posted on: Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Marcus Littles, Senior Partner at Frontline Solutions, recently sat down with us to reflect on the lessons he drew from his research for NCRP on advocacy and organizing in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Littles was the principal author of Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in the Gulf/Midsouth Region.
 

Littles had three key takeaways from the report:

1. The dynamism, passion and commitment of groups in the region embody a contemporary civil rights movement in which communities are addressing “a myriad of structural challenges.” Their accomplishments are all the more remarkable in the context of philanthropic underinvestment, resulting in very limited resources for their advocacy. Littles said, “When we looked at the organizations’ budgets and what these organizations were accomplishing, there was a mismatch there.” He had no idea that many groups were reforming oppressive policies and doing groundbreaking work on such small budgets.

2. As communities in the South struggle with the after-effects of the recent devastating tornadoes, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the BP oil spill have taught us that it is important not only to invest in relief and long term recovery, but also to invest in the advocacy infrastructure of the region. He noted, “[I]nevitably, because of how power is dispersed, there will be a need to advocate for those with less resources, who will have less access to the services and supports needed to get their lives back.”

3. Littles concluded that the South is “key to the future and present of this country,” and therefore philanthropy should make a long-term investment in the region’s advocacy and organizing capacity. Given the depth of structural racism and complexity of issues, philanthropy cannot expect to build a solid infrastructure that “can withstand anything” by making one- or two-year grants to an organization. “Effective investment in this infrastructure is a commitment to this infrastructure and a commitment to the region for the long haul,” said Littles.

Lisa Ranghelli is director of the Grantmaking for Community Impact Project at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy.