Nonprofit Studies

Trust influences charitable-giving behavior. However, prevailing theoretical discussion and empirical study of the effects of trust suffer from confusion over different dimensions of trust. In addition to the distinction between particularistic trust in individual organizations and generalized trust in unknown others, we differentiate generalized trust in strangers, institutions, and charitable organizations writ large. An empirical analysis concentrates on the latter two, finding that charitable confidence directly influences charitable giving while institutional trust does not. We assert that the influence of charitable confidence on giving may help explain how individuals previously unaware of particular organizations or brands may be susceptible to cold calls and solicitations.

"Since its very inception, social work has been considered an organizationally based profession, with the majority of its workforce employed within formal organizations. Whether in nonprofit, for-profit, or governmental agencies, the practical realities of human service organizations are a central element of professional social work. This book explores the climate and culture of these agencies and provides essential information for surviving and thriving in this setting. It prepares students for their future careers so that they will feel empowered in their work and be able to fulfill their responsibilities toward organizational, community, and social change. Using real-life examples, the authors examine the internal structures of management, financing, and supervision and discuss common conflicts between agencies and professionals. The book’s straightforward tone and practical advice make it an asset to anyone entering human service organizations.

This new edition contains updated examples, case studies, and references. It also contains valuable information on the effects of the recent financial crisis on human service organizations. Agencies now face increased caseloads and more complex social problems with fewer resources and less money. Understanding how these events have changed the nature of human service organizations will allow students to be better prepared for the work ahead of them.

Features

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Expanded content on the practical aspects of organizational theory and suggestions for developing leadership skills
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Updated examples, case studies, and references throughout the book
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Key points and discussion questions following each chapter
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Updated instructor’s manual available online as a PDF or Word document"

Nonprofit organizations are increasingly using Internet-based technologies to address accountability. This article presents a set of conceptual, theoretical, and empirical innovations to help understand this phenomenon. First, this article presents a conceptual framework that delineates two key dimensions of Web-based accountability practices: disclosure and dialogue. It then posits a four-factor explanatory model of online accountability incorporating organizational strategy, capacity, governance, and environment. Last, it tests the model through a content analysis of 117 U.S. community foundation Web sites combined with survey and financial data. The descriptive statistics show that the Web site has been more effectively used to provide financial and performance disclosures than to provide dialogic mechanisms for stakeholder input and interactive engagement. Our multivariate analyses, in turn, highlight capacity- and governance-related variables, especially asset size and board pe...

Conflicting cultural and religious values pose challenges-challenges that are too often ignored-to efforts to comprehend and to solve tough social problems. Value-conflict challenges call for much more thoughtful attention both by analysts seeking to understand the sources of problems, and by advocates for particular solutions. This contribution to the ARNOVA Policy Brief series draws on a wide range of historical and social research to advance its argument for recognizing value conflicts.

In recent years, some public officials and advocacy groups have urged that private philanthropies be subject to more uniform standards and stricter government regulation—ranging from board composition to grant distribution to philanthropies' charitable purposes. A major justification cited by advocates of these proposals is the claim that the charitable tax exemption and deduction are government subsidies, and thus philanthropic funds are "public money" and should be publicly controlled. Some advocates also claim that philanthropic assets are public money because philanthropies operate under state charters and are subject to state oversight. In the second edition of this monograph , legal scholars Evelyn Brody and John Tyler evaluate the legal basis of the "public money" claim. They conclude that it is not well founded in legal authority. State oversight of philanthropies is not based on an assertion that philanthropies are subject to state direction or that their assets belong to the public, they write. Similarly, the fact that philanthropies have state charters does not make them state agencies or subject them to the constraints that apply to public bodies. Finally, the philanthropies and their donors receive their federal tax benefits in return for the obligation to pursue public rather than private purposes and to comply with the laws designed to ensure the pursuit of such purposes. There is no evidence, Brody and Tyler find, that these benefits were meant to give government other types of control over philanthropies.

