Nonprofit Administration and Management Commons^™

When Worlds Collide: Bringing The Native/Indigenous Transnational Nonprofit Leader To The Conversation, Christina E. Mitchell

Dissertations

Transnationals have long been a subject of academic discussion. Described differently according to discipline and study, the primary characteristic of transnationals is that they cross borders in support of a broad range of purposes, including advocacy and service provision, and profession and research. While not explicitly engaged within the nonprofit conversation up to this point, transnationals do have an implicit association with the nonprofit sector. This dissertation locates the transnationals in the nonprofit sector bringing a particular type of transnational into the nonprofit conversation: the native/indigenous transnational nonprofit leader. Based on findings of an exploratory case study, this leader is …

Non-Governmental Organization Vulnerabilities: Donors And Resource Dependence, Carolyn A. Islam

CMC Senior Theses

The main objective of my thesis paper is to determine which organizations from a wide range of NGOs, including their donor relationships, are susceptible to funding manipulation and why. Through review of a focused selection of literature and case studies, I seek to identify a pattern of characteristics or variables among the weaker organizations which increases vulnerability to such practices. I will review the organizations' size, market competition, funding strategies, and supply-led contracts. I intend to conclude with the various ways in which NGO's can protect against funding manipulation.

2015 State Of Nonprofits In Riverside County, Laura Deitrick, Fred Galloway, Dominika Bukalova

State of Nonprofits in California

Within the last year or so, two influential reports produced by the Caster Family Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Research at the University of San Diego – 2015 State of Nonprofits in San Diego and Causes Count: The Economic Power of California’s Nonprofit Sector – have helped practitioners, researchers, and government officials better understand both the trends and nuances of this rapidly expanding sector. Continuing that tradition, this report, 2015 State of Nonprofits in Riverside County, provides a much needed and long overdue look at the financial health and demographic profile of nonprofits in Riverside County.

2015 Food And Function: An Assessment Of The Capacity Of Food Pantry Programs In San Diego County, Mary Jo Schumann, Crystal Trull, Carolyn Noack

Food Security

Food pantry programs play a critical role in meeting a basic need for thousands of individuals and families each year. They are the front-line support mechanism for providing short-term or emergency assistance to those struggling with food insecurity. San Diego County has a wide variety of food pantry programs that are helping to meet the need of thousands of hungry residents across the region.

In 2012, several of the major emergency food provider agencies in San Diego County gathered to discuss how collaboration could support cost-saving efficiencies in the food distribution network, and subcommittees were formed to collaborate on achieving …

State Of Nonprofits Annual Report: 2015, Laura Deitrick, Mary Jo Schumann, Dominika Bukalova, Kim Hunt, Crystal Trull

State of Nonprofits and Philanthropy in San Diego

For nearly a decade, The Caster Family Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Research (Caster Center) has gathered and analyzed data to tell the story of San Diego’s diverse, growing, and influential nonprofit and philanthropic sector.

This year’s State of Nonprofits and Philanthropy report documents the increased economic impact of the sector as revenue, assets, and employment continue to grow. Furthermore, our State of Nonprofit Quarterly Index (SONP) and survey data from nonprofit leaders indicate that, overall, the sector is moving in a positive direction.

Nonprofit Leadership: A Study Of Governance Changes Over Time, Daisha M. Merritt

Dissertations, 2014-2019

This is a leadership study understood through board governance in nonprofit organizations. The study sought to discover if there were indicators of coercive institutional isomorphism occurring in human service nonprofit organizations in the United States. IRS 990 tax forms were compiled from 2008- 2012 to determine if there were increasing levels of reported governance practices. Methodology included factor analysis, comparison of means, trend analysis, and regression models. Results indicated that there is an overall trend of increasing reported practices of governance in human service nonprofit organizations. Board size is the most significant indicator associated with changes in reported governance practices. …

Growing The Mission: Nonprofit Organizations Conducting Food-Growing Activities In The Twin Cities Of Minnesota, Marcos Stoltzfus

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

Growing food has become an increasingly common activity for nonprofit organizations, and doing so offers many opportunities to confer benefits to individuals and communities. Through a qualitative methodology, this research project uses a grounded theory approach to explore the challenges, opportunities, and issues faced by nonprofits in the Twin Cities that conduct food-growing activities as part of their mission. The study found three main categories of themes relevant to this sub-sector: Food Philosophy and mission prioritization, business model and economic concerns, and integrated program design characteristics. These factors are discussed from a nonprofit management lens, and implications for leaders are …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of The Use Of Social Media By United Way Of Westchester And Putnam, Dian Xi, Ziyun Gao

Master in Public Administration Theses

No abstract provided.

