That's a great question.
I've had the pleasure of working with provincial and national not-for-profit associations for about 10 years now, in many different industries, from farming to meat, intellectual property, construction, chemistry and all over the board. The role they all play here in Ottawa with parliamentarians, and even in provincial legislatures, is really to be a bastion of information.
You folks know that you do not have the time to meet with 100,000 farmers, 20,000 auto workers, 50,000 people who work in our forestry sector or whatever it may be. That's why not-for-profit associations exist. It's so that you can meet with one individual or a few individuals who represent that industry. They can provide you with a general idea of the issues the industry is facing, what works well and what doesn't work well in terms of bills, acts, regulations or programs, etc.
Their role is fundamental to Canadian parliamentary democracy in terms of shaping various policies and legislation. They represent Canadians and Canadian businesses that otherwise wouldn't be represented here in Ottawa.