SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Future of Civil Society, 2004

Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership

The expansion of nonprofit sectors in most countries around the world during the last decades has spurred interest in comparative research. This article documents and analyses the most significant primary sources that can be used to analyze the size and salience of nonprofit sectors in different countries. The focus is on five major research projects: the Johns Hopkins Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project, National Satellite Accounts, CIVICUS Civil Society Index, USAID CSO Sustainability Index, and the NGO Law Monitor. Additionally, the article documents numerous other studies that measure key indicators impacting the sector. These multiple sources often draw seemingly contradictory conclusions. Nonetheless, they can be used to trace the contours of cultural frames-[Neo]Liberal, Corporatist, Social Democratic, Emerging, Developing and Authoritarian-that inform our understanding of how nonprofit sectors operate under diverse political, economic, and social conditions and allow observers to situate the dynamics of the nonprofit sector of any one country in the broader context of other similar polities.

Reference Reviews, 2008

2003

In the world of businesses and profitable institutions, one can easily get the feeling that the purpose and the work of nonprofit organizations is being underestimated and in a way even looked down upon, but the truth often lies elsewhere. This unjust environment has inspired me to dedicate this essay towards proving that the work that is done in these organizations is far from easy and insignificant- most of the time it is the exact opposite of common misconceptions. I will start this essay, by defining what a nonprofit organization is. Often when hearing the word nonprofit organization, people think of groups that feed children in Africa and work in preventing poverty and even though this is part of nonprofit work, the presence of these organizations in our everyday life is much more prevalent. I believe that by establishing a common ground in terms of a common concept will help recognize these organizations and their importance to our everyday life. In the second part of this chapter I will discuss just that, how crucial this organizations are and provide evidence for significance of our essay topic. I will back my arguments with relevant data from national economies of Canada and United States and prove that nonprofit organizations not only provide a significant share of GDP of both national economies, but also present essential share of jobs and engagement of local communities and overall population. After being clear on what nonprofit organizations are and how crucial their presence is to economies as well as social wellbeing of the people, we will look at the key problems that majority of nonprofits face. Moreover, I will connect the issues with the function of management and discuss, how these issues affect the organization’s governance. I will focus on the issue of revenue generation, stating that often nonprofits are being trapped between dependency on governmental funds and often restricted assets provided by donors, which is why we are able to recognize nonprofit management’s effort towards diversifying revenue structure and focusing more on their own independent sources of income. Argument will again be backed with relevant real world examples from multiple nonprofit industries. The second issue I will discuss is the measurement of success. Knowing that when it comes to nonprofits, there are many other things to look at rather than just profit and other financial measures, I will discuss the best way for a nonprofit to structure their evaluation of success and provide a case study example of organization that used the discussed approach method. Lastly, taking into account all of the previously discussed issues and trends I will discuss the future of the nonprofit sector. Considering the recent trend of nonprofits becoming more like businesses, I will draw implications about the changes in employment structure in nonprofits. More and more of MBA graduates are deciding to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector, because they want to make impact in the world not just serve for a big paycheck. Furthermore, I believe, we will see increased competition in this growing sector and increased presence of nonprofits on social media, because it is one of the most effective ways of engaging large pool of stakeholders, which nonprofits certainly have. I also talk about the increased trend of transparency of organizations in the future, because this is certainly one way to go about marketing and assuring your donors you are spending money in a legitimate matter and avoid having your funds restricted for only a specific use.

2008

This essay incorporates the concept of economic institutions as a key factor in the determination of the size and scope of the nonprofit sector. The cross-country study is based on a sample of 67 countries circa year 2000.

2005

Science For All Publications, 2023

The dynamic interplay between nonprofit organizations and the public sector constitutes a quintessential facet of contemporary social governance. Rooted in the ethos of altruism and collective welfare, this symbiotic relationship engenders an intricate tapestry of collaboration and coordination. The ensuing discourse endeavors to expound upon the nuanced nature of the alliance between nonprofit organizations and the public sector. Through an academic exploration of their respective roles, mutual benefits, and challenges, this deliberation seeks to illuminate the imperative of their harmonious coexistence in fostering societal progress and advancing the common good.

Nonprofit Policy Forum, 2020

In book: Making the Planet More Habitable: Business Perspectives for Social Economy, 2023

The structural basis of the social economy is non-profit organizations. Therefore, understanding the structure and management principles of non-profits is essential to create a global economy based on solidarity. However, despite the critical importance and role of non-profit organizations, studies on non-profit organizations are not holistic from a managerial perspective. For this reason, a holistic approach that covers all economic, political, and social components is needed when analyzing the social economy and NPOs Toward this aim, in this section, nonprofits are examined based on their organizational structure and management principles. This examination will compare for-profit and non-profits organizations' mission, organizational structure, performance criteria, etc. The lack of profit in non-profit organization's (NPO) mission stands out as the most crucial difference that shapes their management characteristics and organizational structure.