These are questions that would seem to be easily answered. However these are questions that have, to date, received little attention in the research literature on nonprofit organizations and the nonprofit sector. In fact, truth be told, aside from several anecdotal accounts of public perceptions of the nonprofit sector–that have frequently been presented in the popular press–we actually know very little about what the public thinks, or even knows, about nonprofit organizations.

This is in stark contrast to the extensive knowledge that we have on public opinions of both government agencies and for-profit institutions. Indeed, researchers have long examined consumer confidence in, and perceptions of, economic organizations.  And, it’s no secret that public agencies are continuously monitoring the opinion polls and approval ratings of our elected officials. But, what about the nonprofit sector?

From a theoretical perspective, it is often unquestioningly believed that nonprofit organizations meet the needs of those who are often overlooked by government and the private market–individuals who, many times, would be considered to be at the greatest risk of social exclusion. As a result, nonprofit organizations are thought to have a close connection with local communities and to also add value to the communities in which they operate.

But, is this really the case? Are nonprofit organizations truly valued within society? Or, do some groups tend to hold more favorable perceptions of the nonprofit sector than others?

These are particularly important questions to consider in an era where government has, in many instances, devolved fiscal and policy responsibility for social programing over to the nonprofit sector, especially in the area of social services–services that are often heavily relied upon by some of our most vulnerable and neediest members of society.  And, with more and more nonprofit organizations now providing these services–that were once administered through government agencies–it seems important to understand how nonprofits are perceived in these areas.

Now, although some of you may be reading this post and thinking to yourselves, “Well, why do perceptions even matter? Perceptions are not always accurate.” You’re right! Perceptions aren’t always accurate. But, it should be pointed out that although perceptions may, or may not, be an accurate reflection of reality, perceptions are important in that they help to shape our understanding of reality. And, unfortunately we have little knowledge about  the “realities” that the public has crafted about the nonprofit sector.

Ultimately then this means that we have little evidence to indicate whether nonprofits actually are in tune with the needs of local communities, or whether community residents even believe that nonprofits are adequately able to address social concerns. The limited evidence that does exist (Kissane, 2003, 2010; Kissane & Gingerich, 2004) suggests that nonprofits may not be as valued within society or as in tune with local communities as we often think.

References

• Kissane, R. (2004). What’s Need Got to do With It?: Barriers to the Use of Nonprofit Social Services. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare.
• Kissane, R. (2010). “We Call it the Badlands”: How Social-Spatial Geographies Influence Social Service Use. Social Service Review.
• Kissane, R. & Gingerich, J. (2004). Do you See What I See? Nonprofit and Resident Perceptions of Urban Neighborhood Problems.Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly.

I am very excited to announce that the official call for papers for Benchmark 3.5 has been released! Benchmark 3.5 is the fourth conference on nonprofit and philanthropic studies to be held March 24-27, 2011 in San Diego, California. The conference is being presented by the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NAAC) and it hosted by the School of Leadership and Education Sciences at the University of San Diego. The lead conference sponsor is The Arizona State University Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation.

Benchmark conferences are intended to focus on the development of nonprofit and public sector management, voluntarism, and philanthropy as a field of study. “The conference builds on the legacy of three prior conferences held in 1986, 1996 and 2006 (see http:///www.naccouncil.org/abstracts for information about prior conferences as a context for the planning for BenchMark 3.5)” (NAAC website, 2010).

“A Call for Papers and participation has been issued by NACC and you are encouraged to submit both papers for peer review and other programming ideas for how to assure the conference meets the needs of the multiple stakeholders who have interest in our field.” (NAAC website, 2010).

A special issue of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly (NVSQ) was devoted to the 2006 conference. To learn more about Benchmark you can read articles from the special issue here: http://nvs.sagepub.com/content/vol36/4_suppl/ (institutional or individual subscription required).

To submit a proposal click: http://www.naccouncil.org/benchmark.asp Submission deadline is Oct. 4, 2010.

Thankfully, however, the nonprofit sector can now claim an education journal as well!

While at this year’s ARNOVA conference I learned of a new journal focused on nonprofit education and leadership. And, given the placement of my degree program (in a school of Education) and the nature of my degree (focused on leadership), I was more than happy to hear this news.

The journal, which is called: The Journal of Nonprofit Education & Leadership is a collaborative effort between Western Kentucky University Foundation and American Humanics.

I look forward to seeing how this journal develops and the impact that it will have on the field of nonprofit and philanthropic education.

I am currently in the dissertation phase of a doctoral program specializing in nonprofit/philanthropic leadership and management at the University of San Diego. My research interests in the field relate to public perceptions and knowledge of nonprofit and philanthropic sector organizations. In business terminology, then, my interests would be in awareness, attitudes, and usage (AAU) data as it pertains to the nonprofit sector.

Interestingly (or perhaps not so much in nonprofit/philanthropic studies where much of the work is inter- and multi-disciplinary), my academic background has not been in the field of nonprofit management. Both my undergraduate and graduate degrees are in natural resource and environmental policy. Furthermore, the bulk of my professional experience (prior to pursuing my PhD) has centered around environmental and sustainability initiatives. But, moving into the area of third sector research was not that far of a stretch for me.

While completing my masters degree, I worked at IBM in the environmental division where my primary responsibility was to work with environmental nonprofits in my local area and arrange events and opportunities for them to speak with our employees (through various lunch and learns, Earth Day events, and Wildlife Habitat Council: wildlife at work programs). It was during this time that I became very interested in the nonprofit sector and decided that I wanted to pursue a PhD in the area.

Understanding what the public knows about nonprofits, and the perceptions that they hold about the third sector speaks volumes about the perceived relevance of nonprofit organizations (in the public’s eye). So obviously given my interests, I am very excited to be a part of this wonderful blog team, and I look forward to engaging in meaningful dialog with our readers!