Nonprofit Organization Governance

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stijn Van Puyvelde
Keyword(s):  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Nonprofit Organization ◽  
Nonprofit Sector ◽  
Organizational Governance ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Research Themes ◽  
Voluntary Membership ◽  
Governance Challenges ◽  
Membership Associations

Organizational governance has become a popular and important topic in the nonprofit sector literature. This review focuses on the governance of non-membership, paid-staff nonprofit organizations (also called nonprofit agencies), which are characterized by a hierarchical structure, where the board has the ultimate power and the responsibility to ensure that governance functions are carried out. Such agency boards are usually self-perpetuating, unlike the situation in voluntary membership associations, where the members usually elect the board. We contribute to the literature on the governance of nonprofit organizations in three major ways. First, we discuss research themes identified by previous review articles, analyze empirical and conceptual contributions from the recent nonprofit organization governance literature, and identify a number of governance challenges for nonprofit organizations. Second, we present a wide array of theoretical perspectives from different disciplines that may be useful when studying the governance of nonprofit organizations. From a practical viewpoint this is important, as it may assist researchers in the theoretical framing of their papers and help them in the formulation of theory-based hypotheses. Third, we integrate a number of theoretical perspectives by using a paradox perspective. We focus on four important contemporary governance challenges in nonprofit organizations: (1) stakeholder accountability, (2) environmental dependence, (3) volunteer reliability, and (4) board group dynamics. By using a multi-theoretical approach to analyze the ambiguities, paradoxes, and dilemmas associated with these governance challenges, we provide more general theory-based frameworks for the governance of nonprofit organizations than currently available in the literature.

scholarly journals The COVID Wildfire: Non-Profit Organizational Challenge and Opportunity

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Jeff Loomis
Keyword(s):  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Nonprofit Organization ◽  
Nonprofit Sector ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Program Delivery ◽  
De Se ◽  
Key Barrier ◽  
Organizational Challenge ◽  
Innovative Approaches

Nonprofit organizations in Canada were significantly impacted by COVID-19, including lost revenue and needing to adjustthe program delivery. The lack of technology capacity in the nonprofit sector is a key barrier for many nonprofit organizations to adapt to delivering programs online. Momentum, a Calgary-based nonprofit organization, experienced both financial and programmatic challenges due to COVID-19. Momentum pivoted program delivery to provide supports during the COVID-19 lockdown and developed innovative approaches to online programming. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, Momentum was able to rapidly develop its capacity to use technology for online programming with the support of critical new funding. Many nonprofits will have to transform their business models to not only survive but thrive in the post-COVID world.Les organismes à but non lucratif (OBNL) au Canada ont été fortement touchées dans le contexte de la pandémie de laCOVID-19, notamment à cause d'une perte de revenus et de la nécessité de se réajuster afin de prêter des services enligne. Le manque de capacités technologiques dans le secteur à but non lucratif est un obstacle majeur à l'adaptation denombreux OBNL à la prestation de services en ligne. Momentum, un OBNL basé à Calgary, a connu des difficultésfinancières et de planification en raison de la COVID-19. Par contre, l'organisme a su adapter son offre de services pourfournir un soutien pendant le confinement et a développé des approches innovantes pour la prestation de services enligne. Depuis le début de la pandémie au Canada, Momentum a développé rapidement sa capacité à utiliser la technologiepour offrir des services en ligne grâce à des nouvelles sources de financement qui ont été essentielles pour cetteadaptation. De nombreux OBNL devront transformer leur modèle d'entreprise pour non seulement survivre, mais aussiprospérer dans un monde post-COVID. 

scholarly journals Celebrity Endorsement for Nonprofit Organizations: The Role of Experience-based Fit between Celebrity and Cause

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Sun-Young Park
Keyword(s):  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Nonprofit Organization ◽  
Nonprofit Sector ◽  
Theoretical Explanation ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Not For Profit ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Social Cause ◽  
Social Causes

