Resolving the dilemma between organizing and services: Los Angeles ACORN's welfare advocacy.
The issue of providing individual services historically has been a major dilemma for social action, Alinsky-style community organizations. Empirical evidence suggests that most action organizations that moved into service provision lost mass-based participation, militant tactics, and a power-building orientation. The author presents a case study of Los Angeles ACORN's combination of direct action organizing and providing individual advocacy services to welfare recipients in a campaign organizing general relief recipients. In this case individual service provision supported rather than diminished organizing. Based on evidence from this case study, the author presents a model to help organizations balance the tension between organizing and providing services: Establish an organizing model and identity first, hire new staff to implement services, engage in strategic planning, and use services to create new funding streams.
Brooks
Fred
F
School of Social Work, Georgia State University, Atlanta 30302-3995, USA. fbrooks2@gsu.edu
D003254:Consumer Advocacy; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D017146:Models, Organizational; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010934:Planning Techniques; D011632:Public Assistance; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012946:Social Welfare; D012947:Social Work / Q000458:organization & administration*