Speaking of advocacy, I came across a rather interesting and compact blog by Ashley Blanchard of the consulting group TCC: Finding the Right Balance, Thoughts on Advocacy and Direct Service Funding.

For better or worse, the recent economic crisis has changed the way some
funders are thinking about their support for advocacy and direct
services, providing a more nuanced view of how these strategies can be
complementary.

Ultimately, it’s incumbent upon funders to be clear about what they want
to accomplish, identify grantees that share those goals, and provide
funding that enables those grantees to adapt their work to best achieve
them. Advocacy and direct services, when merged thoughtfully and
strategically, can accomplish more than either approach would be able to
independently achieve. I’d encourage funders to revisit their
grantmaking with an eye towards how they can build on their current work
with a combination of these strategies.