Turnover Intentions Of Nonprofit Fundraising Professionals: The Roles Of Perceived Fit, Exchange Relationships, And Job Satisfaction, Abbi L. Haggerty

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the turnover intentions of fundraisers employed by 501(c)(3) public charities in the United States. Specifically, the study considers the effects of the following variables on fundraisers’ intentions to leave their current position (in the short-term and long-term) and/or the profession of fundraising: perceptions of fit with organization and job; exchange relationships between employees and their organization and supervisor; overall job satisfaction; culture of philanthropy; salary; age; and organizational size. Through a secondary analysis of a national data set, multiple regression analysis identifies the variables that are statistically significant predictors of turnover intentions.

Perceived person-organization fit, job satisfaction, …

Climbing The Mountain: An Approach To Planning And Evaluating Public-Policy Advocacy, Sam Gill, Tom Freedman

The Foundation Review

· This article proposes a new methodology for planning and evaluating public-policy advocacy. The methodology is designed around a series of stages, each with a different set of strategic planning and assessment requirements.

· The article suggests that both planning and evaluative approaches that fail to take account of the necessary stages required to develop and then implement an advocacy strategy will likely assign the wrong indicators of success.

· This analysis is based on direct experience working with both policy processes and a wide range of foundations and nonprofits that have invested in public-policy advocacy, including the Rockefeller, Ford, …

2014 A National Review Of Community Leadership Programs, Caster Family Center For Nonprofit And Philanthropic Research, University Of San Diego

Nonprofit Leadership and Capacity Building

In May 2014, LEAD San Diego commissioned the Caster Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Research (Caster Center) to conduct a national review of organizations that support leadership development and civic engagement (i.e., community leadership programs). The Caster Center researched 32 such organizations and conducted phone interviews with 12 of them. The interviewed organizations included nine community leadership programs: six were independent nonprofits, two were nonprofits housed within a Chamber of Commerce, and one was a Chamber of Commerce program. The remaining interviews were with two statewide community leadership programs that were foundation funded and a university research center.

Community Assistance For Refugees And Gender Roles: What Could Make This C.A.R. Run Better?, Nathan E. Meyer

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Community Assistance for Refugees is a non-profit service organization in downtown Mankato, Minnesota. Secondary migration to southern Minnesota has increased the refugee population as well as the need for research assessing the needs and concerns of refugees. The purpose of this project was two-fold: first to analyze how C.A.R. is able to meet the needs of its clients and second, to investigate ways in which C.A.R. could improve its services. Traditionally female refugees are less educated and less mainstreamed into American society. This research was designed to help all clients, but special attention was paid to the specific needs of …

A New Look At Nonprofit Online Fundraising: Persuasion Through The Means Of Credibility And Psychological Consistency, Kaytlin Lemier

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

A study was conducted to examine how the persuasive elements of a message contribute to non-profit organizations’ potential to gain financial support. The purpose of the study was to apply theories of persuasion to advance an understanding of the underlying elements relevant to successful fundraising appeals. The two main constructs examined were credibility and psychological consistency. Applied to the context of non-profit fundraising, credibility refers to the judgments granting institutions and/or donors make about the believability of the non-profit organization or its individual representatives, and psychological consistency refers to donors’ internal drive to reduce inconsistencies between their behavior and their …

State Of Nonprofits Annual Report: 2014, Mary Jo Schumann, Jennifer Amanda Jones, Kim Hunt, Christina Mitchell, Svetlana Krasynska, Laura Deitrick

State of Nonprofits and Philanthropy in San Diego

For the second consecutive year, the State of Nonprofits Annual Report chronicles the capacity, contributions, and overall economic health and well-being of the San Diego nonprofit sector over time.

It also documents the current state of the nonprofit sector in San Diego County based on perspectives of local nonprofit leaders in 2013.

The findings presented in this report are a culmination of various sources and represent different perspectives. Together, they help tell the story of the nonprofit sector in San Diego County (subsequently referred to as San Diego).