Although using celebrities to raise awareness and funds for social causes is a popular technique these days, little research has offered a theoretical explanation for the effects of a celebrity’s personal values on socially oriented communications. This paper, therefore, aims to investigate the role of celebrity experience with a cause, as well as the celebrity endorser’s association with the not-for-profit organizations, in determining the effectiveness of the celebrity’s endorsement of the cause. Results reveal that a celebrity’s personal experience with the endorsed cause positively influences consumers’ perceived congruence between the celebrity and the cause, attributions of the celebrity altruistic motives for the endorsement, perceptions of the celebrity credibility, and attitudes toward the celebrity and the nonprofit organization. Additionally, a celebrity associated with an organization as a founder compared to a spokesperson appears to yield more favorable perceptions of celebrity credibility and attitudes toward the celebrity and the organization. Finally, interesting interaction effects between the celebrity-cause fit and the celebrity’s association with the nonprofit organization emerged. Findings of the present study provide insights into the potential benefits and liabilities of using a celebrity to promote a social cause in the nonprofit sector.

Moderating effects of identification on volunteer engagement: an exploratory study of a faith-based charity organization

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Minjeong Kang
Keyword(s):  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Nonprofit Organization ◽  
Nonprofit Sector ◽  
Volunteer Organization ◽  
Faith Based ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Organization Identification ◽  
Charity Organization ◽  
Case Organization ◽  
Volunteer Engagement

Purpose Volunteers are often crucial components to many nonprofit organizations as their financial resources continue to decline. Volunteer activities in the nonprofit sector provide a broad range of services from administrative support (24%) such as fundraising and office work to providing social service and care (20%) such as preparing and delivering food, teaching or counseling. The purpose of this study was to examine the influences of important factors in creating volunteers’ engagement with nonprofit organizations. Design/methodology/approach The population of the proposed survey was volunteers of a faith-based nonprofit organization in the Northeast region of United States. The organization is a synod that oversees more than 1,000 Presbyterian churches over eight states in the Northeast region of the United States. The primary focus of its mission is prison ministry that aims to help imprisoned immigrants and their families with legal and other necessary supports. With help from the organization’s management, the researcher sent out an online survey to 1,973 eligible volunteers, with response rate of 29.90 percent (AAPOR RR1). This resulted in a total sample size of 590 volunteers who completed the survey. Findings This study found that, when the level of identification was higher, the influence of satisfaction on affective commitment became greater. Therefore, for this nonprofit organization that heavily relies on volunteer support, it is important to establish and maintain a mutually agreeable identification with its volunteers to foster volunteer engagement. Volunteer-organization identification seemed particularly crucial for volunteers to be empowered and to become actively involved with the case organization. Also, when individual volunteers identified themselves with the nonprofit organization, there was a greater influence of satisfaction with the organization on their engagement in their voluntary work. Research limitations/implications This study findings suggest that for a nonprofit organization that heavily relies on volunteer support, it is important to establish and maintain a mutually agreeable identification with its volunteers to foster volunteer engagement. Volunteer-organization identification seemed particularly crucial for volunteers to be empowered and to become actively involved with the case organization. Due to the exploratory nature of the study with the survey data from a single nonprofit organization, the application of the research findings beyond the scope of this study should be made cautiously. Especially, given various kinds of nonprofit organizations, the specific context of this study’s nonprofit organization (i.e., faith-based charity organization) would limit the general application of research findings. Practical implications This study also suggests a sound measure of volunteer engagement. For management of volunteer engagement, the suggested measurement system can be helpful for management of nonprofit organizations and further research in nonprofit public relations. Originality/value Extra-role behaviors and organizational citizenship behaviors have been identified as manifest characteristics of both employee and customer engagement and this link has yet to be explored in the nonprofit sector for volunteering and cause advocating behaviors. The current study adopts engagement as an important motivational variable to understand volunteer motivations and suggests satisfaction with nonprofit organization management and volunteer-organization identification as important antecedents to volunteer engagement.

