Nonprofit Sector Research Articles

Adapting to evidence users: accessibility and incentives

Adapting infrastructure for evidence creation and dissemination involves taking new technological, social, and environmental realities into account. Adaptations should also respond to what hasn’t changed: structural disincentives to evidence use among intended users. This presentation addresses the understudied problem of how administrative data systems go beyond enabling access to information – how data linkages or other infrastructure impacts policymakers or other intended information users. It addresses data sharing and data use, as well as public engagement and involvement. A recent practitioner convening examined how new administrative data infrastructure can catalyze evidence-building, and, specifically explored the incentives and disincentives for stakeholders' use of evidence from evaluations. Participants discussed the multiple functions of evaluations for nonprofits, funders, policymakers, and communities, and shared lessons in capacity building from the recent history of nonprofit & human services evaluation. Preliminary results from this convening will be discussed in terms of their broader implications for the use of information resulting from future large-scale data linkages. Broadly, the convening validated the hypothesis that efforts to increase the availability of evidence often proceed without sufficient consideration of the history of non-uptake of evidence, and that there has been limited acknowledgement of this problem by practitioners of evidence generation. Much work is needed within the evaluation & evidence, and nonprofit sector to address this challenge. Key themes for this work that emerged during the convening will illustrate what might work and what won’t work to address the non-uptake of evidence more broadly.

Moving Beyond Regulation: Cross‐Sectoral Coordination in Providing Holistic Care in For‐Profit Residential Homes for Disabled People

ABSTRACTThe recent decades have seen an increasing trend in market‐oriented reforms in long‐term care, yet concerns about the quality of care persist, especially with for‐profit providers. Recently, Hong Kong has pioneered a shift from reinforcing government regulation to a collaborative model that leverages the capabilities of the nonprofit sector to support for‐profit providers. A key aspect of this approach is the coordination involving different sectors, which remains a less explored domain in health and social care literature. Through interviews and focus groups with stakeholders, including nonprofit operators, for‐profit providers, service users, and their carers, this study explored the coordinated work process in this newly initiated project. Analysis of participant accounts highlights the importance of relational coordination to the approach, as effective coordination among stakeholders in this context greatly depended on the quality of stakeholder relationships. This coordination was characterized by shared goals, shared knowledge, and timely, problem‐solving, and supportive communication. The dedicated efforts of nonprofit operators supported relational coordination by acting as a ‘boundary spanner’ that liaised with major stakeholders, and serving as a change agent which seized every opportunity to enhance the quality of coordination in the original system. The paper showcases a successful approach that utilizes cross‐sectoral coordination to enhance service quality in the private sector and reveals various strategies and concerns in engaging for‐profit operators, demonstrating a promising way for closer collaboration between the two sectors to mitigate the mixed effects of the marketization of long‐term care.

Who Cares About Nonprofit Reputation: Individual Differences in the Relationship Between Nonprofit Reputation and Charitable Giving

ABSTRACTOur study examined how individual characteristics shape the way different dimensions of nonprofit reputation impact charitable giving decisions. We used data from a 2 × 2 × 2 full factorial survey experiment and operationalized reputation in three dimensions: financial efficiency, media visibility, and accreditation status. First, our findings show that information about high financial efficiency leads to increased donations from individuals who are older, White, or have higher levels of education, but fewer donations from individuals who are more religious or employed in the nonprofit sector. Second, information about accreditation status tends to drive more donations from older individuals but fewer donations from those who are more religious or conservative. The results underscore the significant role of individual differences in explaining the effects of nonprofit reputation on charitable giving decisions. Moreover, our study offers practical insights into how information regarding nonprofit reputation can be strategically utilized to solicit donations and educate donors.

Blurring the Lines Between Public and Nonprofit Sectors: Local Efforts to Create Inclusive Communities

Local governments and nonprofits share the common goal of enhancing local community well-being, despite variations in funding sources, governance structure, and authority. Their joint efforts in responding to increasing immigrant concerns shed light on their motivations to address emerging challenges. Through interviews, original surveys, and secondary datasets, this study unveils that both sectors respond to rising foreign-born populations, shifting local racial demographics, and an aging populace. While political context significantly shapes local government actions, nonprofits are propelled by grant opportunities. These findings underscore sector commonalities and disparities and how the two sectors can continue to work together or independently to address community issues.