2014 North County Senior Connections: Needs Assessment And Asset Mapping, Mary Jo Schumann, Crystal Trull

Seniors

In December 2013, the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation (RSFF) commissioned the Caster Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Research (Caster Center) at the University of San Diego to conduct a Phase I research study to provide RSFF Grants and Projects Committee (GPC) with relevant data and research needed to help make informed decisions about a new program titled “North County Senior Connections” (NCSC).

Solving Charity Failures, Brian L. Frye

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

“Crowdfunding” is a way of using the Internet to raise money by asking the public to contribute to a project. In the past, asking a large number of people to contribute small amounts of money to a project was expensive and inefficient for most organizations and individuals. By greatly reducing transaction costs, crowdfunding enables anyone to inexpensively and efficiently seek small contributions to a project. While crowdfunding is a new model of fundraising, it has already transformed funding for the arts. For example, the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter distributed more than forty million dollars to the creators of almost seventy-five hundred …

Influences On Reported Nonprofit Lobbying Efforts, Alyson Partain

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The nonprofit sector holds an interesting role in democracy, as this segment balances the powers of government and business by providing a way to cultivate social justice and afford people a means of acting and promoting interests outside of the government and private sectors. Nonprofit organizations therefore allow people to join together in providing services and programs that strengthen the communities in which they act. Advocacy involves identifying, embracing, and promoting a cause, especially by educating the public about their organization, whether this is through public engagement, coalition building, or lobbying.

Lobbying is a specific but critical component of general …

Students' Perspectives Of Ngo Service-Learning Experiences: A Case Study Of Operation Smile, Suzanne B. Unger, Shana Pribesh, Linda Bol, Daniel Dickerson

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Past research demonstrated both strong and questionable benefits to students participating in domestic service-learning. However, we know little about high school and college students' perspectives of service-learning while working with nonprofit, non-governmental (NGO) agencies that serve international populations. This qualitative, exploratory study aims to determine how students perceive their lives are impacted as a result of their service-learning experiences at Operation Smile. Data were collected from two focus groups comprised of high school and university youth. Results indicated service-learning in an international setting positively influences areas of personal growth, career choice, and future philanthropic participation. It also affects level of …

2014 Causes Count: The Economic Power Of California's Nonprofit Sector, Laura Deitrick, Jon Durnford, Andrew Narwold, Fred Galloway, Mary Jo Schumann

State of Nonprofits in California

Causes Count describes, in economic terms, the stunning size, variety, activities and impact of California’s large and diverse nonpro t sector. The research was conducted by The Caster Family Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Research at the University of San Diego and was guided by an advisory panel of more than 30 leaders throughout California.

This study synthesizes multiple sources of data to generate the most complete picture of the power of California’s nonprofit sector to date.

The research identifies and documents trends in the financial health of nonprofits, employment, volunteerism, foundation grantmaking, and civic engagement, as well as provides …

2014 California's Lanterman Act 45 Years Later: A Study Of Service Recipients' And Providers' Experiences With The Law's Legacies, Caster Family Center For Nonprofit And Philanthropic Research, The Nonprofit Institute, University Of San Diego

Legislation

The California Disability Services Association (CDSA), an association of community-based nonprofit and for-profit organizations that provide assistance to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, decided in 2013 that it was time to take a close-up look at the impact of the legislation 45 years after the act became law. It collaborated with the University of San Diego’s Caster Family Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Research (the Caster Center) to conduct a focus group study exploring perceptions of, and experiences with, disability services in California.

Understanding What Motivates Donor To Give: Applying New Strategies For Cultivating Relationships With Donors, Natalie J. Fischer

MPA Capstone Projects 2006 - 2015

In 2011, ACCORD, A Center for Dispute Resolution, Inc. lost 54% of its funding which caused major organizational changes, making it difficult to implement better donor development strategies. In the 2011-2012 fiscal year, donations from individuals made up only 1% of ACCORD's revenue.

2013 Volunteering In San Diego: A Needs Assessment, Sue Carter-Kahl, Laura Deitrick

Volunteering

In Fall 2011, Volunteer San Diego closed its doors leaving a perceived gap in volunteer matching services in the region. Nonprofit and corporate leaders anecdotally indicated that the remaining volunteer matching services and programs were not meeting local needs sufficiently. The University of San Diego's Caster Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Research conducted a needs assessment with support from local funders to better understand the nature of San Diego's volunteer matching needs.

