Which Sector Is It?

There are several terms that describe the sector of individuals organizing themselves for the common good: philanthropic, civil society, nonprofit, volunteer, independent and charitable. It is important to note that these terms are often used interchangeably.

Civil Society

How does this sector, the nonprofit, create and maintain a civil society? Are nonprofits an essential element of democracy, serving as a vehicle through which individuals organize and speak together to achieve a common mission? How do nonprofits ensure an informed public policy debate in our democratic process?

Historical Role

There has not been a movement for social change in America, nor any effort to protect the rights of a segment of society that has not had its roots in the nonprofit sector.

• The colonists who came to these shores sought religious and political freedom or simply a better economic future became early models of civic involvement. The groundwork for a strong foundation of civic involvement was laid with every family that participated in a barn-raising, took in a group of travelers for the night, or helped to deliver a baby in a neighbor's cabin.
• The Founding Fathers believed strongly in individual enterprise and freedom. Volunteer efforts were seen as one check on big government and free associations were encouraged in the form of early schools, volunteer fire protection, the first lending libraries, and community law enforcement.
• Serving as watchdogs and guardians of citizen rights, generations of Americans have stepped forward to make sure America lived up to the spirit of the Constitution from participation in the Abolitionist movement of the 19th century to women of the 20th century who gained the right to vote for the government which made the laws that affected them as well as men. More than 30 years later, African Americans followed their lead and demanded their own liberation from discrimination. More recently environmentalists have worked to improve the quality of our air and water and other advocates have worked to keep drugs, alcohol and tobacco out the hands of children.

Safeguarding Democracy

The nonprofit sector also provides a voice for those who would otherwise be voiceless. It strives to influence public policy on behalf of portions of the populations who would have no influence without it.

• Whether conservative, liberal, religious, social or legal, nonprofits often become the self-organized, self-motivated champions of democracy in a society where the bureaucracy might (and occasionally does) become a steamroller of the powerful flattening the powerless. Nonprofit organizations such as Marian Wright Edelman's Children's Defense Fund and The American Association of People with Disabilities ensure that these softer voices are also heard.
• Nonprofits work ceaselessly to ensure that no one sector (e.g., business or government), because of money or power or social standing, gets more of a place at the table than any other. The American Civil Liberties Union, for example, which strives to protect the letter of the Constitution in all areas of American life is just one of many advocacy groups which have risen out of the need to see that all citizens are heard and their rights protected.

Enriching Lives

In addition to providing services and strengthening democracy, nonprofit organizations enrich people's lives.

• Nonprofit, voluntary hospitals and medical schools save lives and improve the quality of life through medical research and educating health-care professionals. Nonprofit health advocacy groups have worked to increase access to health care and to improve the quality of health services for rich and poor alike. The American Red Cross, which has aided millions across the world in times of disaster and tragedy, grew out of the valiant efforts of dedicated volunteers who worked tirelessly.
• Our lives are enhanced and made safer by the selflessness of such volunteers as firefighters, block parents, Neighborhood Watch groups and clean-up committees.

Imagine communities without orchestras, choirs, theaters, bands, libraries, museums—most of which are maintained by donations of time and money from individuals and groups who believe that the arts should be accessible and affordable to all.

Teaching Youth to Care

• In the second half of the 20th century, each generation has learned about philanthropy and private, voluntary citizen action by watching their parents and other adults participate in such activities. Young people who engage in group activities through their houses of worship, schools, or youth groups are more likely to engage in volunteer activities . And young people who learned to give and volunteer from their parents (or a caring adult such as their teacher) are more likely to continue such practices as adults.
• When students give back to the community by volunteering and reflecting on what they learn from their experience, it becomes a grassroots citizen-building experience in the best sense.

A Multi-Faceted Sector

The role of the nonprofit sector in a civil society is multi-faceted — protector of rights, enricher of lives, advocate for the voiceless, nurturer of youth, guardian of the future, watchdog for the environment, haven for the destitute.

• If government had to provide all of the services that the nonprofit sector provides, it would be immensely more costly to our communities. In addition to revenues from contributions, fees and services, nonprofits depend on the contributed labor of millions of volunteers.
• The nonprofit sector is relatively independent and free from interference by government. Government does not decide or regulate what causes or problems organizations and individuals tackle, or what they do about them . This freedom is essential so organizations and individuals can be effective advocates for people and causes. Sometimes requiring lobbying or criticism of existing government policy, effective advocacy demands guaranteed freedom of speech and assembly . Such nonprofit efforts have resulted in remarkable accomplishments on behalf of Americans and the voiceless around the world.

Civil Society—The Future?

• Civil society requires constant vigilance, work and maintenance. The need for services to those less fortunate than ourselves grows greater as governments reduce their size and budgets. The necessity for humane and just policies in light of reduced government roles increases the need for advocacy on behalf of the powerless. This role falls to the nonprofit sector, even as some seek ways to limit its role of advocate and dilute its influence.
• By developing successive generations of volunteers, philanthropists, organizers and dreamers—citizens who will see life not only as a privilege but also a responsibility, and who will view compassion as not only an admirable quality and a duty—the nonprofit sector can advocate for the needs of the poor and the rich alike, private action for the common good. The end result strengthens both a civil society and our democracy.

This is the work of the nonprofit sector in civil society. It is an essential part of the structure and culture of many communities as it cares for the needy and enriches people's lives, particularly in instances when government and business cannot or do not fill these needs.

Excerpted with edits from The Nonprofit Sector: The Cornerstone Of Civil Society by Sara Melendez at http://www.4uth.gov.ua/usa/english/society/ijde0198/melendez.htm