Local Nonprofit Organizations Research Articles

Labor lacuna: Disjunctures between local climate action and workforce development in advancing just transitions

ABSTRACT U.S. cities have launched expansive climate action initiatives, often touting these efforts’ economic development and job creation benefits. However, without creating the conditions for high-quality jobs and improved access and inclusion, climate mitigation initiatives may be shaped by neoliberal labor principles that sustain inequality. Drawing upon just transition, economic development, and workforce planning literature, we examine the role of workforce development in municipal climate mitigation efforts. Using Austin, Texas, as a critical case, and interviews with local public and non-profit organizations, we illustrate robust green job growth in a range of occupations can provide access to career-building, quality jobs for economically disenfranchised residents. Our case demonstrates that when state policies hamper just transition efforts, local government actions can still shape better outcomes. These case study insights can extend to numerous urban regions where state government policies work strongly against joining climate action and equitable economic development.

Implementing a provisional overarching intervention for COVID-19 monitoring and control in the Brazil-Colombia-Peru frontier.

he challenge was to provide comprehensive health resources to a remote and underserved population living in the Brazil-Colombia-Peru border, amid the most disruptive global crisis of the century. In August 2021, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazonia (FIOCRUZ Amazônia) and partner collaborators implemented an overarching provisional program for SARS-CoV-2 detection and lineages characterization, training of laboratory personnel and healthcare providers, donation of diagnostic supplies and personal protective equipment, and COVID-19 vaccination. The expedition was conducted at the Port of Tabatinga, a busy terminal with an intense flux of people arriving and departing in boats of all sizes, located in the Amazon River basin. Local government, non-profit organizations, private companies, and other stakeholders supported the intervention. The expedition was accomplished in a convergence point, where migrant workers, traders, army personnel, people living in urban areas, and people from small villages living in riversides and indigenous territories are in close and frequent contact, with widespread cross-border movement. Using a boat as a provisional lab and storage facility, the intervention provided clinical and laboratory monitoring for 891 participants; vaccination for 536 individuals; personal protective equipment for 200 healthcare providers; diagnostic supplies for 1,000 COVID-19 rapid tests; training for 42 community health agents on personal protection, rapid test execution, and pulse oximeter management; and hands-on training for four lab technicians on molecular diagnosis. Our experience demonstrates that multilateral initiatives can counterweigh the scarcity of health resources in underserved regions. Moreover, provisional programs can have a long-lasting effect if investments are also provided for local capacity building.

Проблема рекрутинга и студенческого контингента

Recruitment and retention of diverse student groups contributes to achieving the goals of fairness and efficiency in public administration. Recruiting is also important because it will keep many departments afloat, i.e. be viable academic units in their home universities and serve the needs of local governments and non-profit organizations in local communities to create a future qualified employee. This article examines the importance of student recruitment and details four strategies that will help higher school administrators in their recruitment efforts. There are also problems that foreign students face while studying in another country, as well as moments. Which allow them to gain a foothold and stay in the host university. 
 The state of recruiting in the Republic of Belarus will be slightly sanctified.

Evaluating the Feasibility of a Novel Firearm Injury Prevention Program for Pre-adolescent Children Through Health Care and Community-Based Partnerships: The Future Healers Program Pilot Study.

Firearm violence is an American public health crisis that negatively impacts children and disproportionately affects Black youth. Few firearm injury prevention programs have been described in pre-adolescent children. The Future Healers Program is a novel collaboration constructed via partnership between the medical school, trauma center, academic surgery department, and local non-profit community organization. Our study sought to evaluate if (1) partnering with community organizations facilitated recruitment of children with prior exposure to firearm violence and (2) the health care community was a potential trusted partner appropriate for program delivery. Children aged 4-13 were recruited to join the program via news outlets and social media and in partnership with a local non-profit organization. Of the children and parents participating in the program, 48% (44/92) and 59% (38/64), respectively, completed an IRB-approved survey study. Pearson's chi-square, percentages, and 95% confidence intervals evaluated differences between children and caregivers on sociodemographic characteristics, firearm exposure (FE), firearm violence exposure (FVE), and perception of health care. Participant's residence was geocoded in relationship to incidents of firearm injury (2008-2021) in the same region. Caregivers (95%) and children (84%) reported substantial exposure to firearm violence and resided in areas with frequent firearm injury incidents. Notably, 82% of caregivers and 66% of children reported having a family member injured by gunfire. A high percentage of caregivers (79%) and children (91%) self-reported trust in the health care system. Partnerships between community organizations and health care systems can develop prevention programs that effectively recruit and engage pre-adolescent children impacted by firearm violence.

