Showing papers in "Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly in 1996"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors attempt to delineate the boundaries of the term volunteer, and they first reviewed 11 widely used volunteer terms and found that volunteer is used too broadly in denoting nonsalaried service.
Abstract: T1he term volunteer is used too broadly in denoting nonsalaried service. In this article, the authors attempt to delineate the boundaries of the term volunteer. They first reviewed 11 widely used d...
598 citations
TL;DR: The authors used responses to Independent Sector's 1992 national survey of giving and volunteering in the United States to address several questions about the motivations of volunteers, and found that current volunteers and nonvolunteers differed on motivations; people with different volunteering histories revealed different motivational patterns.
Abstract: The present investigation used responses to Independent Sector's 1992 national survey of giving and volunteering in the United States to address several questions about the motivations of volunteers. Drawing on the functional approach to volunteers' motivations, and its operationalization in the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI), relations between motivations and various aspects of volunteer behavior were examined, along with associations of motivations and demographic variables. Analyses revealed that current volunteers and nonvolunteers differed on motivations; people with different volunteering histories revealed different motivational patterns; unique combinations of motivations were associated with different types of volunteering activities; and motivational differences were associated with different demographic groups. The implications of these findings for understanding the nature and function of the motivations to volunteer, and the applications to the practice of volunteerism, are discussed.
476 citations
TL;DR: A handful of observers have suggested that many kinds of volunteering, because they foster the acquisition and expression of a combination of special skills, knowledge, and experience, can be looked on as serious leisure as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: A handful of observers have suggested that volunteering can be defined and described as a leisure activity. Extending this reasoning, it is argued that many kinds of volunteering, because they foster the acquisition and expression of a combination of special skills, knowledge, and experience, can be looked on as serious leisure. The serious leisure perspective not only defines and explains volunteers and volunteering as self-interested leisure but also opens the way to a more comprehensive theoretical statement of leisure volunteering than was heretofore available. In this artick, the author explores the leisure components of all volunteering to learn where the serious leisure model applies. Distinctions are drawn between types of volunteering: career and casual, formal and informal, and occupational and nonoccupational. The perspective fails to fit each type equally well. It fits best the types of volunteering classifiable as formal and nonoccupational, types in which wlunteers normally find substantial ...
249 citations
TL;DR: This paper examined the reliability and validity of the IRS 990 data and found that high correlations between selected financial measures taken from the IRS returns of 270 nonprofits and the identical measures gathered from the same organizations via mail questionnaire are examined.
Abstract: This exploratory study examines the reliability and validity of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 990 data, an increasingly prevalent source of financial measures in the research of nonprofit organizations today. Correlations between selected financial measures taken from the IRS returns of 270 nonprofits and the identical measures gathered from the same organizations via mail questionnaire are examined, followed by examination of financial statements and interviews with participants in the accounting process from a subsample of the organizations. High correlations show the IRS 990 Returns to be a generally reliable source of financial data, although this varies by entry, organizational size, and NTEE category. The validity of this data, however, is questionable. The growing prevalence of expense shifting combined with a lack of rules, guidelines, and monitoring of internal expense allocations allows for increasing distortions in the financial picture portrayed by the IRS 990 Return.
107 citations
TL;DR: The Excellence in Philanthropy Project (EIP) as mentioned in this paper was created to contribute to the development of theory for designing philanthropic organizations for producing increased levels of effectiveness by collecting questionnaires from 101 organizations in Franklin County (Columbus), Ohio.
Abstract: Philanthropic organizations make a significant impact on the lives of Americans, and the effectiveness of these organizations is of great interest. The Excellence in Philanthropy Project is intended to contribute to the development of theory for designing philanthropic organizations for producing increased levels of effectiveness. The findings reviewed here are based on questionnaires collected from 101 philanthropic organizations in Franklin County (Columbus), Ohio. This article reports on the ways mission statements are expressed-as an intention to affect the world outside the organization, the organization itself, or both-and also on whether organizations 'performance measures assess mission accomplishment.
98 citations
TL;DR: The authors argue that existing economic theories of nonprofit organizations are incomplete and tend to treat nonprofits as a black box; in other words, they do not address the severe incentive problems that can and...