Effects of COVID-19 on the Nonprofit Sector

Effects of COVID-19 on the Nonprofit Sector

CEO Benevolence and Corporate Social Performance

The involvement of corporate CEOs/directors in not‐for‐profit (NFP) leadership is significant for corporate and NFP sectors. We refer to this activity as ‘benevolence’. These benevolent leaders bring synergistic effects to each leadership position. Although research has examined various characteristics of NFPs and corporate leaders independently, the impact of this combination of serving NFPs and listed firms is worth examining, given current debates on the form and function of stakeholder capitalism. We provide preliminary exploration of NFP leadership positions of CEOs/directors, from 2010 to 2019. Data were hand‐collected from CEO/director biographies in annual reports. NFP roles were verified through public sources (e.g., Australian Charities and Not‐For‐Profit Commission). We identify meaningful patterns in NFP leadership positions held by the those in the top echelons. In evaluating whether benevolent leaders influence corporate ethical outcomes, we find a significant positive association. Our findings establish the foundation for future inquiries on the influence of benevolent leaders on many corporate outcomes.

Employee Compensation of Nonprofit Child Welfare Agencies in New York: Crises and Strategies

ABSTRACTWhile existing literature documents the low compensation of nonprofit human services workers, it is not well understood how managers of these organizations perceive and respond to the problem. Adopting resource dependency and competing institutional logics perspectives, we chose the New York nonprofit child welfare sector—a heavily government‐funded field—as a collective case to study these issues. Based on interviews with 17 leaders of the primary NY nonprofit child welfare agencies, we found that these agencies' employee compensation was primarily constrained by government contracts, and they were torn by conflicting institutional logics from the state, the labor market, private funders, and unions. Overall, government contracts and market competition determined worker pay, and nonprofit child welfare agencies faced labor competition not only from peer organizations, but also from the government and for‐profit sectors. With the “great resignation” atmosphere and increased cost of living intensified by the COVID‐19 pandemic, agencies were under tremendous pressure to raise worker pay. However, programs chronically underfunded by the government were incapable of providing competitive wages and were experiencing high staff turnover and vacancies. Agency leaders agreed on the need to push the government to pay programs adequately but disagreed about advocacy goals and messaging. Most leaders had reservations about aggressive collective bargaining measures such as “going on strike.” These common but attenuated labor dynamics, related managerial responses, and implications for the future of the sector are discussed, particularly in response to competing institutional pressures.

Physical activity policies in Saudi Arabia and Oman: a qualitative study using stakeholder interviews

BackgroundCountries in the Middle East have some of the lowest rates of physical activity and some of the highest rates of obesity in the world. Policies can influence population levels of physical activity. However, there is a dearth of research on physical activity policies in the Gulf region. This qualitative study analyses cross-sectoral barriers and facilitators for the development, implementation and evaluation of physical activity policies in Saudi Arabia and Oman, two of the largest countries in the region.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 senior policymakers from the Ministries of Health, Education, and Sport in Saudi Arabia and Oman, and were examined using thematic analysis.ResultsWe identified seven themes related to physical activity policies in Saudi Arabia and Oman: leadership; existing policies; physical activity programs related to policies; private sector policies; challenges; data/monitoring; and future opportunities. Both countries have a central document that guides policy-makers in promoting physical activity, and the available policies in both countries are implemented via multiple programs and initiatives to increase physical activity. Compared with Oman, in Saudi Arabia, programs from the non-profit sector, represented by community groups, play a more significant role in promoting physical activity outside the government framework. The private sector has contributed to promoting physical activity in both countries, but interviewees stated that more financial support is required. Policy limitations differ between Saudi Arabia and Oman: intersectoral collaboration in Oman is limited and mainly based on individuals’ own initiative, while the health transformation in Saudi Arabia tends to slow down policy implementation in relevant areas. Physical education in Saudi Arabia and Oman is similar; however, increased support and collaboration between government agencies and the private sector for out-of-school sports academies are needed.ConclusionsThis study addresses key gaps in analysing physical activity policies in Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Our study highlights the importance of increasing financial support, improving collaboration between governmental agencies and between them and the private sector and consolidating efforts to back physical activity policies and dismantle cross-sectoral barriers in Saudi Arabia and Oman. Educational institutions in Saudi Arabia and Oman play a crucial role in promoting physical activity from early childhood to young adults. Our insights assist policy-makers, public health officials and stakeholders in shaping effective physical activity-promoting policies, programs and interventions to prevent non-communicable diseases. Challenges identified in Saudi Arabia and Oman's policies will inform their future development.

