Nonprofit Capacity Research Articles

Do U.S. Faith-Based Social Service Organizations Resist Collaboration? Examining the Role of Religiosity and Operational Capacity in Interorganizational Partnerships

Although nonprofit collaboration is commonplace, recent research suggests that faith-based organizations (FBOs) are less likely to collaborate than other nonprofits. This study builds on prior FBO, collaboration, and nonprofit capacity research to examine the influence of religiosity and operational capacity on FBOs’ within- and cross-sector partnerships. Findings from a survey with 197 FBOs across the United States reveal a complex picture of how religiosity and operational capacity influence FBO collaboration. More specifically, staff religiosity was positively related to cross-sector partnerships. Service religiosity (i.e., religious elements in staff–client interactions) was negatively associated with collaboration with government agencies. Results also indicated that FBOs with higher operational capacity had more partners in the nonprofit, business, and public sectors. These findings suggest that FBOs generally lack the operational capacity for collaboration and that service religiosity creates additional barriers to it. This article concludes with implications for research in FBOs, interorganizational collaboration, and nonprofit capacity.

The more you know, the more you give: Influence of online disclosure on European community foundations' donations

AbstractCompetition is high in the charitable contributions market, and donors demand to know how nonprofit organizations use the money they receive. In scrutinizing the variables that affect the capacity of nonprofits to attract donations, previous research has highlighted the positive influence of the amount of financial and performance information that nonprofits disclose through their websites. This study explored whether the depth of the organizations' online disclosures also affects these donations. In line with existing studies on regression‐based economic models of giving, this study considered community foundations—focusing on the United Kingdom and Italy—and its results indicated that managing the depth of the information provided through financial reports can influence donors' sensitivity and willingness to donate.

Pursuing the Anchor Mission in a Fragmented Suburban Setting

Increasingly, suburban universities find themselves in communities facing challenges that inner cities have had to deal with for decades, including concentrated poverty, housing vacancy, and underperforming school districts. While the problems are similar, the institutional context is different. Compared to central cities, suburban municipal governments generally lack the resources necessary to sustain robust community economic development initiatives. Further, suburbs often lack the rich landscape of nonprofit organizations that were built up over many decades in central cities. This article reflects on the experience of the University of Missouri-St. Louis as a case study of a suburban anchor institution. This experience suggests that anchor institutions in suburban settings need to focus on asset-based community development, support collective action among fragmented institutions, and build the civic capacity of local governments, nonprofits, and businesses.

Capacity-Building Catalysts: A Qualitative Assessment of Nonprofit Capacity Building by Community Foundations in Illinois

Community foundations have the potential to promote collaborative learning in a variety of ways as conveners, funders, and, in some instances, as nonprofit capacity builders. Yet little is known about what community foundations are doing to support capacity building. This article focuses specifically on nonprofit capacity building that is funded, organized, or led by community foundations in Illinois. First, this article identifies the capacity-building efforts of those community foundations. Next, it summarizes results from a qualitative survey to share insights from leaders of the foundations that offer capacity-building opportunities. These data shed new light on our collective understanding of how community foundations define both capacity building and success in capacity building, what challenges they encounter, and how funders can overcome obstacles to effective capacity building. The article concludes with practical recommendations for community foundations seeking to implement capacity-building opportunities.

Building Nonprofit Capacity to Achieve Greater Impact: Lessons From the U.S.-Mexico Border

Foundations often rely on strong relationships with grantees doing frontline work in marginalized communities. Yet these nonprofits typically face myriad financial and policy pressures that must be managed amid increasing need for their services. Helping them expand their impact requires funders to invest in their grantees’ organizational health and capacity.

Organizational Capacity of Nonprofit Organizations in Rural Areas of the United States: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACTRural America is facing a plethora of problems related to poverty, crime, health, and education. Nonprofit organizations serve a vital role in rural communities by providing services and advocacy to residents. Yet, it is unknown if rural nonprofits have the means to effectively address the complex issues before them. This study examines the results of scoping review which characterizes the state of empirical knowledge regarding the organizational capacity of rural nonprofits in the United States. Fifteen articles from the past decade uncovered challenges and strengths related to organizational capacity, though more research is necessary to inform funders and educators.

Toward a Contingency Model for the Relationship Between Capacity and Effectiveness in Nonprofit Organizations

This article synthesizes the literature on organizational capacity in an effort to improve our understanding of the relationship between capacity and various measures of nonprofit effectiveness. I define capacity as the means by which organizations achieve effectiveness, and propose a contingency model to explain how different measures of nonprofit effectiveness (via goal attainment, system resources, and the multiple constituencies models) suggest distinct ways of conceptualizing and assessing nonprofit capacity. Drawing from organizational theory, I consider capacity in terms of resource streams and operational activities. The article proposes a contingency model that will assist researchers in examining the extent to which particular organization capacity variables relate to different measures of organizational effectiveness. It also provides practitioners a useful tool for understanding and assessing nonprofit capacity and effectiveness in different scenarios, in light of various internal and external factors.

