Bridging the Gaps: Local Government and Nonprofit Collaborations

Todd Collins,John David Gerlach

doi:10.20899/jpna.5.2.118-133

Todd Collins, John David Gerlach

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.20899/jpna.5.2.118-133

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Abstract

Local governments and nonprofit organizations often struggle to provide quality services to their residents and clients. One potential way for these organizations to overcome obstacles in service provision is to engage in joint programming and service delivery. In this study, we use original survey data collected from local government and nonprofit managers in the state of North Carolina to examine recent trends in collaboration between these sectors. Specifically, we explore the perceptions of these managers concerning the types of collaborations that work best, the types of collaborations that are least successful, and the factors that foster or hinder cooperation. We also explore the perceptions that these managers have about the other. We hypothesize that positive perceptions of the other sector, greater access to resources, operating in a more urbanized environment, and participation in past positive cross-sector collaboration experiences will all lead to increased collaboration between local governments and nonprofits. We find, however, that although an organization’s resources and managerial perceptions of the other sector do influence collaboration, having participated in a past successful collaboration does not necessarily lead to an increase in future partnerships.

Highlights

The interweaving of governmental programs and nonprofit organizations is increasing (Kettl, 2015); and, collaborations between local governments and nonprofit organizations play an important role in service delivery
While a great deal of scholarly attention has focused on collaborations between nonprofit organizations, we understand much less about why local governments and nonprofit organizations choose to collaborate with one another
We examine how managers’ perceptions of the other sector, organizational resources, geographic setting, and past collaboration experiences all influence the likelihood of engaging in future cross-sector collaborations

Summary

Introduction

The interweaving of governmental programs and nonprofit organizations is increasing (Kettl, 2015); and, collaborations between local governments and nonprofit organizations play an important role in service delivery. These collaborations are often mutually beneficial arrangements given that local governments tend to seek additional expertise and capacity while nonprofits tend to pursue increased resources (Gazley & Brudney, 2007). Sowa (2009) found that early child care and education nonprofits strategically collaborated with one another often with the intent of seeking benefits for their core services and programs This type of collaboration strengthens the capabilities of nonprofit organizations. These collaborations can increase the level of services available to clients (Selden, Sowa & Sandfort, 2006)

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Conclusion