Abstract: Established economic theories of nonprofit organizations are incomplete. They tend to treat nonprofits as a black box; in other words, they do not address the severe incentive problems that can and...
40 citations
TL;DR: A review of the rich literature on American regionalism yields at least one model-Daniel Elazar's delineation of political cultures-that investigators might employ to uncover regional variations in the ways in which Americans approach and practice philanthropy as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Our understanding of American philanthropy lacks a well-developed regional dimension despite the prevalence of regionalism in so much of American history and life. The value in exploring regional patterns in giving and volunteering among Americans lies in its practical application for the management and development of nonprofit organizations. A review of the rich literature on American regionalism yields at least one model-Daniel Elazar's delineation of political cultures-that investigators might employ to uncover regional variations in the ways in which Americans approach and practice philanthropy. Distinctive philanthropic cultures are hypothesized based on Elazar's paradigm and are offered as a regional overlay on current mappings of place-to-place differences.
40 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide an in-depth case study of the process by which a funder evaluates the performance of a client nonprofit agency in the social services sector and explore the connection between the evaluation and the subsequent funding decision.
Abstract: This article provides an in-depth case study of the process by which a funder evaluates the performance of a client nonprofit agency in the social services sector. The connection between the evaluation and the subsequent funding decision is also explored. A framework for uncovering the basic dimensions of the evaluation process is presented and applied to the evaluator-evaluatee relationship studied. Various points at which perceptions of the relationship got distorted are identified. The evaluation process was found to be a subtle and complex interaction of formally rational methods and nonformal subjective judgments. The implications of these findings for practical improvements to the evaluation process are discussed.
32 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the Swedish voluntary sector and its wide range of activities are placed into a comprehensive structure that includes historical and cultural roots as well as the connection between the sector and the emergence of the Swedish welfare state.
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to present some characteristics of the Swedish voluntary sector. With the help of recent research results, the voluntary sector and its wide range of activities is placed into a comprehensive structure that includes historical and cultural roots as well as the connection between the sector and the emergence of the Swedish welfare state. What is characteristic for the Swedish welfare model also explains, in important respects, the conditions of the voluntary sector and the way in which it finds articulation. However, this is not in itself a sufficient explanation if we are to understand the many-sided phenomenon represented by the Swedish voluntary sector. The role played by the tradition of popular mass movements in shaping the voluntary sector of today must also be taken into account. After a general overview in the first half of the article, two aspects of Swedish voluntary sector activities are presented to illustrate these points: the high level of volunteerism of the population and the particular character and role of voluntary organizations in the field of social care.
24 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, workplace attitudes, experiences, and job satisfaction of social work administrators employed in nonprofit and public agencies during the dramatic social service changes of the 1980s were analyzed using a multiple regression model.
Abstract: This article profiles workplace attitudes, experiences, and job satisfaction of social work administrators employed in nonprofit and public agencies during the dramatic social service changes of the 1980s. Secondary analysis of national, cross-sectional surveys of National Association of Social Work members in 1981 and 1989 reveal changes over time and by nonprofit versus public agency auspices regarding sense of professional competencies, working conditions, job stressors, and sense of professional support. Job satisfaction of managers in both sectors is significantly predicted in a multiple regression by a sense of challenge, promotion opportunities, and lack of value conflict in the work they do. The findings also reveal greater concrete rewards but declining promotion opportunities among the nonprofit administrators and a greater sense of challenge but declining income among public agency administrators. The findings suggest several directions for social work education and management training.
19 citations
TL;DR: This paper found that women are disproportionately represented in staffing of nonprofit organizations, yet are found much less frequently in positions of organizational governance: executive directorships and board membe... and vice presidents.
Abstract: Women are disproportionately represented in staffing of nonprofit organizations yet are found much less frequently in positions of organizational governance: executive directorships and board membe...
TL;DR: The United Way (UW) organizations have long portrayed themselves as performing three core functions for local communities: fund-raising, community planning, and fund-allocation.
Abstract: United Way (UW) organizations have long portrayed themselves as performing three core functions for local communities: fund-raising, community planning, and fund-allocation. Contradictory forces in...
TL;DR: Using a case study of an all-volunteer fire department, internal structural changes and adaptation to external forces in a small, voluntary, democratic organization are examined in this article.