The term social capital has been identified as a collection of resources that either an individual or organization gains through a set of communal norms, networks, and sanctions. Social capital can be viewed on both the collective and individual resource
front and has been studied, analyzed, and reported on the micro, meso, and macro levels. The article reviews the literature on social capital from different perspectives. Specifically, the article focuses on bonding, linking, and bridging social capital. It
also provides a small empirical evidence of social capital among young adults with discussions for future research and implications for civic engagement and social capital.

China’s rapid socio-economic transformation has generated extraordinary movements of people from rural areas to urban centres. At the peak of labour migration in the early 2000s, some 100 to 200 million people moved to cities in search of higher wages and better standards of living.

State of Exchange examines how – despite the authoritarian nature of the Chinese state – non-governmental organizations in China have increased dramatically as central and local states tacitly allow migrant NGOs to deliver community services to workers in Beijing and Shanghai. Interacting with spaces and layers of the state at various levels of government, NGOs conduct and scale up their programs, while the state, in turn, engages with NGOs as a means to remain relevant and further legitimize its own interests. Jennifer Hsu uses a new conceptual framework to assess state-NGO relations and ultimately to reveal how NGOs navigate the complex web of central and local government bodies to lend stability to, and form mutually beneficial relationships with, the Chinese state. 

As North Africa and the Middle East move into a new era of politics, the Chinese experience outlined in this book will serve as a blueprint for better understanding the best practices and lessons learned for state-society relationships at the central and local levels.

L'IRIS a effectué un sondage auprès de plus de 700 groupes du mouvement communautaire autonomes cet automne pour en savoir plus sur leur situation pendant la première vague de COVID-19.
Pendant la première vague, les groupes ont surtout augmenté le travail d’accueil et de référence et de dépannage alimentaire, donc la réponse aux besoins de base pressant, alors que les activités fortement ralentis ou arrêtés, ont été la mobilisation, l’action collective et la représentation politique.
Un peu plus de la moitié des activités ont été faites à distance en moyenne. Cela a posé des enjeux pour plusieurs en raison du manque d’espace physique ou mental, mais aussi d’accès à la technologie et à des connexions internets rapides et stables.
Bien que 20% des groupes sont encore dans une situation précaire en raison du sous-financement chronique, les groupes communautaires du Québec s’en sortent généralement mieux qu’ailleurs au Canada grâce à leur modèle de financement basé sur le financement à la mission.
Cette résilience a toutefois un coût humain : pour les deux tiers des groupes interrogés, la charge de travail était immense et difficile à prévoir ce qui a eu des conséquences sur l’équilibre vie personnelle-travail et sur le sentiment d’accomplissement des travailleuses.
Près d’un groupe sur cinq est dans une situation précaire en raison du sous-financement et de la pandémie, et le quart de ceux-ci sont dans une situation qui met en danger leur existence.

The community festival concept was conceived by Dr Ian McCormick. “We were aware that voluntary and community groups were beginning to use film to promote their work with potential funders and donors or to promote volunteering. Raising awareness of issues with the general public can be achieved effectively through film. The audio-visual can also be used effectively for educational and training purposes.”

PixelShift film-maker Tayfun Arli further comments “The cost of making and editing films is now much lower and is more accessible than what was available in the 1990s. Film is increasingly being chosen as a powerful way of getting your message across. Films can also be shown more easily, through economical DVD reproduction; they can be viewed on the web, or even sent to mobile phones.”

“We were surprised to find that there was no national or international showcase for community-based films. There are documentary film festivals and there are festivals with social or environmental films, but nothing that brought together films made by or for voluntary and community groups. Our festival demonstrates that these groups are now embracing new technology and that this is empowering for them.”

The initial publicity invited film-makers to consider the contribution of their work to society. There were several related themes or issues: building a more cohesive community; citizenship; combating discrimination; environmental improvement; urban or rural regeneration; voluntary and community groups making a difference. The festival was developed as a joint project produced by the University of Northampton’s School of Arts and NCompass, a county-wide support group for local charities and volunteer organisations. Festival director Dr Ian McCormick explained: “The emphasis from the start has been on films made by local people that record life in their community. We were looking for a strong message rather than big budget films.” He added: “Our festival demonstrates that it is now possible to make a powerful film on a small budget.”

