During the conference newcomers also came together to network and discuss the future of the nonprofit sector, more specifically the future of nonprofit research as it relates to these topics: Accountability & Evaluation, Advocacy & Civic Engagement, Fundraising & Philanthropy, Leadership & Governance, Issues in Nonprofit Management, Intersectoral & Networked Relationships, and The International Arena.
Here are the notes from these table discussions.
Accountability and Evaluation
- Increased transparency – accountability by uniformed observers. Comparatives between for-profit and nonprofit.
- Tensions between press for accountability and possible efforts of nonprofit to deceive.
- Robust theory (ies) of the “product” for specific programs.
- Accountability literacy.
- Affordable evaluations.
- Increased resources – human software etc.
- Access to cost benefit analysis
- A move from simple input/output measures to outcomes and meaningful data.
- Further theory development to make evaluation more affordable and feasible and applicable to a wide variety of evaluation needs.
- Application of for-profit methods to nonprofit orgs.
- More ways of communicating accountability.
- A focus on organizational mission and values (not just $).
- Formative evaluations (useful to organizations).
- Program/management performed by 3rd party evaluators versus in house top-down or bottom up strategies.
- Evaluation tied to strategy (Action oriented).
- Peer accountability versus mandatory evaluation.
- International giving
- Cross cultural research
- Global civil society
- South-south collaboration
- More gladiators, fewer lions
- Trend of local ngo/npos moving towards transnational work/engagement/collaboration/diffusion of practice
- Competence
- Competition
- Collaboration
- Creativity
- Increased research of foundations
- Farm labor groups
- Trainings to college students in philanthropy and giving.
- What is the value of informal giving? Specifically in communities of color?
- Cross cultural paradigms of giving? How do we capture it?
- What is the impact of remittances? Remittances across states?
- Assuming slow-rebound, jobless recovery, without living wages, what are the implications? Will nonprofits be able to adapt?
- Mid-sized organizations/local organizations that depend on donations?
- How to give individuals confidence to continue to be donors in times of uncertainty?
- How to accommodate shift to volunteerism?
- How do we increase public confidence that the money they give to charity goes to charity rather than for profit, and professional support used for legitimate purposes?
- Civic engagement – the internet is still a new way to engage – does it spark long-term commitment or is it an impulsive action?
- Accommodation of generational differences in our fundraising tactics – how to appeal to those differences using new media to maintain existing relationships.
- Preparation of professional staff for significant increase in bequest giving as baby boomers age.
- Creation of more robust websites as informational and accountability tools.
- Alternative associations – egalitarian, collective
- Research on the effect of commercialization on nonprofits
- A move to public sociology
- A spread of nonprofits to for-profit sector
- More bottom up evaluation from community viewpoint
- Funding opportunities so that nonprofits don’t have to cozy up to foundations
- Increased training
- Depends on direction of government
- Is survival of the sector necessary (represents government failure)?
- Attraction of funds-accountability
- Can we afford professionalization?
- Social media as a new outlet for nonprofit promotion
- Less inequality between the have and have nots
- A definition of the role of civil society
- A change in demographics
- More advocacy and civic engagement
- Theory: The relationship between national service and 1. Co-opting participants 2. Nonprofit Careers 3. Advocacy
- How technology has changed the definition of civic engagement.
- An increase in trust among communities and overall increase in civic engagement.
- Research: Measuring the impact of volunteering.
- How technology will impact 1. Generational/civic engagement 2. Forms of civic engagement 3. Awareness and participation 4. Globalization of civic engagement
- Practice: Impact of civic engagement on communities
- Increased participation by gen y
- Blurred line between for-profit and non-profit social responsibilities concerning engagement.
Nonprofit Management
- Image of nonprofits in a market society
- An understanding of the unique aspects of management in nonprofit organizations
- Emphasis on cross sector skills and theory
- Methods: qualitative, process oriented, case studies
- Theory building: case studies, new models of governance
- Empirical research: Rethinking governance, leadership, and relational governance
- Internal: group relations
- External: social capital
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