agendas of nonprofit homeless service providers. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 22(4), 841–866.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mosley, J. (2013). Recognizing new opportunities: Reconceptualizing policy advocacy in everyday organizational practice. Social Work, 58(3), 231–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moulton, S., & Eckerd, A. (2012). Preserving the publicness of the nonprofit sector. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 41(4), 656–685.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Onyx, J., Armitage, L., Dalton, B., Melville, R., Casey, J., & Banks, R. (2010). Advocacy with gloves on: The “manners” of strategy used by some third sector organizations undertaking advocacy in NSW and Queensland. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 21(1), 41–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peräkylä, A. (2008). Analyzing talk and text. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Collecting and interpreting qualitative materials (pp. 869–886). Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfeffer, J., & Salancik, G. (2003). The external control of organizations: A resource dependence perspective (2nd ed.). Stanford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, B. (2002). Biographical research. Berkshire: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salamon, L. M. (1995). Partners in public service: Government-nonprofit relations in the modern welfare state. John Hopkins University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salamon, L. M. (1999). The nonprofit sector at a crossroads: The case of America. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 10, 5–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Slyke, D. (2007). Agents or Stewards: Using theory to understand the government-nonprofit social service contracting relationship. Public Administration Research and Theory, 17(2), 157–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vandekinderen, C., Roose, R., Raeymaeckers, P., & Hermans, K. (2020). The DNA of social work as a human rights practice from a frontline social workers’ perspective in Flanders. European Journal of Social Work, 23(5), 876–888.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verschuere, B., & De Corte, J. (2014). The impact of public resource dependence on the autonomy of NPOs in their strategic decision making. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 43(2), 293–313.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verschuere, B., & De Corte, J. (2015). Nonprofit advocacy under a third-party government regime: Cooperation or conflict? VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 26(1), 222–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss-Gal, I. (2017). What options do we have? Exploring routes for social workers’ policy engagement. Journal of Policy Practice, 16(3), 247–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Work and Social Pedagogy, Ghent University, Henri Dunatlaan, 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Joris De Corte & Rudi Roose

  2. TRIAS, Brussels, Belgium

    Lisa Arys

Authors
  1. Joris De Corte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lisa Arys
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rudi Roose
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joris De Corte.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

De Corte, J., Arys, L. & Roose, R. Making the Iceberg Visible Again: Service Delivering Experiences as a Lever for NPOs’ Advocacy Under a Third-Party Government Regime. Voluntas 33, 561–570 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-021-00370-6

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-021-00370-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation