Nonprofit Administration and Management Commons^™

Leadership In Social Service Non-Profit Organizations: An Interpreative Phenomenlogical Analysis Of Executive Leadership High Attrition Levels And Proposals For Change, Stephanie Fredericka Wanza

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to address how leaders who are employed at non-profit organizations can utilize change management frameworks, leadership style, strategic planning and organizational best practices to reduce attrition levels at their organizations. The focus of this study is three-fold: a) to understand why high attrition takes place at non-profits; identify what change model/s, types of leadership styles and best practices can be effective in reducing leader attrition, b) explore the development of a leadership framework by understanding how to manage change at nonprofits through the Carnall (1986), Shields (1999) and Cummings and Worley (2009) change management …

An Examination Of Contemporary Fundraising Trends And Support For A Sustainable Shift To Full-Cost Funding, Alison Scott

Master's Projects and Capstones

For decades, nonprofit organizations have faced immense challenges securing adequate funding that will not only run their programs, but cover all operational and overhead costs. Traditional funding models often restrict funds to specific projects or services, leaving nonprofits with financial instability, and potentially hindering their ability to fully deliver on their missions. Recently, there has been a shift in the philanthropic landscape that challenges these more restrictive fundraising models. As this conversation has grown, the concept of “Full Cost Funding” has gained traction, which calls for a more comprehensive funding approach that covers the full costs of running an organization, …

Developing The Nonprofit Theatre: Building A Foundation For The Emerging Theatre Company, Kelsey Mcmillan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper aims to guide entrepreneurial theatre artists in beginning a nonprofit theatre arts venture. It will provide an in-depth analysis of the foundations required to begin a nonprofit theatre organization and analyze the need for expanding upon traditional structures and styles. Incorporating evidence and research from relevant literature, coursework, and market data as well as analysis of a strategic plan for The Common Theatre Company, this paper finds that non-profit theatre companies can be positively served by developing unique products and services and a nontraditional governance model as an extension of the foundational needs of a nonprofit organization. The …

An Imc Approach To Building Trust Among Nonprofit Donors, Catherine A. Romaine

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the role of a holistic Integrated Marketing Communications strategy within the nonprofit sector. The research aims to identify the effectiveness of different marketing communication tactics in soliciting donations for nonprofit organizations. It examines the influences and motivations of donors when choosing one organization over another for their monetary contributions. The thesis investigates the impact of specific integrated marketing strategies in building and maintaining relationships with different stakeholders such as donors, volunteers, and employees.

Through a literature review of successful nonprofits and missteps within the sector, this thesis identifies various factors that contribute to nonprofit marketing success, including …

Human-Centered Design For Strategic Organizational Shifts In Complex Times, Kristen Laviano Snow

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Nonprofit organizations are faced with unprecedented challenges as they seek to accomplish their lofty missions in a complex environment, ripe with uncertainty. The global COVID-19 pandemic brought forth new problems for communities and workplaces. As a result, some old ways of working may no longer be useful. To make meaningful progress on their social missions while navigating an unfamiliar post-pandemic context, nonprofits need new tools to help them understand and respond to changing community needs. Evidence has shown design thinking to be an effective approach to developing innovative strategies tailored to real needs, however, it has not been widely practiced …

Third Sector Organizations In Iceland: Size, Scope, And Scale, Jeannie Entenza

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to contribute missing data to existing studies on the comparative nature of global third sector economies. Iceland, a modern, high-income, high-service society on the cusp of the Arctic Circle has not been included in these studies while the other four Nordic countries have all been analyzed. This study aims to map over 12,000 registered third sector organizations in Iceland to demonstrate the type and level of public-facing organized activity in the country. The quantitative research design relied heavily on the concept and inspiration of the Johns Hopkins Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project and proved that Iceland was indeed …

Career Research Framework For University Students And Recent Graduates Interested In Nonprofit Sector Employment, Reed Miller

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Through this project, I aimed to gain a better understanding of sustainable opportunities for undergraduate students and recent college graduates to get involved with the nonprofit management world, sustainable opportunities being contingent on potential success factors for both the individual and the organization. My analysis is informed by my hands-on experience working in a leadership position with the Healthcare Surfaces Institute, a national healthcare nonprofit, my interviews with nonprofit leaders in the Missoula, Montana, area, and by looking at labor data for the American nonprofit sector. In this essay, I report on my findings both anecdotal and data-driven to conclude …