Many of the pieces submitted depict how people have worked together to improve life in their community. NCompass Chief Executive Stuart McQuade said: “In many cases the community films show how people can overcome prejudice and discrimination, reduce poverty, improve health and work together to build a fairer society. It’s fascinating to watch the UK films (including those produced in Northamptonshire) in an international context.” The festival  coincides with the opening of a community Cinema at St George’s Avenue Campus in Northampton. The Dean of the University of Northampton’s School of Arts Mr Dave Keskeys said: “It demonstrates what the university and the local community can achieve when they work together to improve society.”  (Quote supplied by IDM)

Purpose: The volunteer and nonprofit sector is a significant and important part of the United States economy and culture.  While there can be many differences between nonprofit organizations, most rely heavily on the support of volunteers to help carry out the mission of the organization.  Although there is significant research surrounding the recruitment, engagement, and retention of volunteers, there is limited research surrounding the ideal model for recruitment, engagement, and retention of volunteers in all-volunteer organizations, such as Junior Forum, Inc. and member chapters.  This research is an attempt to fill this void.  This research provides a strong foundation for understanding best practices in all-volunteer nonprofit organizations.  First, a conceptual framework linking the ideal model was developed after a thorough review of the existing literature regarding the engagement, recruitment, and retention of volunteers in organizations with paid employees who help manage the volunteers.  Next, through a survey and content analysis of websites, I identified which of the best practices are being implemented within Junior Forum, Inc. and provided recommendations for improving the recruitment, engagement, and retention of volunteers in all-volunteer organizations.

Methodology: The literature identified the components of the ideal model for the recruitment, engagement, and retention of volunteers in all-volunteer organizations.  These components are used to construct a model assessment tool.  This tool is used to assess the Junior Forum Inc. and member chapter’s best practices in the areas of volunteer recruitment, engagement, and retention in conjunction with a survey and content analysis to form a case study.

Findings: JFI and member chapters are implementing many best practices for the recruitment, engagement, and retention of volunteers.  Recommendations for strengthening the effectiveness of recruitment activities include sharing the strategic plan for recruiting with current members and engaging current members to attend recruitment events.  Recommendations for strengthening the effectiveness of engagement activities include adding information to the public facing website regarding new member orientation and onboarding activities.  Recommendations for strengthening the effectiveness of retention activities include finding more ways to share information and updates with members.

Nonprofit and philanthropic studies (NPS) is a visible presence at American universities and has achieved academic credibility. This study analyzes the role of academic centers devoted to the nonprofit sector in institutionalizing NPS as a distinctive academic field. It relies on a survey and selected case studies to map nonprofit academic centers and assess their field-building efforts. We find 55 USbased nonprofit academic centers that vary in size, revenue streams, and institutional location. Centers offer a broad range of services that span academia and practice supporting the local and regional nonprofit communities. Both endogenous and exogenous factors supported the founding of these centers, whose sustainability relies on interdisciplinarity, internal and external funding, and institutional support. We propose an evolutionary explanation for NPS's institutionalization.

Abstract
The paper explores emerging contradictions in the non-profit sector within the context of neoliberalism. In this paper I examine non-profit sector as a site located in the civil society that has a potential for articulating oppositional agenda as it emphasises public benefit. Conversely, the non-profit sector itself has been subjected to neoliberal co-optation and as a result suffered the decreased autonomy and restricted capacity to advocate for progressive social change. Drawing on a wide range of literature on non-profit sector, neoliberalism and social justice, I discuss the means and manifestations of neoliberal co-optation within the sector. I argue that neoliberal policies when applied to non-profit environments facilitate the dissemination and entrenchment of market logic and values into civil society and social reproduction spheres. The non-profit sector becomes morphed into the neoliberal para-state apparatus concerned with re/production of neoliberal subjects consistent with for-profit logic and values. As a result, the counter-hegemonic potential inherent in non-profit sector and its ability to support active civil society are weakened.

