Nonprofit Administration and Management Commons^™

The Future Of Purpose-Driven Work: Evaluating A Case Study Of The Hybrid: Flexible Purpose Model At The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Jeff Williams, Melyssa Tsai O'Brien, Trish Abalo

The Foundation Review

This 15-month case study employed a comprehensive mixed-methods evaluation to document and assess the model across six key areas. Findings revealed the Hybrid: Flexible Purpose model preserved or improved grantmaking outcomes, enhanced staff well-being and autonomy, and expanded the diversity of the talent pool.

Challenges emerged regarding sustaining the organizational culture, fostering cross-team and informal relationships, and ensuring consistent policy implementation across teams, particularly in finding the optimal balance between stated goals and actual experiences during mandatory in-person gatherings.

Findings also documented a “hybrid coordination tax,” i.e., additional effort required to manage mixed in-person and virtual meetings and schedules.

These …

Tfr 18.1 Full Issue

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Using Ai To Redirect Donor Support To Smaller Organizations, Madeleine Alegria, Brandolon Barnett

The Foundation Review

Despite rising interest in supporting local causes, many donors continue to give to large, nationally recognized nonprofits. This reflects ongoing structural barriers such as limited nonprofit visibility, decision fatigue, and search environments that prioritize brand familiarity.

At the same time, small-dollar giving has declined for three consecutive years, highlighting the need for more transparent, accessible, and trustworthy tools to support donor decision-making (Childress, 2024; Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, 2023).

In a 2024 evaluation study, 291 U.S. donors were randomly assigned to use either the Giving Compass Guide to Good platform or general internet tools to select a new nonprofit …

Moving Beyond Words To Action: A Practitioner’S Playbook For Achieving Collaboration Success, Tessa Lesage, Jonathan L. Romine, Jane Wei Skillern

The Foundation Review

This article argues that foundations must shift from acting as grantmakers alone to becoming active stewards of cross-sector collaborative networks.

Drawing from more than two decades of field experience and research each, the authors outline a framework for moving from collaborative rhetoric to action, identifying four essential and interconnected actions: fueling trust, elevating purpose, nurturing networks, and strengthening stewardship.

Through case examples, the article illustrates how authentic, trust-based relationships, shared goals, and relational network leadership can drive scalable, sustainable impact.

The article offers both a compelling critique of traditional philanthropic approaches and a strategic road map for how foundations can …

Beyond The Check: Lessons In Trust, Support, And Structure For Flexible Well-Being Grants, Martena Reed, Jennifer Marsack, Chelsey Hurt, Gladys Hairston, Karla Mendez, Tejaswini Vemuganti, Valerie Stewart, Cindy Alvarado

The Foundation Review

This article draws on a developmental evaluation of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation’s Well-Being Grants, which awarded over 100 small, flexible grants to support nonprofit staff and organizational well-being. Using surveys, interviews, focus groups, and document review, authors examined how organizations defined well-being, how they used the funds, and what factors shaped their choices.

Findings show that, while grantees valued flexibility, many relied on familiar approaches such as retreats, stipends, and team building. Long-standing compliance norms engendered caution about experimentation, even when funders encouraged it.

The authors argue that funders must pair flexible dollars with …

What Are The Factors Affecting The Financial Sustainability Of Social Enterprises In Egypt?, Mina Atta Ghaly

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates what factors affect the financial sustainability of social enterprises (SEs) in Egypt, situating them within a constrained MSME, legal and sectoral context marked by informality, weak innovation and recurrent shocks. Drawing on global and Egyptian literature, it identifies ten candidate factors—business model, financial management, founders’ skills and mindset, revenue structure, sector and mission, legal framework and innovative finance, capacity building, investment mechanisms and “the right investor”, adaptability to shocks, and ecosystem conditions—and integrates them into an extended Social Enterprise Model Canvas. Using a qualitative, exploratory design with semi‑structured interviews of social enterprise founders, incubators/accelerators, investors and experts, …

2025 State Of Nonprofits And Philanthropy Annual Report, Tessa Tinkler, Cristina Sanchez-Kerr, Laura Deitrick, Eo Hanabusa, Bryan Cardenas, Timothy Nelson, William Piper