The Value Of A Policies And Procedures Manual In Nonprofit Organizations, Teresa Holman

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Nonprofit Connection is a new 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, serving as a volunteer hub, linking nonprofit ideas, organizations, and resources, located in Santa Cruz County. Nonprofit Connection supports collaboration, organizational success, and aims to assist as a liaison in the process of delivering services to people in need. The problem with a newly established non-profit organization is the nonexistence of structure. This project addresses the problem by providing written volunteer procedures regarding the required duties of each volunteer position, yearly evaluation forms to determine the quality of work, and NPC policies on ethics, professional conduct, and legal guidelines that require …

Building Human And Organizational Capacity In A Small Nonprofit And Human Service Organization Through A Culture Of Leadership Development, Adam A. Silver

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Nonprofit organizations are typically comprised of staff from different backgrounds and education, and with varying degrees of leadership experience. In many cases, underequipped staff members are thrust into senior roles without mentorship or development that would prepare them for increased responsibility, leading to operational challenges, depleted morale, and staff burnout. Furthermore, without developing future leaders, issues of succession planning become evident both at the organizational level, and at the sector level. These concerns, in part, can be remedied by embedding strategic and intentional leadership development into the organizational culture of small nonprofit human service organizations. The problem of practice (PoP) …

Mission Drift And The Effectiveness Of Resource Dependence Theory In An Internally Resource-Constrained Environment., Kirsten Bullock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Why are some organizations able to maintain focus on their mission while others founder? This theoretical and empirical dissertation examines the relationships among funding sources, management practices, and organizational stigma within an internally resource-constrained environment. Using Resource Dependence Theory (RDT) as a basis to manage external resource dependencies, I build a theoretical model and empirically test a research model to understand how funding source affects mission drift, how management practices might help organizations manage that drift, and what effect organizational stigma might have on those relationships within an environment of internal resource constraints. Specifically, this study hypothesizes that nonprofits that …

Silent Auction Fundraiser Dinners And Nonprofit Organizations, Kristine Chiles

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper describes and analyzes the Goldendale Pregnancy Resource Center’s annual fundraiser dinner and silent auction that was held November 4, 2021. It discusses the importance of nonprofit organizations, the difficulties encountered when planning the event, and an analysis of areas of improvement for future events. The information gathered will be used to determine the profitability of the event for the Goldendale Pregnancy Resource Center. The goal of the project is to increase revenue for the Goldendale Pregnancy Resource Center and be able to provide helpful fundraising information to other similar nonprofit organizations, although external factors, such as the COVID-19 …

A Battle's Helping Hand: Non-Profit Organization Business Plan, Lasheka Mason

Veterans Studies Undergraduate Capstones

A Battle’s Helping Hand is a program designed by a veteran or veterans that could use a helping hand with the process of exiting military service. This organization has incorporated a few military programs in which some veterans may be familiar with allows for the veteran to better voice their needs and the needs of their family in a somewhat recognizable setting.

Wonderfully Made In The Making: A Strategic Recommendation For Growth Opportunities, Kayley Scott

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

I was partnered with a local non-profit organization, called Wonderfully Made, to identify and solve a strategic problem they are experiencing. Wonderfully Made is focused on serving girls of color with special needs. I analyzed internal resources and weaknesses and I researched external factors that affect them. I found that Wonderfully Made needed to explore growth opportunities through a strategic alliance with a college organization, ideally an NPHC sorority at UNO. This would create a mentorship opportunity for the participants in the organization. It would also create growth with minimal time and resources needed from Wonderfully Made’s busy board. If …

Nonprofit Social Media Internships: A Handbook, Allison Laroy

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

This thesis examines how nonprofits can best prepare their interns and how interns can best prepare themselves for a role in engaging audiences through social media. Through a literature review on nonprofit social media and internships, a series of qualitative interviews with interns and supervisors, and my own lived experiences as a social media intern, I develop a handbook for nonprofit social media internships. This guide is relevant to the specific experiences of nonprofit social media internships, includes advice on training, mentorship, and best practices, and finally, it incorporates further resources on nonprofit social media that interns and supervisors can …

Connecting Charities With Creatives: Bridging The Gap Between Local Nonprofit Organizations And University Of Mississippi Students, Natalie Pruitt

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the need for marketing resources among North Mississippi nonprofit organizations and apply the findings to develop and launch a website based on primary and secondary research that connects local North Mississippi nonprofit organizations with University of Mississippi graphic design, marketing, bachelor of fine arts and integrated marketing communication (IMC) students seeking experience to complete various marketing and graphic design- related tasks and develop and implement an integrated marketing plan to promote and raise awareness for the website.

