Programs that intercede on behalf of individuals and/or groups to ensure that they receive the benefits and services for which they are eligible and that organizations within the established service delivery system meet the collective needs of the community; that attempt to marshal public support for a particular issue or cause; or that seek to influence legislation, local ordinances or administrative rulings in order to benefit specific interest groups or achieve specific social, political or environmental goals.

Programs that provide assistance for people who are having difficulty understanding, accessing, and/or are unaware of grants, payments, benefits or other services for which they may be eligible. The programs may help people understand the eligibility criteria for benefits and services, the benefits or services provided by the program, the payment process and the rights of beneficiaries; provide consultation and advice; help them complete application forms; negotiate on their behalf with program administration staff; and/or represent them in administrative processes or judicial litigation. Included are benefits/service counseling organizations that offer a range of advocacy services and legal aid programs that offer more formalized legal assistance.

Programs that provide assistance for people who are initiating or responding to a suit for an annulment of their marriage, which establishes that a marital status never existed; a legal separation, which suspends the marriage so far as concerns the cohabitation of the two parties; or a divorce, which totally dissolves the marriage relationship. These programs may also discuss and represent the individual's interests regarding distribution of property assets and parenting issues regarding any children.

Programs that provide information and guidance for tenants who need to know their rights and responsibilities regarding leases and rental agreements, deposits, legal eviction procedures, measures to protect themselves from unlawful or retaliatory evictions, rent withholding rights, rent control requirements, privacy rights and other issues that may be of particular interest to tenants. Tenant rights counseling may also include assistance in completing forms, advice regarding a particular dispute and contact with the offending landlord to provide notification that she or he is not in compliance with landlord/tenant laws.

Individuals from other countries who have come to the United States to live permanently.

Individuals who have fled their native country and have been given official permission by the government to settle permanently in another country. In the United States, refugee status is given to people who are outside their country of nationality and who are unwilling to return to that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution based on the individuals' race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion. Entrant status allows the individual to remain in the U.S., but does not confer true "refugee" status. Asylees are refugees who apply for this status while already in the U.S. (on student or tourist visas, for example).