Building community resilience: The City of Victoria’s approach to climate change adaptation and extreme heat response

The Pacific Northwest heat dome of 2021 exposed the need for increased planning and response measures by local governments, and the value of collaboration in preparedness, planning and response to extreme heat events. Recognising that extreme heat is becoming an increasingly significant threat, the City of Victoria has taken steps to improve its response to future events with a focus on developing strategies that provide resources and support to those most vulnerable in the community. The Province of British Columbia and regional health authorities have since provided crucial direction, resources and expertise to municipalities to support response effort for extreme heat events. In recognition of the vital role of community involvement in adaptation planning, the City of Victoria is taking proactive measures to engage its residents in the development of adaptation strategies and disaster risk reduction measures. Building on the lessons learned from the 2021 heat dome and climate change projections for the region, the City is fostering close collaboration with local businesses, nonprofit organisations and community groups to strengthen efforts and ensure that those most at risk are well prepared. The experience in Victoria offers valuable insights and strategies for other municipalities seeking to develop effective disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation strategies based on best practice for planning and responding to extreme heat events. This paper provides a case study of how the City of Victoria responded to the 2021 heat dome, the lessons learned, the practices that were adopted for future heat seasons and how working alongside the community will strengthen Victoria’s resilience to the changing climate conditions.

Mobile service delivery in response to the opioid epidemic in Philadelphia

BackgroundThe harms of opioid use disorder (OUD) and HIV infection disproportionately impact marginalized populations, especially people experiencing homelessness and people who inject drugs (PWID). Mobile OUD service delivery models are emerging to increase access and reduce barriers to OUD care. While there is growing interest in these models, there is limited research about the services they provide, how they operate, and what barriers they face. We characterize the capacity, barriers, and sustainment of mobile OUD care services in a large city with a high incidence of OUD and HIV.MethodsFrom May to August 2022, we conducted semi-structured interviews with leadership from all seven mobile OUD care units (MOCU) providing a medication for OUD or other substance use disorder services in Philadelphia. We surveyed leaders about their unit’s services, staffing, operating location, funding sources, and linkages to care. Leaders were asked to describe their clinical approach, treatment process, and the barriers and facilitators to their operations. Interview recordings were coded using rapid qualitative analysis.ResultsMOCUs are run by small, multidisciplinary teams, typically composed of a clinician, one or two case managers, and a peer recovery specialist or outreach worker. MOCUs provide a range of services, including medications for OUD, wound care, medical services, case management, and screening for infectious diseases. No units provide methadone, but all units provide naloxone, six write prescriptions for buprenorphine, and one unit dispenses buprenorphine. The most frequently reported barriers include practical challenges of working on a MOCU (e.g. lack of space, safety), lack of community support, and patients with substantial medical and psychosocial needs. Interviewees reported concerns about funding and specifically as it relates to providing their staff with adequate pay. The most frequently reported facilitators include positive relationships with the community, collaboration with other entities (e.g. local nonprofits, the police department, universities), and having non-clinical staff (e.g. outreach workers, peer recovery specialists) on the unit.ConclusionsMOCUs provide life-saving services and engage marginalized individuals with OUD. These findings highlight the challenges and complexities of caring for PWID and demonstrate a need to strengthen collaborations between MOCU providers and the treatment system. Policymakers should consider programmatic funding for permanent mobile OUD care services.