True Grit: Exploring Nonprofit Sector Resilience Following Economic Recessions

Abstract The nonprofit sector has been portrayed as resilient, describing a sector that persists despite challenges. We investigate nonprofit resiliency by examining how organizational characteristics, strategies, and community factors equipped organizations to recover following economic recessions. Utilizing a fixed effects panel regression model, our study covers a period of 29 years (1989–2018), encompassing three economic crises in the United States. The primary focus is examining the sector’s financial health and the resilience of the constituent organizations. Our findings describe a sector buoyed by the resilience of larger and older organizations, earned revenue, and contribution revenue, as well as the role of community factors in influencing the sector’s resilience. This study examines a wider timeframe and employs a more expansive sampling approach compared to previous studies on nonprofit resilience. In doing so, it contributes valuable insights to our understanding of the resilient sector.

Institutional pressures and the prevalence of nonprofit sector support organizations

AbstractThis study focuses on the prevalence of nonprofit sector support organizations (NSSOs)—a form of nonprofit organization (NPO) devoted to providing services and resources to support grassroots development. Contrary to previous studies that emphasize the importance of institutions in shaping the NPO population through their effect on citizens and nonprofit managers, this study links three institutional pressures—coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures—to the decisions of public agencies to establish NSSOs. This study examines this claim using a newly constructed dataset of NSSOs across 330 Chinese cities between 2012 and 2021 (N = 2385). The results indicate that cities with greater pressure from provincial governments, neighboring cities, and professional associations are more likely to promote the establishment of NSSOs. This study advances the understanding of the impact of institutions on the dynamics of the NPO population by demonstrating their effect on public agencies.

A Commentary on Nonprofit Policy Development and Reform: The City and County of Denver’s Investment in the Wellbeing of the Nonprofit Sector

Abstract Governments and nonprofits partner with one another to provide services, with governments typically the funders of services and nonprofits the deliverers of these services. The City and County of Denver, similar to cities around the country, rely on nonprofits to provide vital services to their communities for a multitude of reasons. For Denver, this is particularly evident in the extensive annual funding that the City and County provides to nonprofits. However, even as they receive government funding for their service delivery, nonprofits regularly report significant challenges in their partnerships with government. This commentary reviews the current state of Denver’s nonprofit sector and its government-nonprofit partnerships, and suggests process and policy recommendations to strengthen the nonprofit sector and its partnerships with government.

Real estate for social purpose: varieties of entrepreneurialism in Toronto’s non-profit housing sector

Non-profit housing providers have faced ongoing pressure from neoliberal restructuring policies since the late twentieth century. In reaction to funding cuts and policies requiring them to become more business-like, housing organisations have become more hybrid, incorporating entrepreneurial logics and practices from the real estate sector. We expand on the concept of hybridity to argue that under certain institutional contexts, non-profits can apply real estate entrepreneurialism towards their social housing missions. Analysing development and acquisition practices of 13 non-profit housing providers in the Greater Toronto Area, we explore how non-profits balance entrepreneurial practices with their commitment to de-commodified housing. Three types of hybrid organisations are identified: large economy-of-scale organisations that prioritise growth and real estate professionalisation; service-focused organisations whose mission statement limits their growth aspirations; and newcomers, whose forays into housing development face both internal capacity limits and criticism from veteran organisations. The variances in hybridisation processes across and within institutional contexts, we find, require a more nuanced theorisation of the longer-term implications of neoliberalisation on social housing. Learning from Toronto’s budding social purpose real estate sector, we identify key resources for entrepreneurial housing non-profits: building sectoral assets, knowledge sharing, risk management, and a balance between organisational diversity and scale.

Voluntary initiatives of non-profit organizations in the formation of creative communities and creative spaces of the city: a philosophical view