scholarly journals NONPROFIT LEGAL ENTITIES IN THE LEGISLATION OF CZECH REPUBLIC AND SLOVAKIA

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Author(s):  
Ольга Сакович ◽  
Olga Sakovich
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Nonprofit Organization ◽  
Nonprofit Sector ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Economic Life ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Commercial Activities ◽  
Civil Codes ◽  
Legal Entities

The author observes different stages of legal regulation of nonprofit organization activities from 1990 till our days in Czech Republic and Slovakia in presented article. The author attends the reforms of civil legislation, which were carried out in this states, and notes the differences in methods of carrying out the reforms in Czech Republic and Slovakia, in spite of existing dualism of private law in both countries. The article reveals the results of Czech reforms of legislation, regulating nonprofit legal persons. The author examines the established system of common and special laws, regulated nonprofit organizations in Czech Republic and Slovakia and points out their identity and differences. Author reviews the law terms which are used in legislation and science literature of both states. Also author underlines that in the civil codes of Czech Republic and Slovakia legal persons are not divided into commercial legal entities and nonprofit legal entities. The types of nonprofit organizations in Czech Republic and Slovakia are examined in the present article and the main attention author pays to government legal persons and their structure. Author explores legislative regulation of commercial activities of nonprofit organization. Also author of the article pays attention to fundraising of nonprofit organizations and their taxation. On the basis of the research the author defines the trends of legal regulation of this category of legal persons, and underlines the importance of the nonprofit sector in social and economic life in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Economic Way of Thought and Legislationon Nonprofit Organizations

2012 ◽  
pp. 48-63
Author(s):  
L. Yakobson
Keyword(s):  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Nonprofit Sector ◽  
Social Medium ◽  
The State ◽  
Rapid Changes ◽  
Comparative Advantages ◽  
Essential Prerequisite

The article considers proper legislation as an essential prerequisite for actualization of NPOs comparative advantages. Restrictions imposed on NPOs are reasonable if they are compensated by benefits from greater trust. The rigidity of constrains and requirements should be optimized while accounting for peculiarities of a social medium, the state of the nonprofit sector, and the governments readiness to encourage the development of the latter. As empirical data suggests, Russian NPOs being on different stages of maturity need separate legal treatment. In the meanwhile, interests that prevail in the NPOs community are not always conducive to rapid changes.

The Role of Nonprofit Sector Networks as Mechanisms for Immigrant Political Participation

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luisa Veronis
Keyword(s):  
Political Participation ◽  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Social Action ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Nonprofit Sector ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Immigrant Community ◽  
Immigrant Political Incorporation

Issues of immigrant political incorporation and transnational politics have drawn increased interest among migration scholars. This paper contributes to debates in this field by examining the role of networks, partnerships and collaborations of immigrant community organizations as mechanisms for immigrant political participation both locally and transnationally. These issues are addressed through an ethnographic study of the Hispanic Development Council, an umbrella advocacy organization representing settlement agencies serving Latin American immigrants in Toronto, Canada. Analysis of HDC’s three sets of networks (at the community, city and transnational levels) from a geographic and relational approach demonstrates the potentials and limits of nonprofit sector partnerships as mechanisms and concrete spaces for immigrant mobilization, empowerment, and social action in a context of neoliberal governance. It is argued that a combination of partnerships with a range of both state and non-state actors and at multiple scales can be significant in enabling nonprofit organizations to advance the interests of immigrant, minority and disadvantaged communities.