Disconnect between nonprofits, foundations when it comes to capacity building

Nonprofit Business AdvisorVolume 2018, Issue 351 p. 1-3 Articles Disconnect between nonprofits, foundations when it comes to capacity building First published: 16 November 2018 https://doi.org/10.1002/nba.30523Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstract When it comes to strengthening the operational capacity of nonprofits, foundations might be focusing too many of their grants on the wrong type of support, or supporting the wrong activities/areas of their charitable partners, according to a new study from the Center for Effective Philanthropy. Volume2018, Issue351December 2018Pages 1-3 RelatedInformation

Are We All on the Same Page? Using Data and Dialogue to Understand Nonprofit Capacity Building

Although scholarly measurement of nonprofit capacities has been a key element in the search for effective and sustainable capacity building efforts, practitioners recognize and struggle with definitions and perceptions that remain ambiguous. To date, few studies have embraced these important conceptual tensions, especially from the perspectives of multiple stakeholders in an effort to integrate and triangulate findings in a more applied context. Our study provides a lens on why both research and practice may be applying highly contextual definitions that our data show as not being broadly generalizable across nonprofit subsectors and important stakeholder groups. Our analyses demonstrate that capacity building may not be one-size- fits-all, with no easy, transferable pattern stemming from a survey-driven assessment of nonprofit capacities. Our qualitative analyses of focus groups and a day- long dialog of stakeholders including foundation funders, business funders, government funders, individual donors, nonprofits, and nonprofit capacity building consultants illuminate that there is a meaningful need for a deeper understanding of multiple perspectives of both capacity and capacity building across stakeholder groups.

Does Cross-Sector Collaboration Lead to Higher Nonprofit Capacity?

Cross-sector social partnership (CSSP) case-based theory and research have long argued that nonprofits that engage in more integrative and enduring cross-sector partnerships should increase their organizational capacity. By increasing their capacity, nonprofits increase their ability to contribute to systemic change. The current research investigates this claim in a large-scale empirical research study. In particular, this study examines whether nonprofits that have a greater number of integrated cross-sector partnerships have greater capacities for financial management, strategic planning, external communication, board leadership, mission orientation, and staff management than nonprofits that have other types of interorganizational relationships. Moreover, it examines whether the length of these partnerships is associated with better capacity. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis drawn from surveys of 452 nonprofit organizations suggests that cross-sector collaboration is not systematically related to increased capacity. However, the results suggest that more enduring relationships between government and nonprofit organizations that extend beyond funder–recipient relationships are related to greater strategic planning capacity. Implications for CSSP research are drawn from the results, especially those concerned with the outcomes of CSSPs.

The Nonprofit Capacities Instrument

Nonprofits are guided by internal efforts and external mandates to build capacity. However, scholars and grant makers are hampered by varied definitions of the concept, competing but untested models, and the lack of a reliable and valid measure. This research defines nonprofit capacity as the processes, practices, and people that the organization has at its disposal that enable it to produce, perform, or deploy resources to achieve its mission. An inductive‐confirmatory two‐study approach introduces and validates the Nonprofit Capacities Instrument, a 45‐item measure of eight nonprofit capacities derived from existing instruments. The capacities are (1) financial management, (2) adaptive capacity, (3) strategic planning, (4) external communication, (5) board leadership, (6) operational capacity, (7) mission orientation, and (8) staff management. Intriguingly, this research demonstrates that nonprofit capacity is not a singular or second‐order concept, but better described in its plural form, nonprofit capacities.

Elements of Capacity in Youth Development Nonprofits: An Exploratory Study of Urban Sport for Development and Peace Organizations

Organizational capacity is often discussed among nonprofit practitioners and scholars. Yet, empirical research employing a multidimensional capacity framework remains scarce in the nonprofit literature (Andersson et al. in VOLUNTAS Int J Volunt Nonprofit Organ 27(6):2860–2888, 2016). Using a qualitative research approach, we explored capacity in a specific segment of youth development nonprofits—sport for development and peace (SDP). We were guided by three research questions: (1) what are critical capacity elements of SDP nonprofits? (2) how do these capacity elements influence the ability of SDP nonprofits to achieve their desired goals and objectives? and (3) what are the capacity needs of SDP nonprofits in the USA? Findings from in-depth interviews with leaders of 29 organizations contribute to the development of theory on nonprofit capacity by providing a more nuanced understanding of capacity strengths and challenges related to broader nonprofit goal achievement. For example, paid staff, revenue generation, and internal infrastructure emerged as critically more important for capacity in this context. Practical and theoretical implications are further discussed.