Relevance. This article examines the topical issue of the role of the non-profit sector in urban development from a philosophical point of view. The authors cite key concepts that reveal the socio-legal aspects of the work of NGOs; define the socio-philosophical significance of the activities of non-profit organizations in Russian cities.The purpose of the study is to identify the impact of volunteer initiatives of the non-profit sector on the development of creative locations of cities, the dynamics of territorial development.Objectives: to determining the relationship of NGOs with the development of the creative potential of the city; socio-philosophical analysis of competitive materials of applications from non-profit organizations to civil society development funds; identification of directions for the formation of urban creative and innovative spaces created with the help of NGOs.Methodology. The work uses a systematic method, an analytical review and synthesis of the information under study. The authors used materials from open data reports on the evaluation of the results of the projects of the winners of the competitions for grants from the President of the Russian Federation for the development of civil society in 2022.Results. The result is an idea of the socio-cultural modernization of the urban sphere. Initiative in the implementation of voluntary urban socially significant projects forms the sustainability of urban living conditions, the investment and image attractiveness of the city, and the positive migration issue. The interrelation between initiative projects of representatives of the non-profit sector and socio-cultural design of the environment, activation of the creative class, and improvement of the comfort level of urban areas is revealed. Modern active NGOs in Russian cities represent the avant-garde, implementing creative projects and broadcasting cultural trends, creative practices that define the conceptual meanings of the development of a particular city (region). Projects based on the voluntary aspirations of citizens and related to the assistance of specific social groups acquire a sustainable character of development and form the features of the city.Conclusion. The results of the study showed that the work of the non-profit sector in Russian cities is transforming urban spaces by developing creative resources and creative industries.

Guardian of society: Civil society in Nigeria's response to COVID-19 pandemic.

The rapid breakout and dissemination of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection from the city of Wuhan, China, to the rest of the countries of the world in December 2019 triggered a situation that led the World Health Organization to report it as a global public health emergency. The pandemic resulted in abrupt and significant loss of lives, disruption of economies, loss of livelihoods, and severe hardship across the nations of the world. Nigeria encountered the COVID-19 reality following the discovery of the first case of the infection in the country on February 27, 2020, prompting the government to swing into action to contain its spread. However, the government's response to the pandemic benefited from the support of nonstate actors from the profit and nonprofit sectors. This study, thus, specifically examined the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in Nigeria's response to the coronavirus crisis. Using data obtained through secondary sources and analysis of thematic and descriptive-interpretive methods, the study found that CSOs impressively contributed to the government's fight against COVID-19, particularly in view of their roles in creating awareness about the virus and rebutting disinformation regarding the disease, among others. Yet, CSOs encountered some problems while undertaking these roles, prominently the closure of the civic space, noninclusion of CSOs in government's pandemic response architecture, and loss of funding. The study recommends, among other things, that in the case of any future public health emergencies of COVID-19 magnitude, the Nigerian Government should make CSOs an integral part of its response structure, while concluding that the application of these measures would incentivize better contributions from CSOs.

Growth to Support Need: Corporations and the Size of the Local Welfare Nonprofit Sector

Growth to Support Need: Corporations and the Size of the Local Welfare Nonprofit Sector

When Prominence Overrules EminenceSubsidization of the Cultural Sectors in the Netherlands

What processes determine the allocation of state subsidies to a selection of cultural and artistic organizations? In the case of the Dutch cultural basic infrastructure (BIS) two main criteria are issued, namely quality and reputation. In this article, no attempt is made to define measures for artistic quality and reputation. Instead, it is observed by which criteria decision makers, public media, and artistic leaders refer to these concepts. The way in which the selection and granting are performed shows striking similarity with processes described in the literature. First, the theory of social comparison asserts that people in a shared activity compare opinions and abilities in a strife for growth. When technical constraints and limits impede the progress in ability, effort and attention shift to opinions on abilities of the members. In this social dimension, growth is more easily attained. This decoupling results into stagnation and inferior learning processes. Second, in an implicit elaboration of the social comparison theory, a model is proposed in which perceived quality and prominence determine which organization will receive price premiums. Perceived quality is indicated by the quality of the inputs and productivity assets. Prominence origins from media rankings and elicited preferences of intermediary organizations and affiliation with high-status actors. Prominence has more bearing in social processes in the institutional field than on quality indicators. This model provides a base for reputation bias among stakeholders of organizations. The theoretical approaches have been operationalized into an analytical framework. The framework appears to offer a powerful and accurate instrument to describe and explain courses of action and outcomes in Dutch cultural sectors. In discussion, it is questioned if it is wise to base a subsidization policy on social comparison. The strive for prominence in the institutional fields tends to overrule the search for quality and eminence. It is recommended to reconsider social comparison processes by reduction of the arbitrariness in the performance assessment and evaluation. In this respect, promising and high-quality performers are supported in their access to large audiences. It is proposed that the framework can be applied in all situations where resources and performance opportunities are allocated to a selection of executing actors. Choices will be based on a mix of past and future performances. The situations suited for application may vary from philanthropy to hard core and non-profit sectors to private business industries.