Keywords
non-profit sector; neoliberalism; neoliberal co-optation; social justice; civil society.

Effective Leadership Development in Nonprofit Organizations © The state of leadership in many nonprofit organizations includes the presence and characteristic of socially popular leaders, who operate in institutional cocoons. These leaders and organizations they lead are stuck in an organizational cycle as an ever-emerging nonprofit organization. An ever-emerging organization life cycle is an organization that is developmentally unevolved. Organizations that mirror that type of characteristic lack the necessary foundational development framework to incubate, effectively. Some examples of unevolved organizations include nonfunctioning boards, the over-reliance on singular source funding, the lack of a strategic plan, and the absence of a donor development plan.

How are nonprofits using information technology (IT) to enhance mission-related outcomes and boost organizational performance? In this paper we examine large-scale survey data of nonprofits’ technology planning, acquisition, and implementation to assess the strategic use of IT in these organizations. We further evaluate their strategic technology-use potential through an examination of those IT-related competencies and practices that the literature deems critical for the successful strategic employment of technology resources. We find several promising developments alongside significant deficits in the strategic utilization of IT, especially in the areas of financial sustainability, strategic communications and relationship-building, and collaborations and partnerships. To boost IT’s mission-related impact, nonprofits will have to enhance their organizational capacities in long-term IT planning; budgeting, staffing, and training; performance measurement; Internet and website capabilities; and the vision, support, and involvement of senior management. Accordingly, we end with recommendations for overcoming some of the most pressing challenges.

The industrial food system has created a crisis in the United States that is characterized by abundant food for privileged citizens and “food deserts” for the historically marginalized. In response, food justice activists based in low-income communities of color have developed community-based solutions, arguing that activities like urban agriculture, nutrition education, and food-related social enterprises can drive systemic social change. Focusing on the work of several food justice groups—including Community Services Unlimited, a South Los Angeles organization founded as the nonprofit arm of the Southern California Black Panther Party—More Than Just Food explores the possibilities and limitations of the community-based approach. It offers a networked examination of the food justice movement in the age of the nonprofit industrial complex.

This qualitative case study explored the LGBTQ+ allyship affiliations of 16 participants, and their motivations for giving within a higher education and state-funded institution setting. The study utilized a primary theoretical framework, identity-based motivation, and two secondary frameworks, philanthropic mirroring, and identity-based philanthropy. All of the participants self-identified as heterosexual and cisgender, and had previously provided donations to LGBTQ+ specific campus programs and student initiatives. Participants were interviewed in one-on-one interviews that were recorded and transcribed. Three rounds of line-by-line coding were conducted that revealed inductive codes garnered from the participants’ interviews which revealed overall themes. This research study uncovered the reasons why heterosexual and cisgender people align themselves as LGBTQ+ allies on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community. The primary reason was relational due to having a family member or close friend identity as LGBTQ+. The secondary reason was found to be in the aspects of supporting social justice and equality for all. Participants’ responses revealed their LGBTQ+ allyship was an integral part of their personal and professional identities. The study also found that donors’ personal and professional relationships with the professional fundraiser were the primary reason for them making a gift. The secondary reason was the giving category itself, or in this case, an LGBTQ+ specific campus program or student initiative. This study provides emerging scholarship to overall philanthropy, and especially within the higher education philanthropy profession. These findings will be useful for providing a foundation of understanding on which to build existing allyship affiliations. These include donor cultivation and stewardship, combined with appeals, branding, and messaging to LGBTQ+ alumnx and allies. This study’s findings might enhance existing donor motivations in order to increase private support for higher education, especially to LGBTQ+ campus programs and student initiatives. Lacking an existing LGBTQ+ allyship theoretical framework, findings from this study facilitate the formation of a new theoretical framework: allyship-based motivation. This framework’s concept posits that one’s allyship toward causes oriented around diversity, equity, and inclusion, is an integral component of their being and self-identity. Collectively, these findings and new theoretical framework could be utilized to uncover additional opportunities for fundraising within higher education.