Abstract: Using a case study of an all-volunteer fire department, internal structural changes and adaptation to external forces in a small, voluntary, democratic organization are examined The article seeks
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate how the participants perceived the course and their role in the community 2 years later, and discover a grounded substantive theory that described the processes involved in service learning for this particular group rather than on measuring outcomes.
Abstract: This article discusses an investigation involving 13 students who enrolled in a senior honors seminar designed as a service-learning course. The purpose was to explore how the participants perceived the course and their role in the community 2 years later. In keeping with the grounded theory techniques used to analyze the data, the study focused on discovering a grounded substantive theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) that described the processes involved in service learning for this particular group rather than on measuring outcomes. Using this approach led to the realization that there is a discrepancy between how many educators and researchers have conceptualized service and how participants in this study perceive their commitment to community 2 years after completing a service-learning course. Elements related to this new orientation that merit further exploration include the types and extent of commitment to community, participants' perceptions of the social context for their commitment to community, and...
TL;DR: The authors examined the experience of the Ford Foundation in creating and implementing a large new grant-making initiative applying three models of organizational behavior: the rational actor model, a bureaucratic politics model, and an organizational process model.
Abstract: Until relatively recently, there has been little serious historical scholarship or organizational analysis concerning foundations. This article examines the experience of the Ford Foundation in creating and implementing a large new grant-making initiative applying three models of organizational behavior: the rational actor model, a bureaucratic politics model, and an organizational process model. The article provides a preliminary analysis of the strength of these models for illuminating the way foundations operate and shape their grant-making programs. Large foundations are complex institutions whose decisions may not always be optimal on some public interest or cost-benefit calculus. At a time when public affairs professionals find themselves turning to private foundations for solutions, an understanding of internal dynamics may help in building public-private partnerships on a realistic footing.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors find that competition is the prevailing pressure on social movement organizations (SMOs), rather than cooperation, and that recruitment of staff leadership styles, definition of issues, training strategies, and recruitment of members are the main challenges faced by poor people's SMOs.
Abstract: Using a national survey and interviews with organizers, the authors find two broad areas of competition between social movement organizations (SMOs). Territorial competition focuses on turf and resources. Organizational competition comprises recruitment of staff leadership styles, definition of issues, training strategies, and recruitment of members. In this study of poor people's SMOs, the authors find that competition differs between SMOs in national federations and those that are independent, local groups. Further, they find that competition, rather than cooperation, is the prevailing pressure on SMOs.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors synthesize economic, sociological, and historical theory, first in the American context and then in an Eastern European (Polish) context, to develop an explanation for a distinctive type of nonprofit activity.
Abstract: This article synthesizes economic, sociological, and historical theory, first in the American context and then in an Eastern European (Polish) context, to develop an explanation for a distinctive type of nonprofit activity. The authors explore a role for some nonprofits arising due to the privatization experience in the early history of the United States and to recent privatization in Poland (as an example of a transitioning economy), where nonprofits develop as facilitators for the creation of for-profit enterprises. The "facilitator hypothesis" proposes two roles for nonprofits. First, they "mop up" problems created when firms are privatized, assisting those persons left unemployed or otherwise adversely affected by privatization. Second, they act as "nursemaids," nurturing nascent for-profit businesses and industries. This article suggests further study of emergent organizational forms in the transformation from command to market-oriented economies as a way to understand the diffusion of sectoral model...
TL;DR: In this article, game theory is applied to evaluate the effectiveness of campaign strategies. But the evaluation is focused on the evaluation of strategy rather than of impact directly, which is difficult to be done in practice because typical campaigning situations are complex and because "consumer" constituencies are hard to identify and may typically be in mutual conflict.
Abstract: Nonprofit organizations, their consultants, and researchers have well-developed ideas about how to evaluate service provision. Yet researchers seem to know much less about how to evaluate their policy campaigning. Perhaps this is not surprising. Because typical campaigning situations are complex, and because "consumer" constituencies are hard to identify and may typically be in mutual conflict, the relationship between activity and impact in campaign management is uncertain. This article develops an approach to the problem by concentrating on the evaluation of strategy rather than of impact directly. It combines policy analysis, norm and convention analysis, and economic analysis of efficiency. The central innovation, however, is to apply game theory to appraise the effectiveness of campaign strategies. A worked example of the approach is given.