State of Nonprofits and Philanthropy in San Diego

The 2025 State of Nonprofits and Philanthropy in San Diego examines how federal policy changes, funding volatility, and rising community needs are reshaping the region’s nonprofit sector. Drawing on survey data from nonprofit leaders and employees, public opinion polling, and financial and employment analysis, the report provides an early assessment of the sector’s financial health, workforce capacity, and its role as a primary access point for services such as housing, food, education, healthcare, and the arts. It highlights mounting pressures on nonprofit infrastructure alongside the sector’s enduring strengths in public trust, collaboration, advocacy, and shared investment strategies that will shape …

Managing Capacity Development For Administrative Staff In Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study Of The American University In Cairo, Amal Gamal Kaldas

Theses and Dissertations

Capacity development (CD) is a fundamental factor in the success of an organization, particularly in the initiation of higher education (HEIs) where administrative staff have a significant role in operational functions. This thesis presents several aspects that shape the capacity development for administrative staff in higher education institutions and the foundation of theories that relate to CD. Focusing on The American University in Cairo (AUC) as a case study to explore the current CD programs, how the administrative staff perceive the CD programs, and the challenges that hinder AUC in implementing these programs, and how AUC manages these programs. A …

Strategi Personal Branding Youtuber Asian Survivor Dalam Membangun Motivasi Donasi: Studi Analisis Konten Video Youtube, Muhammad Sulthon Asykur, Hasyim Asyari

Jurnal Administrasi Bisnis Terapan

ABSTRACT

Content creators face significant challenges in maintaining audience engagement and social relevance amidst dynamic platform algorithms. This study analyzes YouTuber Asian Survivor's personal branding strategy in building authenticity, engagement, and audience donation motivation using a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative analysis employed t-tests and binary logistic regression on 101 videos, while qualitative analysis was conducted through in-depth interviews and observation. Results indicate that neither vulnerable nor inspiring narrative types significantly differentiate engagement levels; however, videos that successfully raised donations exhibited significantly higher engagement rates. Regression analysis proved that an increase in engagement rate raises donation probability by 2.5 times. Qualitative findings …

Access Is The Outcome: Rethinking Metrics, Worthiness, And Human Rights Across Philanthropy And Development, Stephanie Zabriskie

Faculty Publications

This thought paper examines how philanthropic evaluation frameworks misclassify access to basic human rights as a preliminary step rather than a complete outcome. In competitive funding environments, post-access behavioral metrics such as utilization and compliance are often elevated to outcome status and used to assess program worthiness. Drawing on rights-based and systems-level evaluation frameworks, the paper argues that access itself constitutes a sufficient and legitimate outcome, and that post-access data should function as program management inputs rather than legitimacy or financial thresholds. Reframing access as the outcome has implications for philanthropic accountability, administrative burden, and the ethical consistency of funding …

Peace Innovation And Healing: A Design Justice Framework To Support Change Processes, Strengthen Relationships, Foster Trust, And Build Community, Michelle Helman

Peace and Conflict Studies Journal Conference

Many organizations aiming to achieve peace and health equity outcomes often focus their design processes and innovation efforts externally without addressing how their organizational culture can unintentionally reproduce the very harms they are trying to address. The purpose of this qualitative design research study is to explore the role of a design justice framework in piloting a Peace Innovation Project aimed at facilitating an organizational culture change process. Specifically, the study focuses on better understanding how integrating a design justice approach could support research collaborators to center equity and justice as core components in building a culture of peace and …

Embodying Design Justice: A Peace Education Framework To Strengthen Relationships, Foster Trust And Build Community, Michelle Helman

Peace and Conflict Studies Journal Conference

BACKGROUND

Groups working toward creating peace and equity often focus on external innovation without addressing internal culture shifts necessary to navigate change and achieve their goals. Michelle’s doctoral research and practice address this challenge through a design research study and peace innovation project focused on organizational culture transformation through a design justice framework. Findings suggest that interweaving the framework with storytelling, arts, and embodiment practices are key to support people in navigating change processes to strengthen relationships, foster trust, and build community.

ABOUT

The workshop offers an applied learning experience for participants to explore the concepts of design and innovation …

The Power Of Choice: Transformative Moments In The Lives Of Biblical Heroes, Hershey H. Friedman, Linda Weiser Friedman

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

This paper examines pivotal moments in the lives of key biblical figures and explores how these choices shaped both personal destinies and spiritual legacies. Biblical narratives depicting the lives of Adam, Noah, Joseph, Judah, Moses, Ruth, Boaz, David, Solomon, Zerubbabel, Esther, Mordechai, and Samson illustrate that these transcendent moments involve significant moral choices. We see that even revered figures can experience moral failings, and that some individuals can achieve greatness through singular acts of moral courage. These momentous decisions – whether acts of bravery, failures of judgment, vengeance versus reconciliation, worldly power versus spiritual calling, or moments of redemption—reveal profound …

Michigan Oral Health Coalition - A Great Cause, Chris Gorecki Dds

Journal of the Macomb Dental Society

This article features a monthly column from the Macomb Dental Society Executive Director, Dr. Christopher Gorecki.

