How Do Environmental Advocacy Nonprofits Perceive Their Representational Role? A Three Dimensional Approach.

This study explores the concept of representation from the perspectives of environmental nonprofits. While nonprofits often serve as intermediaries between the public and government, the mechanisms through which they understand and advocate for the needs of their constituents remain underexplored, particularly in the environmental policy field where justice issues often arise. This article organizes the representation literature around three dimensions or key questions: How do organizations define their constituents? How do organizations connect with constituents? And, what authority do constituent preferences carry? Answers to these questions are derived from interviews with 22 environmental nonprofits engaged in state-level energy policy in three US states: Colorado, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Results demonstrate the utility of the three dimensions in describing the range of responses relevant to the subject organizations, along with key themes and trends among this subgroup of environmental nonprofits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]