Nonprofit Board Members' Self-Perception In The Role Of Organizational Governance And The Balanced Scorecard, Jeffrey John Aulgur

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examines the gap between expectations of board performance held by the senior leadership and the governing board's self-perception of their role in the governance of the nonprofit organization. The primary research question is: Is an analysis of the gap between governance expectations and the board members' self-perception of governance performance an effective methodology for enhancing the efficacy of the governing board of directors? Nonprofit governance and its effectiveness are difficult concepts to define, given the wide disparity in organizational sizes, structures, and missions. While the academic literature does not identify a dominant methodology for organizational effectiveness …

2013 Applied Projects Evaluation Organizational Impact Report, Svetlana Krasynska, Jennifer A. Jones, Mary Jo Schumann

USD Evaluation of Applied Learning Model in Nonprofit Leadership and Management Master's Program

University of San Diego’s Nonprofit Leadership and Management (NLM) master’s degree program places a special focus on experiential learning, requiring students to complete multiple applied projects as part of the program’s curriculum. Applied projects give students various opportunities to work in teams to provide real-world consulting services to nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. In developing this curriculum, the NLM program serves both the students who are given these real-world consulting opportunities, as well as the client organizations who benefit from the services provided by the students.

In Fall 2010, the University of San Diego’s NLM program initiated an Applied Projects Evaluation …

State Of Nonprofits Annual Report: 2013, Laura Deitrick, Taylor Peyton Roberts, Jennifer A. Jones, Svetlana Krasynska, Elaine Lewis, Sue Carter Kahl, Pat Libby

State of Nonprofits and Philanthropy in San Diego

It is hard to believe, but prior to the Caster Center’s first publication in 2006, A Spotlight on San Diego’s Third Sector, nobody knew how many nonprofits were located in San Diego County, let alone anything about their major activities, capacity, or contributions to our larger economy. Since that time, the Caster Center team has been pushing the boundaries of nonprofit data collection to tell the sector’s story in a more timely, complete, and meaningful way. This report represents a new milestone in these ongoing efforts.

Much has transpired since the publication of the Center’s first report, not only in …

2013 Nonprofit Needs Assessment, Johnson Center At Grand Valley State University

Research, Reports, and Publications

No abstract provided.

Feeding America San Diego (Fasd) Board Manual, Elisabeth Landa, James Wright

Governance

The Feeding America San Diego (FASD) Board Manual was created to formalize the organization’s bylaws, charters, and policies, as well as to ensure a more uniform and comprehensive orientation process for existing and new board members. A needs assessment was conducted with the FASD Executive Director, Director of Development, Board Chair, and the Board Governance Committee Chair to assess the current state of the governance documents and to establish the biggest governance needs of the organization.

2013 Study On Children Of Seriously Wounded Service Members, Mary Jo Schumann, Erika Nash Cameron, Laura Deitrick, George Reed, Dezaree Doroliat

Military

Over the course of one year, researchers from The Caster Family Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic at the University of San Diego interviewed a total of 125 participants, including seriously wounded service members, their spouses and children, as well as military, civilian and nonprofit professionals who work with this population. The study included two phases to ensure a comprehensive understanding around the population and its unfulfilled needs: The first phase focused on understanding the specific needs of children of seriously wounded service members through interviews, focus groups, and reviews of existing research; the second phase focused on an assessment of …

Karen Organization Of San Diego Bylaws Paper, Jennifer Fleming, John Godfrey, Laura Purdom, Andrew Rae

Governance

The Karen Organization of San Diego was established in 2009 to meet the needs of the Karen and other ethnic minority groups from Burma that reside in San Diego. According to the organization’s mission statement, the Karen Organization of San Diego is committed toeducationaland social enhancement of various ethnic minority groups from Burma who reside in San Diego, California. The primary purpose of the organization is to provide social services and opportunities for culture preservation for the Karen and other ethnic minority groups from Burma whoresidein San Diego to improve their quality of life.

Upon undertaking a review and revision …

Kroc Fit Kids Needs Assessment, Brandon Dotts, Jason Jarvinen, Maria Todaro, Morgan Wilson

Program Design and Evaluation

The Salvation Army Kroc Center, a 12.4-acre family support, education, recreation, and cultural arts center located in the Rolando neighborhood of San Diego, is interested in designing an intervention program to alleviate the issue of low levels of physical activity and combat the childhood obesity problem. The Kroc Center is well suited to designing such an intervention because it works closely with six partner elementary schools in its surrounding neighborhoods. To assist the Kroc Center in developing an intervention, this needs assessment examines factors that may lead to low fitness scores, and the potential dangers to students, and the community, …