Nonprofits face the challenge of allocating funds from donations to create functional and creative communications …

Effects Of The Covid-19 Economic Downturn On Central Florida Nonprofits, Tiffany C. Chinwuba

Honors Undergraduate Theses

COVID-19 has had significant impacts on society, both in lifestyle and commerce, especially in Central Florida where the economy is centralized around tourism. While local and state governmental agencies are distributing aid to meet the needs caused by high unemployment, the nonprofit sector mobilized to help fill the gap in assistance by providing resources and services. However prior research into the nonprofit sector finds that prolonged economic downturn may eventually affect the nonprofit force by reduced funding to programs as it did during the 2008 economic recessions. Hence, many nonprofit organizations may be at risk of insolvency in the coming …

A History Of Nashville Children's Theatre: 1977-2019, Robert Roberts

Education Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to collect a formalized history of Nashville Children’s Theatre (or NCT), a nonprofit arts organization, between the years of 1977 and 2019. Previous theses by students at other universities have recorded NCT’s history prior to 1977, but much of the company’s evolution during the time since has only been kept via a loose oral tradition amongst employees, an oral tradition that becomes increasingly distorted and destroyed as staff members and volunteers come and go from the organization or pass-away. This thesis project collected memories from 18 individuals who worked for, volunteered with, performed at, …

An Analysis Of The Skill Sets Needed To Be Successful In Nonprofit Public Relations, Hannah Williamson

Honors Theses

The public relations industry is ever-changing, as it evolves to adapt to societal changes. Technological advancements and social media have largely contributed to changes in the way public relations professionals attempt to reach their target publics. In fact, research shows many public relations professionals do not think the term “public relations” will accurately define the work they will be doing in the near future. As the industry changes, the job duties of public relations professionals adapt as well.

This study researched the public relations industry to understand what skill sets professionals should possess in order to be successful. The study’s …

Live Thankfully Little Rock: A Case Study Of Marketing For Nonprofit For Resale Shops, Ann Claire Cook

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis discusses the best practices that nonprofit resale shops should follow when marketing.

Living On Heaven's Doorstep: A Multimedia Project With The Warm Beach Senior Community, Justina Grace Brown

Honors Projects

Having a website is no longer a luxury but a requirement. Nonprofits need to take advantage of the digital age to better reach their constituents yet, overall, they struggle to do this well. Because of lack of resources, their reliance on volunteers, and the inability to keep up with the evolving demands of a website, nonprofits (especially small ones) are not using the web to their full advantage. Taking the research and applying it to a nonprofit retirement community—Warm Beach Senior Community—the challenges are seen first-hand.

Major League Impact: A Comparative Analysis Of Youth Programs Within Major League Baseball Club Charities, Hayley Walker

Master's Projects and Capstones

As one of the most common structured activities for youth, sport provides numerous opportunities for children to learn to lead healthy, active lifestyles. Additionally, the popularity of sport among young people makes it an effective platform for Positive Youth Development (PYD). However, merely participating in sport does not guarantee that youth will develop positive character traits or acquire important life skills. For that reason, nonprofit organizations that offer sport-based youth development programs must have targeted approaches to facilitating opportunities for learning and growth. This study focuses on the methods of youth programming utilized by the charitable affiliates of five professional …

The Correlation Between Online Marketing Strategies And Fundraising Performance Of Nonprofit Organizations, Goran Orucevic

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

Through primary and secondary data collection, this research explores the correlation between online marketing strategies and fundraising performance of small nonprofits. The purpose of this research was to identify the needs and challenges of small nonprofit organizations' marketing departments, in order to create a new marketing strategy that would help them reach their goals. The study identified several problems which small nonprofits commonly face. As a result, a new Influencer Marketing Platform has been designed, with an intent to solve the issues of volunteer based or part-time marketing staff, the lack of budgets for promotional campaigns, and the inability to …

An Analysis Of Mergers And Acquisitions In Non-Profit Organizations, Shakiyla K. Davis

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This paper hypothesizes that poor planning of merger or acquisitions will lead to increased issues within the organization. To effectively examine the hypothesis, the paper provides an overview of mergers and acquisitions. The paper highlights the process and considerations of a merger and acquisition and uses examples to provide insight on successful and unsuccessful partnerships.