TL;DR: In this article, a series of interviews with key members of one young nongovernmental organization in Croatia was conducted to test the validity of particular Western theories to explain whether such organizations foster policy entrepreneurship.
Abstract: The breakdown of structural arrangements in the former state socialist countries of Eastern Europe means that the "rules of the game" are being renegotiated. Intermediating institutions are now emerging as actors in this process. Based on a series of interviews with key members of one young nongovernmental organization in Croatia, this study seeks to test the validity of particular Western theories to explain whether such organizations foster policy entrepreneurship. Analysis suggests that both contextual and structural factors have an impact on nascent third sector infrastructure development in ways that delimit entrepreneurial resources.
TL;DR: This paper found that a measure of nonprofit sector service activity, along with accepted measures of fiscal health, effectively describes the distribution of bond ratings for the population of large U.S. city governments.
Abstract: A nonprofit sector that is quite active in the financing or production of public and human services could reduce the financial burdens on local governments to provide services. These governments could be considered more fiscally healthy than governments in communities with less active nonprofit sectors. Although an active nonprofit sector would seem to significantly affect a city's fiscal health, little statistical evidence exists to support this impression. Research reported here indicates that a measure of nonprofit sector service activity, along with accepted measures of fiscal health, effectively describes the distribution of bond ratings for the population of large U.S. city governments. Evidence is provided that (a) municipal bond ratings as of 1990 were an effective measure of fiscal health for large cities, and (b) nonprofit sector service activity was one of the most important determinants.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate how the influx of federal money during the New Deal affected nonprofit organizations (NPOs) operating in the social welfare sector, using data on the number of NPOs operating in six service categories in New York City.
Abstract: This article raises the question of how the influx of federal money during the New Deal affected nonprofit organizations (NPOs) operating in the social welfare sector. Using data on the number of NPOs operating in six service categories in New York City, we demonstrate three distinct trends—some types of organizations fared very poorly, other types remained relatively stable, and a third set actually experienced significant growth in numbers. We hypothesize that two factors explain these variations—the extent to which NPOs were perceived to be doing work that was explicitly related to the immediate crisis appears to have influenced their success in sustaining charitable support. More importantly, the extent to which a class of organizations was excluded from participating infederal relief programs appears to have significantly influenced the overall success and failure rates. Those organizations that were included as partners in the federal relief efforts experienced significant growth.
TL;DR: This paper examined the role of crises and opportunities in the 40-year organizational change history of a not-for-profit religious college and found that crisis intensity increases organizational members' commitment to the status quo and decreases their support for change, triggering change attempts, and may increase the likelihood that changes are implemented.
Abstract: This study examines the role of crises and opportunities in the 40-year organizational change history of a not-for-profit religious college. Findings suggest that crisis intensity (a) increases organizational members' commitment to the status quo and decreases their support for change, (b) triggers change attempts, and (c) may increase the likelihood that changes are implemented. Heightened opportunity levels (a) increase members' receptivity to change and decrease their support for the status quo but (b) do not increase the number of changes being attempted or (c) the likelihood that change is implemented.
TL;DR: Mayer Zald identified the mechanisms of adjustment that allowed the Chicago Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) to adapt to a changing environment as discussed by the authors, in which the changes were due to the anachronistic persistence of segregation in the South, the strengths of southern, historically Black institutions and traditions, and the transformation of cultural understandings that accompanied the civil rights movement.
Abstract: Mayer Zald identified the mechanisms of adjustment that allowed the Chicago Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) to adapt to a changing environment. Changes in the YMCA in Atlanta, Georgia, that accompanied a division into an integrated organization for middle class residents and an inner city Black organization also reveal accommodation to environmental flux. However, in this case, the changes were due to the anachronistic persistence of segregation in the South, the strengths of southern, historically Black institutions and traditions, and the transformation of cultural understandings that accompanied the civil rights movement. Years of acrimony, alternating with stalemate, led to a solution that pernitted the survival of both organizations. It is in the cultural environment of the South that similar arrangements develop between historically Black colleges and predominantly White colleges and universities. During the 1990s, by law (and often by circumstances of geography), historically Black institu...