The article enumerates how "timely access to coordinated dental care makes a meaningful difference." In it Dr. Gorecki highlights the ways in which local specialists and the Michigan Oral Health Coalition (MOHC) pursue optimal oral health for all Michigan residents—especially those who face barriers to care.

Leadership And Creative Placemaking In Central Appalachia: Morehead, Kentucky, Toni C. Hobbs

Theses and Dissertations--Arts Administration

In rural Appalachia, longstanding patterns of extractive economic development, coupled with limited public investment and uneven institutional support, have contributed to persistent economic stagnation and a diminished sense of pride among residents. These conditions reflect deeper structural challenges, including economies shaped by resource extraction and external control. Addressing these conditions is critical to fostering economic growth, promoting cultural heritage, and enhancing overall well-being in the region. By cultivating resilient communities, leaders can create environments in which both the economy and local pride can thrive, contributing to a more prosperous and unified Appalachian region.

This study investigates the organizational and leadership …

Transformational Leadership And Change Management In Equity-Centered Nonprofit Organizations, Lisa M. Merchant

All Capstone Projects

This qualitative study explores how nonprofit leaders use transformational leadership strategies to respond to rapid or unprecedented change and how these behaviors contribute to resilient change management. Grounded in transformational leadership theory and change management frameworks, including Lewin’s three-stage model and Kotter’s eight-step model, this study examines leadership practices within mission-driven organizations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nonprofit leaders representing organizations advancing equity in areas such as education, healthcare, economic opportunity, and social justice. Findings indicate that leadership during disruption in equity-centered nonprofit organizations is not episodic; rather, it is sustained, relational, and values-anchored. Leaders sustain organizational resilience by anchoring …

Becoming Art Itself: A Study On The Generative Logic And Discursive Structure Of Disability Art Incubation Institutions, Gonghui Lu

MA Theses

This study employs “Becoming” as its core analytical concept to examine how disability art incubation institutions operate at the intersection of contemporary art history and social systems as mechanisms that continuously generate both art and subjectivity. Building on Deleuze’s philosophy of becoming and Guattari’s notion of the rhizome, the study constructs a generative model linking art, institutions, and discourse. Through comparative analysis of international cases, it discusses the shift in disability art from a representational logic to a generative logic, and the dynamic oscillation between deterritorialization and reterritorialization within institutional practices. The study argues that disability art should not be …

Don't Walk By: Policy, Advocacy, And The Power Of Reconnection, Ashley Martinez, Isabella Dawkins, Hayley Tarro, Abby Hodge, Lily Stockwell, Grace Culp, Sebastian Lopez, Jesse Hartland

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Through this project, we will utilize dilemma reconciliation to address homelessness in the United States with frameworks implemented from The Netherlands and Finland.

Project Learn Strategic Analysis Project, Isabel Ladaika, Kalpana Ghimire, Noah Johnson, Caleb Keiper

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This honors project involves working in a team to conduct a comprehensive strategic analysis of Project Learn of Summit County. We will evaluate the organization’s external environment (such as industry trends, competition, and community factors) and internal operations (including strengths, weaknesses, resources, and capabilities). Using strategic management frameworks, as a team we will develop actionable recommendations to strengthen the organizations marketing, financial sustainability, and community outreach efforts. Throughout the semester, we will engage directly with the client organization to gather data and insights that inform our analysis. Final deliverables include a formal written strategic analysis paper and a professional presentation …

Design Thinking For Corporate Social Responsibility Program Proposal Creation, Michelle "Mindy" D. Danovaro

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study used action research to explore how the use of design thinking engaged employees in the creation of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) program proposal in a small- to medium-enterprises (SME) in the Sacramento region of California. The purpose of the study was to assess whether employee participation in a design thinking exercise could improve employee perception of engagement, inclusion, and reciprocity during the CSR program proposal creation. The study was grounded in social exchange theory, stakeholder theory, and design thinking methodologies. The iterative research process followed action research cycles (i.e., plan, act, observe, and reflect) integrated with …