Bridging a community need: development and sustainability of a crime victim service organisation on a university campus

Abstract

While most university systems encourage and emphasise community service to faculty, staff and students, few university systems create space on their campuses for local, non-profit community organisations that are not religiously or educationally related (i.e., schools, pre-school, day care, etc.). Resources on university campuses can be instrumental in developing and sustaining local grass roots organisations to address specific community needs. This service can provide numerous benefits to both the community and the university with minimal cost to the university. The specific focus of this paper is to answer these questions: a) Does a partnership between a university system and a small, non-profit organisation hinder or enhance the resiliency of the community organisation?; b) Does the reciprocity of benefits to the university offset the cost of resources? A case study analysis of a private community non-profit organisation established on a mid-size public university campus to meet a grassroots need that has a sustained 30 year history will be featured to explore these questions. A history of the organisation including its raison d’etre for creation will be discussed and its life span analysed via organisational theory. Attention also will be given to the partnership benefits for both the non-profit organisation and the university.