"ABSTRACT
In an effort at theoretical clarification, the authors reviewed 45 recent articles reporting empirical research employing the concept of `social capital'. The literature is roughly equally divided between those who treat social capital as an independent variable and those who consider it as a dependent variable, and between those who operationalize the concept principally in terms of norms, values and attitudes and those
who choose a more social structural operationalization, invoking social networks, organizations and linkages. Work on social capital as a mainly normative variable is dominated by political scientists and economists, while sociologists and a wide range of applied social scientists utilize more social structural understandings of the term. We find little to recommend in the use of `social capital' to represent the norms, values and attitudes of the civic culture argument. We present empirical, methodological and theoretical arguments for the irrelevance of `generalized social trust', in particular, as a significant factor in the health of democracies or economic development. Social
structural interpretations of social capital, on the other hand, have demonstrated considerable capacity to draw attention to, and illuminate, the many ways in which social resources are made available to individuals and groups for individual or group benefit, which we take to be the prime focus and central attraction of the social capital concept. The paper concludes by elaborating a context-dependent conceptualization of social capital as access plus resources, and cautions against `over-networked' conceptualizations that equate social capital with access alone."

This paper discusses various issues and challenges facing philanthropy and nonprofit organizations in the United States of America. This report presents effective fundraising strategies and discusses management techniques employed by veterans in the nonprofit sector. Additionally, descriptions of each of the nine major areas associated with foundation funding are summarized, and certain grantsmanship practices are highlighted. Finally, this report will discuss seven basic components necessary for writing a successful grant proposal.

Ground-breaking examination of organizations founded on a social mission – social enterprises, non-profits, co-operatives, credit unions, and community development organizations. The second edition contains six new case studies as well three new chapters addressing leadership and strategic management, and human resources management.

With newly commissioned contributions from an international set of scholars at the forefront of nonprofit management research, this volume provides a thorough overview of the most current management thinking in this field. It contextualizes nonprofit management globally, provides an extensive introduction to key management functions, core revenue sources and the emerging social enterprise space, and raises a number of emerging topics and issues that will shape nonprofit management in future decades. As graduate programs continue to evolve to serve the training needs in the field, The Routledge Companion to Nonprofit Management is an essential reference and resource for graduate students, researchers, and practitioners interested in a deeper understanding of the operation of the nonprofit sector.

Tento text ze sborníku "Dobrovolnictví a nestátní neziskové organizace při řešení následků povodní v ČR" přináší informace o aktivitách ADRA o. p. s. v kontextu mimořádných událostí, zejména povodní. Zabývá se rolí organizace ADRA v rámci pomoci při mimořádných událostech a činností, které ADRA v jejich průběhu vykonává, ať už jde o zprostředkování finanční, materiální či dobrovolnické pomoci. Důležitou součástí činnosti jakékoli organizace v krizovém řízení je spolupráce, proto se jedna část textu zabývá také spoluprací organizace ADRA s ostatními zainteresovanými subjekty. Zahrnuta je také problematika získávání zdrojů (finančních, materiálních i lidských) na aktivity organizace ADRA v krizovém řízení a také dosavadní vývoj ADRA o. p. s.

Existing research stops short of explaining why nonprofit organizations develop certain forms of collaborations instead of others. In this article, the authors combine resource dependency, institutional, and network theories to examine the factors that influence the likelihood that nonprofit organizations develop formal types of collaborative activities
vis-à-vis informal types. Based on the survey data of 95 urban charitable organizations,the study has found that an organization is more likely to increase the degree of formality of its collaborative activities when it is older, has a larger budget size, receives government funding but relies on fewer government funding streams, has more board linkages with other nonprofit organizations, and is not operating in the education and research or social service industry.