The power and influence of Canadian not-for-profits: Organizational listening and citizen voice

Abstract

Canadian not-for-profits are the organized voice of civil society. Their expertise and insights support democratic processes and advance social equity. When not-for-profits lobby governments and advocate within civil society, they do so on behalf of those directly affected by their cause, i.e. their cause-related publics, which can help rebuild citizens’ trust in private and public organizations. This study explores how not-for-profits listen to their cause-related publics, how they engage governments on their behalf, and their approach to two-way transactional and dialogic communications. This study was intended to contribute to organizational listening as an emerging body of knowledge and provide Canadian not-for-profits insights to support their work. An analysis of the results of a survey (n=107) and interviews (n=23) revealed key findings such as that there are not-for-profits that do not see advocacy or lobbying as a priority, that communications and government relations appeared to be largely undervalued, and that - although there were substantial organizational listening activities being conducted - the majority of structured listening was face-to-face and without consideration of cause-related publics in the planning process, exposing not-for-profits to strategic and reputational risk. This study identified a number of recommendations that Canadian not-for-profits could put into practice with minimal effort and cost, most simply involving a shift in thinking and current practices. This study also recommends a number of areas for future inquiry, both to fill gaps in existing bodies of knowledge and to contribute to organizational listening as an emerging body of knowledge.