Asian American Nonprofit Organizations in U.S. Metropolitan Areas

2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chikan Richard Hung
Keyword(s):  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
Community Organizing ◽  
Metropolitan Areas ◽  
Nonprofit Sector ◽  
Central Cities ◽  
Cultural Organizations ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Cultural Service

This article analyzes the characteristics of Asian American nonprofit organizations in major U.S. metropolitan areas. The data are based on internet archives of nonprofit organization Form 990 and related information. Asian American nonprofits are less than 20 years old on average. They remain a relatively small part of the nonprofit sector. Religious organizations are generally the largest group among Asian American nonprofits, followed by cultural organizations, service agencies, and public interest associations of similar proportions. Asian American secular organizations as a group tend to be younger, are more likely to be in central cities, in wealthy and poor communities, as well as in metropolitan areas with a more homogenous Asian ethnic population and a relatively more active general population in community organizing. The opposite is true for religious Asian American organizations. The pattern is less consistent among Asian American cultural, service, and public interest organizations. Regarding organization size, more established Asian American nonprofits, Pan Asian American organizations, and those agencies located in communities with larger Asian American population have more total assets and annual revenue.

ARNOVA's Symposium on Public Policy for Nonprofits

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Jeavons
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Nonprofit Sector ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Voluntary Organizations ◽  
Public Charities ◽  
State And Local ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Local Levels

There are serious gaps in our knowledge and understanding of how public policy at the federal, state, and local levels affects the work of a wide array of nonprofit organizations. On October 4th and 5th, 2010, the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Organizations (ARNOVA), with the support and encouragement of the Bill and Melinda Gates, Kresge and C.S. Mott foundations, convened a group of thirty nonprofit scholars and leaders to explore what we know about the impact of public policy on the nonprofit sector. The conference focused on how public policy helps or harms the ability of nonprofit organizations, particularly but not exclusively public charities, to fulfill their missions.

Critical Applications of Heterogeneity Theories to Power in Nonprofit Human Services Organizations

2021 ◽  
pp. 089976402110297
Author(s):  
Shawn Teresa Flanigan
Keyword(s):  
Human Services ◽  
Nonprofit Sector ◽  
Service Organizations ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Nonprofit Studies ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Human Services Organizations ◽  
Nonprofit Human Service Organizations

The field of nonprofit studies often assumes that efforts of actors in the nonprofit landscape are beneficial, especially when considering nonprofit human service organizations. However, there are both theoretical and empirical reasons for scholars to adopt a more critical lens when examining these organizations. Taking nonprofit human services organizations as a common setting, the article uses a critical lens to apply classic, “mainstream” theories of the role of heterogeneity in nonprofit sector formation and illuminate risks often neglected in nonprofit human services research. In this way, the article demonstrates that classic social science theories of heterogeneity already offer us the tools we need to critically question dominant assumptions about nonprofit human services provision and challenges the reader to consider why we so rarely use these well-known theoretical frameworks in a critical manner. The article concludes by inviting scholars to utilize additional critical theoretical perspectives in future studies of nonprofit human services.

scholarly journals Increasing the Size of the Pie: The Impact of Crowding on Nonprofit Sector Resources

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erynn Beaton ◽  
Hyunseok Hwang
Keyword(s):  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Nonprofit Sector ◽  
Financial Resources ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Barriers To Entry ◽  
Human Services Organizations ◽  
Nonprofit Competition ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe number of nonprofit organizations is rapidly increasing, which has led nonprofit practitioners to complain of funding scarcity, nonprofit scholars to closely study nonprofit competition, and policymakers to consider increasing nonprofit barriers to entry. Underlying each of these perspectives is an assumption of limited financial resources. We empirically examine this assumption using county-level panel data on nonprofit human services organizations from the National Center for Charitable Statistics. Contrary to the limited resources assumption, our fixed-effects models show that increasing nonprofit density, at its current levels, has the effect of increasing sector financial resources in each county. We suggest that these findings prompt a tradeoff for policymakers. A sector with free market entry results in a nonprofit sector with more, smaller nonprofits, but such a sector may have the capacity to serve more people because it has more total sector financial resources. Conversely, a sector with higher barriers to entry would translate to a sector with fewer, larger nonprofits with less overall capacity due to fewer sector financial resources.

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