Exploring Social Entrepreneurial Activities at a Community Sport Event in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Community sport events are uniquely positioned to engage in social entrepreneurial activities. This engagement can help navigate challenges facing the event sector. Therefore, this study explored the social entrepreneurial activities in which community sport event managers engaged amid COVID19. Qualitative data were collected via semistructured interviews with five event managers and 10 nonprofit managers involved in the Illinois Marathon in the US. Findings showed that event managers engaged in social entrepreneurial activities through 1) leveraging a corporate partner to facilitate long-term relationships with local nonprofits, 2) delivering an impactful alternate event, and 3) hosting postevent banquets. These activities addressed social problems through 1) listening to and responding to immediate community needs, 2) raising awareness about social issues, and 3) shining a positive light on the community. Findings contribute to the literature on events and social entrepreneurship and provide implications for how event managers partake in effective social entrepreneurial activities.

From Crowdfunding to Crowd Mobilization: The Impact of Digital Philanthropy on Grassroots Organizations and Local Politics in China

Abstract The recent emergence of online crowdfunding campaigns has transformed the charitable landscape in China. This paper examines the participation of one county-level grassroots nonprofit organization (SW) in Tencent's 99 Giving Day to reveal a paradox of organizational success in online crowdfunding, namely that local nonprofits have to wage corresponding offline campaigns with the support of the local government, and thus must co-evolve with local politics. While the online charitable campaign played a crucial role in the founding and professionalization of SW, the successful campaign was soon co-opted by the local government as a source of welfare soft-budgeting and performance management. To ensure the ongoing success of the three-day campaign, the online crowdfunding was transformed into a large-scale offline mobilization. We find that although crowdfunding creates new opportunities for rural grassroots organizations, these organizations must balance dual pressures from both the platform and the local government to successfully crowdfund online.

What contributes to the development of local non-profit organizations in China? A configuration analysis of the industrial development paradigm

ABSTRACT The extant research has underexplored how combinations of causally relevant contextual factors relate to the development of local non-profit organizations (NPOs), especially in developing countries. Based on an industrial development analytical framework, this study explores how combined contextual factors (market substrate, institutional environment and network interface) can explain the cross-provincial development imbalance of NPOs in China. Using a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to examine NPO development across 31 Chinese provinces, the results identify four configurations that contribute to high-level NPO development and can aid policymakers and NPO shareholders in tailoring differentiated NPO development practices.

Community philanthropy in South Africa: a case study of grant distribution in the Western Cape

How funding is distributed is an important question in philanthropy. But limited work has asked this question about philanthropy originating on the continent of Africa. This article explores the effective distribution of grants by a community-based South African non-profit organisation through the lens of transaction cost economics. Instead of needs-based indicators, this study finds that internet access is the main indicator of funding, with areas with lower internet access receiving fewer funds than those with higher internet access. This indicates that funding by community-based non-profits may not always be reaching the areas with the highest amount of need, but areas with lower search costs. Overall, community-based organisations may deal with issues similar to international organisations in reaching local non-profit organisations and disenfranchised communities. Targeted outreach, specifically to areas with lower access to the internet, can help to ameliorate these differences.

The University’s Third Mission in Russia’s “Land of Nightingales”

The regional university’s third mission is closely intertwined with the pursuit of cultural and social development goals within the region, fostering productive collaborations with local authorities, businesses, and nonprofits. At the forefront of the academic landscape in the “Land of Nightingales” is Kursk State University (KSU), which has integrated these goals into its strategic development program. This article highlights the key ways in which the university actively engages in the growth of the Kursk Region. Drawing on a sociological study conducted in March-April 2023, we highlight various properties of the university’s organizational culture that empower it to effectively fulfill its missions.

