Philanthropic Institutions and the Small Religious Nonprofit

Abstract

Basedon information gathered from small religious nonprofits(SRNPs)and philanthropic organizations in the Chicago area, this article finds that SRNPs may have difficulties obtaining foundation grants due to their mode of operation and the misconceptions of some grant-making officers. By pinpointing specific areas of misunderstanding, both donors and SRNPs are offered the opportunity to revise those assumptions and practices thatimpedecooperation.Thefindingsofthisstudysuggestthatalthoughthereissubstantial interest and goodwill extended between the two populations studied, there are also vast gulfsin theknowledgeandexpectationsthesesectorsholdforoneanother.Asaconsequence, opportunitiesareunnecessarilyforgoneforreceiving,aswellasforconveying,philanthropic gifts. Despite this discouraging news, there is every reason to believe that these problems may be addressed through education and enhanced communication. The article concludes by offering practical recommendations to close the gap between SRNPs and grant-making institutions.