UC Irvine

As nonprofit syringe services programs (SSPs) and the harm reduction social justice movement gain broader mainstream acceptance, they receive more funding opportunities from the government and private foundations. On one hand, funding can be seen as a net positive because it is necessary for programs to operate. However, scholars have pointed out how this funding can also be detrimental to SSPs and the broader harm reduction movement. In this dissertation, I discuss how funding is a double-edged sword: a necessity for programs, yet an opportunity for funders to exert control over services and social movements. I do this by examining funding streams made available to SSPs in California, and how SSP staff navigate their funding constraints. I also explore how the social movement continues to pursue radical social change, despite its involvement in what scholars have termed the nonprofit industrial complex (NPIC). My findings highlight how the harm reduction movement is able to resist the neoliberal ideology of the NPIC through intentional choices and actions. These findings provide nuance to our understanding of the dynamics between social services, social movements, and the NPIC. This research can be used by scholars, service providers, and activists alike, to understand how to build a a social justice movement while continuing to participate in the NPIC.