The role of small, locally-owned businesses in advancing community health and health equity: a qualitative exploration in a historically Black neighborhood in the USA

ABSTRACT Multi-sector efforts to address the structural drivers of health inequities faced by racial and ethnic minority communities in the USA often ignore the potential of action by for-profit businesses, perhaps due to skepticism about the role of business in such efforts. However, given the need to harness diverse forms of capital to address structural harms, and recent calls to identify oft-ignored systemic pathways to health, we examined the role of business – specifically small, locally-owned businesses – in promoting community health and well-being. This study explored the role of small, locally owned businesses in community health, and local understandings of the value of such action, in the context of Roxbury, Massachusetts, a historically Black community with a substantial Latinx population. We conducted 20 semi-structured interviews between June and November 2021 with small business owners and staff, as well as leaders and staff from local non-profit organizations, anchor institutions, and one large business. Constructivist and critical perspectives guided the work. We used a team-based, thematic analysis approach; the team included residents and a small local business owner. Participants described pride in the neighborhood and emphasized small businesses’ contribution to long-term community well-being by investing social, cultural, human, and financial capital. Business owners saw their work as a way of giving back and did so in ways reflecting their deep understanding of community needs, aspirations, and identity. Public health efforts should engage pro-social small businesses embedded in marginalized communities, thereby supporting and amplifying businesses’ existing contributions to advancing equitable community health.

Communities Beyond the Classroom: Reflecting on a German Field Trip to a Local Non-Profit

This practice article examines the design, implementation and impacts of a collaborative German language learning (LL) field trip in the United States through the conceptual framework of LL and teaching beyond the classroom. We explore the affordances of semi-structured out-of-class experiences in supporting world language students’ target language proficiency while addressing the crucial Communities goal area of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages World-Readiness standards. In addition to their effects on students, we consider the potential impacts of LL experiences beyond the classroom on schools and school administrations. Considerations for theory, research and practice are discussed.

Born This Way Foundation announces first global campaign for youth mental health

Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation just announced their first ever global campaign for youth mental health by partnering with the philanthropic arm of Australian‐born fashion brand, Cotton On, to raise $5 million for global mental health, a news release stated. Born This Way Foundation has worked for “10+ years with and for young people to build the kinder, braver world we know is possible,” according to its website. The two organizations created a range of limited‐edition products (a denim jacket, T‐shirts, tote bags, etc.) available from Sept. 1 to Oct. 10, with Cotton On donating 100% of the net proceeds to Born This Way Foundation. As a part of that commitment, Born This Way Foundation and Cotton On Foundation — the clothing manufacturer's philanthropic arm — will commit $1.5 million in grants to local youth mental health nonprofits around the world. Between Sept. 1st and Oct. 10, young people are encouraged to nominate the local nonprofits in their communities that make a difference in their lives. Grants of up to $150,000 each will be distributed to selected organizations in 10 countries: Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This campaign will also uplift the ‘Be There Certificate,’ a free, online mental health course for young people, created by Jack.org and Born This Way Foundation.

Who “We” are matters: the influence of organizational identity orientation on public participation in government

ABSTRACT Public participation in government remains far from ubiquitous despite calls for a modern administrative state defined by co-production. This research offers a new perspective on public participation by considering the relationship between organizational identity orientation (OIO) managerial views of the process and the frequency of engagement between local governments, citizens, and non-profits. Results show that in collectivistic public organizations, managers view participation as an important responsibility, even when it creates organizational inefficiencies. No direct link between OIO and frequency of participation is found. These findings point to a nuanced relationship between OIO, managerial beliefs, and organizational action.

How Loud Does the Watchdog Bark? A Reconsideration of Losing Local Journalism, News Nonprofits, and Political Corruption

Journalism has long been presumed to serve as a check on the powerful, shedding light on wrongdoing; however, as local newspapers reach market failure, extant theory predicts corruption will go unchecked. We operationalize corruption as federal prosecutions for public corruption (PPCs), defined by the US Department of Justice as crimes involving the abuse of public trust by federal, state, and local public officials. We examine changes in the local news media ecosystems: first, whether declines in local newspaper employment and circulation are associated with changes in PPCs; and second, whether efforts to supplement watchdog journalism with nonprofit journalism might mitigate associated declines in federal PPC. Our findings suggest nonprofit interventions in failing local commercial news markets may be an important safeguard for keeping public officials accountable.

Volunteers as a resource for asset mapping and maintaining a living resource directory: lessons from an academic-community partnership.

