Nonprofit service organizations in the U.S. have contact with millions of people in need each year. As a result, local communities often view them as places where the neglected and forgotten can receive critical services.
In March 2007, there was a national convening on how nonprofit service organizations can support client and constituent civic involvement. The meeting was planned by the Alliance for Children and Families, Building Movement Project, Carnegie Corporation, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, National Voter Engagement Network and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Each organization had an interest in promoting constituent participation in community civic life. The six conveners, along with others around the U.S., have been exploring how different forms of civic engagement can be integrated into the work of the nonprofit sector, especially among those groups providing services.