What’s Jewish about advocacy?

What is advocacy?
Advocacy has a range of definitions and meanings. At MAZON, advocacy refers to speaking up on behalf of hungry people and communicating their needs to policymakers, the media and the general public.

How has MAZON used advocacy to transform the hunger-relief field?

In its 20 years of existence, MAZON has facilitated a movement-wide reprioritization that has dramatically altered the ways in which the anti-hunger community operates. Its success has been two-fold: first, gaining broad acceptance of the notion that long-term hunger relief requires public policy intervention, and second, providing the resources needed to implement this new agenda.

MAZON has empowered the hunger-relief community to view public policy and advocacy as front-burner issues worthy of an investment of resources (e.g., time, money, staff). It has accomplished this not only by providing critical funding, but also by providing the leadership that enabled hunger-relief agencies to reject the stigma associated with public policy activism.

What was the focus of the hunger-relief community before MAZON entered into the picture?

Many of our grantees – food banks, soup kitchens, food pantries and the like – were previously hesitant to engage in legislative advocacy, or if they did, it was in order to secure more public funds for their own programs.

Today, MAZON grantees have begun to focus their energies on addressing hunger’s root causes. This has triggered a movement-wide reprioritization. Rather than working simply to secure funds to respond to demands on the charitable feeding network, MAZON grantees now emphasize the importance of reducing the demand through front-line government food programs (like food stamps, school meals, WIC). Through its grantmaking, MAZON has pushed the anti-hunger community to grapple with ultimate aims; how, in other words, to promote not just charity, but change.

How did MAZON overcome perceived barriers to participation in advocacy?

MAZON has effected broad scale change in the hunger-relief field by pursuing an agenda focused on principle, partnership and people.
From its beginning, MAZON was unwavering in its commitment to legislative activism as a crucial component of hunger-relief. MAZON effectuated a slow – but steady – seachange in the field by hewing to principle while building the capacity of a grassroots network of providers to see themselves as change agents.

MAZON’s grants demonstrate an understanding of the unique challenges presented by a field already overburdened by the day-to-day task of feeding millions of hungry Americans. In recognition of this challenge, MAZON has set its sights on advancing principle by building partnerships and investing in people.

MAZON has inspired the emergence of effective and diverse coalitions working at the regional, local, state and national levels to advance an anti-hunger agenda. Examples of MAZON’s coalition-building include: convening an annual conference which brings together all of MAZON’s California grantees; providing leadership for and building consensus among key national decision-making bodies; and encouraging the formation of an interfaith response to the hunger crisis.

The third component of MAZON’s creative strategic approach is its confidence in the people it supports, a confidence best expressed in the type of support it offers. MAZON works to support leaders in the field by providing them the resources, time and flexibility they need to evolve their skill set and make a real difference on the ground.

MAZON’s willingness to provide general operating support and repeat funding distinguishes it in the anti-hunger field as a dedicated proponent of systemic change. In addition to its focus on advocacy, MAZON operates with an understanding that entrenched modes of thought and action are not easily altered; in other words, real change takes time.

Did MAZON’s advocacy focus change the way other funders operate?

MAZON’s advocacy emphasis served to focus the work of the anti-hunger community. This was (and remains) its primary goal.

However, MAZON’s efforts are also broadly viewed as setting an example for other funders to follow. Both inside and outside the hunger-relief field, human services grantmakers (i.e., grantmakers focused on social services, health and the like) now view funding advocacy and raising their voices in the public policy realm as key strategies for effective, results-oriented philanthropy.

Using MAZON as a model, funders are examining their own grantmaking and exploring ways to make advocacy a more integral part of their approach.




What’s Jewish about advocacy?

MAZON seeks to put into practice the twin Jewish ideals of tzedakah (justice) and tikkun olam (repairing the world). Its drive for social justice is embodied in its commitment to effective public policies that attack hunger at its roots.

The Torah makes explicit the commandment to help the stranger exactly 36 times, more than any other directive in the text. MAZON takes this commandment seriously; it is its reason for being.

An emphasis on advocacy is what MAZON brings to the anti-hunger debate, and will continue to be a hallmark of MAZON’s efforts in the difficult work ahead.


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