Core Capabilities and Capacities of Developer Nonprofits in Postdisaster Community Rebuilding

Core Capabilities and Capacities of Developer Nonprofits in Postdisaster Community Rebuilding

Effective Volunteer Engagement for Sustainability and Growth

Nonprofit organizations throughout the United States engage and manage millions of volunteers each year, yet there is little research and/or sets of evidence-based practices for managing them well. This article summarizes two of the most comprehensive survey research studies conducted to date and draws capacity-building implications for the nonprofit sector. Both of the cited studies found that nonprofit organizations struggle to engage and manage volunteers effectively. However, for those few that do it well, there are “net benefits” with respect to cost savings, increased public support, and increased quality of and capacity to deliver services. Additionally, nonprofits that manage and engage volunteers well are more cost efficient, as well as significantly better led, better managed, and more adaptable to exigent changes. Capacity-building organizations, consultants, and other nonprofit intermediaries can improve volunteer management by better assessing and directly addressing nonprofit needs through targeted consulting and training. Additionally, there is a need to bridge the divide between two groups of intermediaries: those focused on volunteerism and those focused on nonprofit capacity building more broadly. This article provides discussion questions and exercises for nonprofit capacity builders and intermediaries to consider and use.

Organizational Change and Racial Equity: Implications for Capacity-Building Practice for Organizations and Networks

The changing environment both locally and nationally has heightened the need of nonprofit leadership and organizations to address issues of racial and ethnic disparities with more equitable systems and practice. This article examines the research on nonprofit organizational change through a racial equity lens and looks at implications for nonprofit capacity builders in using this research to create more effective long-term change.

Can Nonprofit Capacity Be Measured?

Organizational capacity is the set of structures and functions a nonprofit organization needs to effectively serve the community. Although capacity is defined in the nonprofit literature, no standardized measures exist, making it difficult to accurately assess organizational capacity. Data from a survey of nonprofit human service organizations ( N = 1,221) that participated in a capacity-building demonstration project are used to assess the fit of two conceptual models of capacity using confirmatory factor analysis. Results indicated that a model that measured capacity with more than 40 performance-related indicators did not fit the data well. However, a model using fewer (19) indicators of organizations’ self-assessed capacity-building progress fit the data well and was invariant by tenure. Implications for measuring nonprofit organizational capacity are discussed.

Fundraising Policy Reform and its Impact on Nonprofits in China: A View from the Trenches

AbstractAfter decades of strict charitable solicitation regulation, the Chinese government has recently begun to experiment with fundraising policy reforms in some local jurisdictions. In this comparative study of two metropolitan cities, Shanghai and Guangzhou, we examine the nature, content, and scope of the reform and its impact on nonprofit organizations. Our archival analysis indicates that the new policies in both cities helped create a more supportive regulatory environment for the nonprofit sector, though they differed in the extent to which policy change departed from the status quo. Yet somewhat surprisingly, the reform elicited a lukewarm reaction from the nonprofit sector: only a very small fraction of nonprofit organizations actually fundraised under the new policies, and their performance varied remarkably. Our field work further reveals that many nonprofit leaders had reservations about the policy initiatives. Possible reasons for such reservations include fragmented policies on nonprofit registration and taxation, discretionary authorization system, and the weak fundraising capacity of nonprofits.

Policy Brief: The Case for Using Robust Measures to Evaluate Nonprofit Organizations

AbstractAlthough nonprofit organizations are expected to engage in continuous evaluation, its effectiveness is hampered by limited resources and competing and untested instruments. This paper makes the case for the creation and use of more robust measures in nonprofit evaluation. Specifically, we argue for the involvement of nonprofits in the development of reliable and valid instruments that can be used to benchmark nonprofit organizations against one another and for funders and government to support these efforts through their investment in nonprofit measurement. We cite a particular measure, The Nonprofit Capacities Instrument, as an exemplar.

Toward More Targeted Capacity Building: Diagnosing Capacity Needs Across Organizational Life Stages

Investments to build nonprofit organizational capacity have increased rapidly in recent years as both funders and nonprofits seek ways to improve performance. Yet, while research has elucidated the variety of capacity areas organizations generally depend on, we do not yet have a clear empirical understanding of which capacity areas are important to focus on developing or how these capacity needs vary across organizations. Using a life-cycle perspective and extensive data on 71 human service organizations, we examine the relative strength of ten capacity areas at different stages of the nonprofit life-cycle. Findings contribute greater empirical grounding for research on organizational capacity development and have implications for researchers, managers, and funders interested in nonprofit capacity building.

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