Shannon K. Vaughan - Managing Nonprofit Organizations in a Policy World

Copyright 2014 by CQ Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. CQ Press is a registered trademark of Congressional Quarterly Inc.

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978-1-4522-4005-3

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The book is organized into four parts. Part I, Fundamentals and Environment of the Voluntary Sector, is an overview of the nonprofit sector as a whole, as well as the policy environment in which nonprofits operate. Chapters in this section define and identify the different types of not-for-profit organizations, including philanthropic foundations. Because the American system of government offers many points of interaction for nonprofits in the policy process, Part I also includes discussion of federalism and the intersectoral nature of public service provision. The theoretical basis for the existence of the nonprofit sector is established and the multiple aspects of the relationship between not-for-profit organizations and public policy are examined. Finally, because not-for-profit organizations operate within the constraints of federal, state, and local regulation, the impact of regulatory policies on the management and operation of organizations in the nonprofit sector is explored.

Part II, Strategies of Not-for-Profit Organizations, addresses the major skills and strategies necessary for nonprofits to advance themselves and their causes, which often involves the implementation of public policies. It is important for those working in and funding nonprofit organizations to understand and be able to articulate the organization's mission because a strong sense of mission is critical for nonprofits. Tools such as strategic planning enhance commitment to a well-defined mission, enabling nonprofits to better operate under existing public policies as well as influence future ones. Lobbying and advocacy are viewed as distinctly different activities in the nonprofit sector; thus, we explain the importance of these differences and explore the explicit means of encouraging government officials to change public policy. We also address the issues of ethics and accountability, with particular emphasis on the self-policing strategies used by nonprofits as well as the recent wave of state and federal policy actions to strengthen accountability. Finally, because not-for-profit organizations with solid brand recognition are more likely to be chosen as implementation partners, we discuss the importance of marketing in the voluntary sector. Marketing involves the strategic positioning of the nonprofit organization to appeal to donors, clients, and policymakers, and is therefore a crucial factor to the success of any nonprofit organization in terms of its ability to raise both money and awareness of public problems.

Part III, Management Issues, emphasizes the nuts and bolts issues of operating a not-for-profit organization. Nonprofits exist to pursue the public good, often with public funds; therefore, it is in the public interest for these organizations to be managed effectively. Aspects of nonprofit management, such as budgeting and human resource management, affect public policy indirectly through their impact on the general operations of nonprofits as they pursue their missions. Other issues, such as resource development and evaluation, have more direct public policy implications. Importantly, all these management issues are affected by public policy in the form of local, state, and federal legislation. We discuss issues of resource development, particularly grants, highlighting the policy and mission implications of pursuing diverse sources of revenue. Issues of good governance by the board and executive director, as well as effective human resources management, are crucial to successful pursuit of mission, as well as implementation of public policy. Because nonprofits are increasingly asked by government and private funders to conduct program evaluations in order to maintain or acquire additional funding and contracts, we discuss both internal and external uses of evaluation for nonprofit organizations.