Health and social services are fundamental to public and population health, and disruptions can have devastating effects on individuals of all ages. During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the availability of health and social services rapidly changed. Existing resources experienced changes in operation and mode of service delivery, while new resources emerged to address escalating needs. Both the general public and service providers lacked access to accurate information on availability and access, and existing service directories became obsolete or unreliable. To address this gap, a committee of university students expanded its volunteer base, partnered with a local non-profit organization, and invested in maintaining a centralized, up-to-date resource directory for the region. Student volunteers sourced and consolidated existing county-level directories to curate more than 370 resources across 12 healthcare and social care domains in a Google Sheets platform. This directory was publicly accessible, available in English and Spanish, adjustable to community feedback and needs, disseminated through the local health system intranet, synthesized into paper handouts for food pantries, and utilized to curate a directory aimed toward older adult needs. Students worked in a tiered leadership model and mobilized quickly to respond to immediate community needs. This academic-community partnership engaging student volunteers can be a low-cost, high-value resource to support public health systems meet the information needs of their community, particularly during periods of crisis or rapid changes in service availability.

Exploring the value of pro bono evaluation work as a method to build evaluator competencies and strengthen organizational capacity

The Cultivating Evaluation Education and Development (CEED) program engages early career evaluators in an experiential learning experience by supporting them as they lead a pro bono evaluation for a local nonprofit community organization. We explored the value of this professional development to the early career evaluators, to the sponsor organization, and to the nonprofit organizations receiving CEED services by examining findings from six CEED projects. We found that early career evaluators self-reported gains in confidence and competence especially in four American Evaluation Association Evaluator Competencies (2018) domains - professional practice, methodology, planning and management, and interpersonal skills. The initiative allowed the sponsor organization to expand connections with community organizations, implement work consistent with the mission, and provide new mentoring opportunities. Representatives from the recipient nonprofit organizations reported they gained a deeper understanding of evaluation, improved their dissemination efforts, and built organizational evaluation capacity.

Impact of digital communications on project efficiency through ease of use and top management support

The pandemic has made the world witness an overnight transition from traditional to digital space owning to a lockdown, affecting everyday life. During the lockdown, the business community and people switched to online communication tools for survival. The behaviour towards adopting online communication tools during the pandemic has opened a new direction for researchers to study. This study aims to understand how during the covid-19 lockdown, digital communication tools affect project efficiency. It also explored to what extent project performance (PP) has been affected by digital communication during the lockdown. The study has used a cross-sectional quantitative-based approach. Moreover, a convenience sampling technique was adopted to collect. The target respondents are the project staff and employees of humanitarian organisations comprising international non-profit organisations (INGOs), UN agencies, and local non-profit organisations (NGOs) based in Pakistan. The survey was shared with 400 employees, and only 302 respondents responded. The results show that the user behaviour towards adopting digital communication tools is high; digital communication tools have an impact on project performance, while ease of use significantly moderates the relationship between digital communications tools and project performance compared to top management support. The research helps study employees’ struggles in adopting change and advising organisations to devise practical digital communication strategies and business continuity plans to cope with crises.

미등록 이주민의 의료복지 단절 사례연구

This study examines the lifestyles of migrants living as undocumented immigrants (illegal aliens) living in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, and seeks to find out how oppression due to their status, psychological anxiety, and vulnerable lives affect the health of pregnant women and their fetuses. This study interviewed 30 pregnant women among undocumented immigrants who lived in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju from January to June 2023, and summarized the state of mind of the mother, hospital expenses, and child rearing on a case-by-case basis. Pregnant women of undocumented migrants are exposed to risks of lack of medical insurance, lack of family, and forced repatriation, and the burden of medical expenses and childcare due to the absence of national health insurance existed. If local governments or non-profit private organizations continue to take an interest in undocumented immigrants and give warm glances of help, the welfare service of undocumented migrants staying in Korea will be improved and the quality of life in Korea will be improved at the present time when the number of undocumented migrants is increasing socially. I hope a solution is found.