History
NWMAP originated at a summit held by the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) in Chicago, Illinois in late May 1998. Three local homeless coalitions (the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, and the Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger & Homelessness) had been monitoring the impact of welfare reform on homelessness in their communities for many months. Alarmed by what they were seeing, these coalitions joined with NCH in Chicago to share grassroots monitoring techniques and to create an advocacy agenda based on the findings.

Over 100 people from 27 states came to Chicago to attend the summit, including children's advocates, hunger advocates, labor advocates, civil rights advocates, disability advocates, members of the faith community, and many service providers. The mandate from the Chicago summit was clear: participants wanted local, state, and national organizations to work collaboratively to assist local monitoring, organizing, and advocacy activities. Thus, the National Welfare Monitoring & Advocacy Partnership (NWMAP) was born.

Structure
NWMAP is composed of a diverse group of local, state, and national organizations concerned with the well-being of low-income people. For a list of current NWMAP partners, click here.

NWMAP partners work through three committees: Monitoring/Implementation, Public Education, and Advocacy/Organizing. A fourth committee helps to coordinate NWMAP committee activities and policies. At this time, NWMAP committees meet via monthly conference calls.

Activities
Participants at the Chicago summit agreed upon the following initial NWMAP activities:

• The creation of a uniform survey instrument for collecting data on the impact of welfare reform that will enable data to be shared, compiled, and compared with greater ease.

• The establishment of a web page to facilitate ongoing communication between monitoring and advocacy projects and the public.

• A database of monitoring projects and reports.

• Coordinated public education/media and advocacy activities to be developed by volunteer committees and implemented nationally.

• A follow-up Summit in six months to continue to develop monitoring, media, and advocacy strategies.

In addition, NWMAP partners held public education/advocacy events on August 22, 1998, the second anniversary of the signing of the federal welfare reform bill, and are gearing up for a Day of Action on December 10, 1998, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the International Declaration of Human Rights.

NWMAP will hold a second national welfare summit at the Holiday Inn Central in Dallas/Ft. Worth November 20-22. This grassroots summit is an opportunity to come together to continue to share current knowledge as well as implement our assessment tool nationally. The purpose is to shape what we are learning into an advocacy agenda.

In the future, NWMAP will provide technical assistance to local monitoring and advocacy/organizing projects, aggregate and analyze data collected from monitoring projects, publish the findings of these projects, compile "best practices" for welfare programs and policy, and craft a legislative advocacy work plan.

How to Get Involved
NWMAP partners are engaged in monitoring, research, organizing, or advocacy efforts. Not all partners are involved in monitoring projects; similarly, not are all partners involved in advocacy activities. NWMAP joins researchers and advocates in a collaborative effort. Partners help carry out NWMAP activities in their communities and may join in NWMAP conference calls and work groups.

To join as a NWMAP partner, please contact Barbara Duffield at the National Coalition for the Homeless, nch@ari.net, 202.737.6444, ext. 312, or Cheryl Amey at the Children's Defense Fund, camey@childrensdefense.org, 202.662.3556.