Board Recruitment And Development For A Nonprofit Farmers' Market Organization, Tammy B. Bass

Education Dissertations and Projects

Community nonprofit organizations operated by a Board of Directors rely heavily on the commitment and goodwill of volunteers. By 2017, Foothills Farmers’ Market (FFM), a community nonprofit organization, had experienced rapid growth in sales, grant funding, and programs while experiencing highs and lows in volunteer Board leadership. The organization needed very committed volunteer Board members who would put in the time to run the small nonprofit business that was growing quickly. Board members were becoming less committed as the demands of the organization became greater, to the point that there often were not enough Directors present to meet quorum and …

An Analysis Of Rating Systems Used By Watchdog Organizations For Nonprofit Charities In The Health And Human Services Sector, Sara Strathmann

Senior Theses

In the United State, lack of trust and accountability are developing trends among donors in regard to charitable nonprofits in the health and human services sector. Watchdog organizations are working diligently to provide useful data to donors to combat this growing issue. While some watchdog organizations focus on quality of statistics, others focus largely on quantity of metrics. Additionally, some rating systems are solely based on financial data, while others consider nonfinancial data as well. Although different methodologies concentrate on varying metrics, this thesis seeks to find a comprehensive, yet easy-to-use rating system that allows users to understand both financial …

Exploring Grit In The Experiences Of Higher Education Development Officers: A Phenomenological Study, Jessica A. Mccann

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study was designed to gain insight into experiences of grit by development officers in higher education as they pursued their goals and processed their disappointments in the course of soliciting major gifts. Three main domains of literature underpinned the research: (a) motivation theory, (b) goal-setting theory, and (c) the grit model. An extensive literature review revealed little is known about how individuals make sense and assign meaning to their experiences of passion and perseverance, and less is known about how development officers in higher education foundations and institutionally-related nonprofit organizations decide how to set and pursue goals …

A Strategic Approach To Employee Retention At Nebraska Families Collaborative, Rachel Walters

Capstone Experience

Nebraska Families Collaborative (NFC) is a nonprofit organization that supports children and families who are at risk, in eastern Nebraska. They offer a variety of services with the goal of moving children toward safety, permanency and well-being. Organizations such as NFC rely heavily on the commitment of the employees to carry out their mission, as do many other non-profit social service agencies across the country. The overall goal of the project was to identify reasons for high turnover and to identify potential solutions to reduce turnover and increase retention in the workplace at NFC. The main objectives were to analyze …

The Reality Of The Refugee Crisis In Italy: A Look Into The Lives Of Illegitimate Refugees And The Unofficial Organizations That Support Them, Cole Mcquirk

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The words written on the United States of America’s famous Statue of Liberty, written by poet Emma Lazarus over a century ago:

Give me your tired, your poor,

your huddled masses yearning to breathe free

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. . . .

America and Europe alike have forgotten the sacred words that gave hope to so many 100 years ago. Many use phrases like “floods of people” or “swarms” to describe those who leave their countries for a life in the Western world. Which of the refugees welcomed into the most powerful country in the world were …

Big Theories In Small Places: Lean/Six Sigma In The Small To Medium Size Nonprofit – Can They Work?, John Lochner

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

There is an increasing emphasis by donors and the public towards accountability and demonstration of results in the nonprofit sector. Quantitative measures are increasingly expected from donors of the nonprofit organization, whether individuals or larger foundations, to demonstrate value and generate further support. As such, there have been many efforts to introduce practices of private sector management theory, specifically performance management theories, to the non-profit sector. Enterprise Performance Management, Business Process Management, Total Quality Management, Balanced Scorecard, and other programs of this type are all the trend to enable the more agile, responsive, effective organization. These initiatives have however focused …

Self-Determination And Human Resource Retention: Employee And Volunteer Motivation To Stay In Rural Oregon Nonprofit Organizations, Nicole Richman

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

The present study used an existing model, the Volunteer Functions Inventory, to test the functional motives of volunteers and employees to engage in or continue service with a rural nonprofit organization. Self-Determination theory provides the underlying framework for the Volunteer Functions Inventory and the six motivational functions: understanding, values, enhancement, career, social, and protective. The model was tested using a sample of 168 employees and volunteers from Area Agencies on Aging located in rural Oregon. The results indicated that the protective function, reducing personal guilt by serving others in the community with less means, similarly motivates employees and volunteers to …