“Nobody Knew the Rules”: Nonprofit Resilience, Rules, and Resources During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT Nonprofit organizations faced a high demand for their services during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet they experienced unique constraints due to their distinct financial model amidst a global economic crisis. Given the extraordinary circumstances that nonprofits confronted during the pandemic, the purpose of this study is to understand nonprofit workers’ experiences navigating COVID-19, how they coped with COVID-related constraints, how they generated agency amidst restrictions, and built resilience. Through 25 semi-structured interviews with workers employed in a variety of nonprofit sectors, our findings indicate that despite numerous COVID-19 constraints, nonprofit workers used communicative resilience to generate new rules and resources within their organization and cope with volatile pandemic challenges. While this enactment of resilience provided for positive experiences during the pandemic, the new structures may not be sustainable long-term for the organization. In addition, we offer theoretical implications surrounding communicative resilience as a mechanism for rewriting organizational rules and practical implications for nonprofits as they confront future crises.

Funding (In)security and Challenges: Non-Profit Literacy Programming and Neoliberal Contradictions in Canada

Increasingly, the non-profit sector is expected to provide services for which the state previously took responsibility, and plays a vital role in providing key supports, such as those related to literacy and building social capital. In a jurisdiction of Ontario, Canada, local funding for literacy programs ceased without warning. In this qualitative study, stakeholders consisting of program users ( n = 72), staff ( n = 11), and program leads ( n = 8) shared their experiences regarding the goals, activities, impacts, and needs of the programs through interviews and focus groups. Findings illuminate both challenges and recommendations for future implementation in three themes: (1) Identifying and reconciling funding gaps and restrictions; (2) requiring supports for human resources; and (3) communicating, cooperating, and collaborating to survive. The challenges faced by financially strapped, non-profit entities highlight a fundamental contradiction within neoliberal ideology: Neoliberal-induced funding scarcity within the non-profit sector can undermine the capacity of community organizations to promote neoliberal ideals related to self-reliance and resilience.

Enhancing Community Health Programs: Roles, Operations and Data-Driven Innovations

Aims: To examine how data-driven strategies can be integrated into community health programs as innovative approaches for effective operation. Problem Statement: Numerous government engagements in different crucial sectors have limited her concerns about health provision and distribution to many citizens living in remote communities. Health provision characterized with easy accessibility and low cost should not be marginalized and should be the right of every citizen. However, many lives have been lost due to lack of this in some communities. Significance of Study: To curb this, non-profit sectors are now engaging in community health programs to ameliorate the difficulties faced by distanced citizens living in remote localities. With the advent of this program, it is imperative to incorporate data-driven strategies as innovative approaches to improve and enhance the current state of operations in community health programs. Discussion: A medical practice that addresses the well-being of people within a particular geographical location is referred to as community health. This technical review paper discusses the concepts, roles and mode of operations of community health workers and the programs that are embedded. The attributes of a robust well-functioning health system as stated by World Health Organisation (WHO) were discussed alongside program components that are often executed by village workers. Value-based care, patient-centered care and P4 medicine were identified as the major ideologies behind data-driven strategies and the characteristic features of each were adequately discussed. Conclusion: A data-driven healthcare innovative approach must put into consideration the real definition of data management policies, organize training for health care workers who are handling health data and also support the implementation in order to secure the designed information systems.

Managing Brand Relationship Plurality: Insights From the Nonprofit Sector

The nonprofit sector is home to some of the most recognized and trustworthy brands, all competing for financial resources and volunteers. Akin to consumers, volunteers have relationships with nonprofit brands. These relationships have recently become more diverse as individuals increasingly look for more ephemeral and distant forms of involvement. Drawing on an extensive qualitative dataset of the Vienna Red Cross comprising participant observation, archival data, and in-depth interviews, the authors conceptualize this nonescalating, episodic engagement as a neither-growing-nor-fading (NGNF) relationship. This theorization adds to the literature on consumer–brand relationships, which has predominantly focused on the cultivation of strong relationships. Informed by practice theory, the authors elaborate distinct brand relationship practices key to successfully maintaining NGNF relationships (acquiring and activating) while catering to volunteers following the traditional path of relationship intensification (building and cultivating). The analysis identifies constellations of practice elements conducive to managing both types of brand relationships in a symbiotic manner. The authors argue for the importance of moving beyond an exclusive focus on relationship growth and embracing nonescalating relationships. This study thus contributes to nascent theorizing on brand relationships that do not follow an axiology that values growth and intensification.