News Release – For Immediate Release

Arkansas Organizations Celebrate Impact of Advocacy and Organizing 
New Report Shows Arkansas Advocacy Organizations Key to Community Investment, Policy Change

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (October 12, 2011) – Every dollar invested in advocacy brings $114 in investments for communities, according to a new national study. To recognize this impact and encourage further support for advocacy and organizing in the state, nonprofit organizations in Arkansas are promoting advocacy during the month of October.

The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and the five organizations in the report – Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, Arkansas Public Policy Panel, Center for Artistic Revolution, Northwest Arkansas Workers’ Justice Center, and Rural Community Alliance – will spend the month of October celebrating the findings of the report and promoting advocacy and organizing. In addition, the advocacy organizations will lead the Arkansas release of the new national report, Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing, and Civic Engagement in the Gulf/Midsouth Region, produced by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) and partially funded by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.

“October will be a time to recognize and celebrate how advocacy and organizing are moving the needle in local communities toward positive policy change,” said Sherece Y. West, President and CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.

The NCRP report analyzes the activities of 20 organizations in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi between 2005 and 2009 to see how they are “mobilizing citizens and promoting policies designed to expand opportunity and justice in local communities.” It shows that these 20 organizations generated $4.77 billion in investments for underserved communities. And they did that with just $41.9 million in grants and donations. That means every dollar invested in the work of these advocates turns around $114 in benefits for communities and states.

“The report shows that investing in policy advocacy gets big results,” said Dr. West. “In addition to new investments in low-income communities, there are also the many victories that cannot be monetized, including securing and protecting the civil rights of individuals.”

In Arkansas, the following advocacy organizations are in the report:

• Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families was recognized for championing high quality early education programs. The child advocacy organization was one of the leaders of a coalition that fought for increasing state support for the Arkansas Better Chance program by $100 million.
• Arkansas Public Policy Panel was recognized for providing hands-on experience in the political process by helping community groups to organize, and for coordinating the Arkansas Citizens First Congress, a multi-issue coalition that has been instrumental in a wide range of legislative victories.
• Center for Artistic Revolution has rallied supporters of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer Arkansans around campaigns fighting initiatives to ban gay marriage and gay fostering and adoption in the state.
• Northwest Arkansas Workers’ Justice Center helped low-wage agricultural and manufacturing workers recover $356,941 in back wages, worker compensation claims and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission settlements between 2005 and 2009.
• Rural Community Alliance has helped each of its 1200 members become advocates for their rural school and community and helped unite their voices on statewide initiatives. They have facilitated grassroots-led community revitalization projects in several low wealth rural communities, provided training to members, and facilitated youth development programs.

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