National Nonprofits and Advocacy Groups
This page is intended for the benefit of individuals in the social work profession, public policy advocates, and other community activists. The organizations and resources listed below have been selected because they provide:
- Advocacy
- Linkages to other social service agencies and programs
- Information regarding federally funded programs
- Alternative funding streams
- Offer empowerment to low-income families
- Technical assistance to social service professionals
- AARP - is the nation's leading organization for people age 50 and older. It provides information, education advocacy, and community services through a network of local chapters and volunteers
- America's Second Harvest - the nation's food bank network
- American Public Human Services Association - a mission to develop, promote, and implement public human service policies that improve the health and well-being of families, children, and adults (Formerly known as the American Public Welfare Association)
- The Carter Center - a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy institute dedicated to fighting disease, hunger, poverty, conflict, and oppression
- Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance - a government-wide compendium of Federal programs, projects, services, and activities which provide assistance or benefits to the American public
- Center for Community Change - helping low-income people, especially people of color, build powerful, effective organizations through which they can change their communities and public policies for the better
- The Center for Responsive Politics/OpenSecrets - a non-partisan, non-profit research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics, and its effect on elections and public policy
- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities - a nonpartisan research organization and policy institute that conducts research and analysis on a range of government policies and programs, with an emphasis on those affecting low and moderate income people
- Child Welfare League of America - CWLA is an association of almost 1,000 public and private nonprofit agencies that assist over 2.5 million abused and neglected children and their families each year with a wide range of services
- Children's Defense Fund - exists to provide a strong and effective voice for all the children of America, who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves
- Coalition on Human Needs - is an alliance of national organizations working together to promote public policies which address the needs of low-income and other vulnerable populations.
- Concord Coalition - a nonpartisan, grassroots organization advocating fiscal responsibility while ensuring Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are secure for all generations
- Corporation for Supportive Housing - helps build housing that lets homeless and disabled people connect to homes, health care, jobs, and the community
- Economic Success Clearinghouse - connects you to resources about effective policies, programs and financing strategies that help low-income and working poor families (formerly Welfare Information Network)
- Electronic Frontier Foundation - a donor funded nonprofit, founded in 1990, confronting cutting-edge issues defending free speech, privacy, innovation and consumer rights
- Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program - works as a public/private partnership in association with local communities
- Family Promise - is committed to helping low-income families nationwide to achieve lasting independence by helping communities mobilize to provide safe shelter, meals, and support services for homeless families and through programs designed to redress the underlying causes of homelessness
- Federal Poverty Guidelines - the poverty guidelines issued each February by the Department of Health and Human Services
- Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) - a leading national organization working to improve public policies to eradicate hunger and under nutrition in the United States
- Food Stamps Pre-Screening Eligibility Tool
- Foundation Center - an independent nonprofit information clearinghouse established in 1956 with a mission to disseminate information on foundations, corporate giving and related subjects
- HandsNet - a national, nonprofit organization that promotes information sharing, cross-sector collaboration and advocacy among individuals and organizations working on a broad range of public interest issues
- Idealist - a global website for nonprofits
- National Alliance to End Homelessness - a nonpartisan organization that works collaboratively with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to build state and local capacity, leading to stronger programs and policies that help communities achieve their goal of ending homelessness
- National Coalition for the Homeless - a national advocacy network of homeless persons, activists, service providers, and others committed to a single goal - to end homelessness
- National Consumer Law Center - a consumer law resource center offering services to the legal profession, consumer and low-income community organizations in areas of consumer fraud, debt collection, energy assistance programs and sustainable home ownership programs
- Public Citizen - protecting health, safety and democracy since 1971
- Public Interest Research Groups - advocates for the public interest
- Social Security Online - provides access to their programs and benefits
- The Granstmanship Center (TGCI) - leader in grant information and grantsmanship training
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services - Administration for Children and Families
