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Most theories of nonprofit organizations and nonprofit leadership recognize the multitude of stakeholders—including board members, donors and volunteers, funders, the media, and policy makers—that organizational leaders must contend with in doing their work. For nonprofits engaged in advocacy, demands from stakeholders may be even more challenging to meet. Although stakeholder theory recognizes the effect of various groups on an organization, it does not explain how leaders manage the preferences of their often‐competing stakeholders while they make choices for the organization. This study develops a common agency framework, evaluating the roles of three groups crucial to nonprofit advocacy organizations: the organization's board of directors, elected officials, and donors/members. The common agency framework is then illustrated with interviews with leaders of nonprofit advocacy organizations in California. Findings suggest that the leaders of these groups have a significant amount of discretion in guiding their organizations' activities and operations.

AbstractThis article presents an economic view of Nonprofit institutions and insight into what the discipline can offer Nonprofit practitioners. I review the theories and assumptions behind economic models, then give an overview of the major areas of economic research in the Nonprofit sector. I then discuss various factors to consider when judging the quality of economic research. The discussion then turns to a brief overview of the major statistical tool used by economists: regression analysis. The point is not to teach practitioners to become expert econometricians but to provide a framework to judge the quality of economic research. The article concludes with suggestions for economic research that may be undertaken at the firm level.

Concerns about shrinking spaces for civil society organisations have risen in China over the past years, in particular among international nonprofit organisations. The third sector in China, however, continued its growth in numbers, diversity and activities of organisations, accounting for more than 700,000 registered organisations. Government's financial support to nonprofits significantly increased through contracting out of services. The new Charity Law contains provisions for public fundraising activities, including for online platforms. International activities of Chinese nonprofits took off in the context of participation in global conferences. Chinese NGOs also started to engage in delivering humanitarian aid to communities in other countries. Assessments on shrinking or changing spaces for civil society in China much depend on the type of organisations in focus. This paper pays attention to discourses related to NGO development in China and sheds light on changing spaces for different types of nonprofits in China, those that are negatively affected by new regulations and different kinds of restrictions and those benefiting from emerging opportunities in the context of growing cooperation with the government or the business sector. Analysis based on interviews and talks with experts in China and abroad shows that advocacy-oriented organisations and those receiving foreign funding tend to face more difficulties. Larger international nonprofits with a long track-record in China, however, are seen to continuing or even expanding their activities.

AbstractThis article examines the structural relationship between national nonprofit organizations and their local affiliates. For a substantial number of nonprofits, the national‐local relationship can be modeled as a franchise relationship. The author considers ways in which the franchise system serves to mitigate a number of the organizational and economic problems facing nonprofits. Finally, particular devices used by franchises are examined, focusing on the ways in which national organizations tax their local affiliates and the extent of territorial restrictions placed on local affiliates.

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AbstractMaking the News: A Guide for Nonprofits and Activists, by Jason Salzman. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1998. 320 pp., $19.95 paper.
Strategic Communications for Nonprofit Organizations: Seven Steps to Creating a Successful Plan, by Janel M. Radtke. New York: Wiley, 1998. 256 pp., $49.95 paper.

AbstractThe increasingly managerial orientation of both staffs and trustees of nonprofit organizations appears to have led to conflict rather than cooperation. A case study of an organizational crisis explores how managerialism has obscured some of the unique constraints under which nonprofits operate and suggests ways of making these constraints more salient.

Nonprofit-Organisationen (NPO) sehen sich immer neueren und komplexeren Umweltveränderungen ausgesetzt. Die strategischen Herausforderungen nehmen zu. War die Vergangenheit in vielen Bereichen durch eine homogene Finanzierungsstruktur geprägt, müssen heute und in Zukunft heterogene Konzepte entwickelt werden. Neue Produkte sind zu entwickeln und neue Märkte zu erschließen. In dieser Situation wird der Wandel zum Normalfall, eine strategische Ausrichtung und Orientierung ist nötig. Dieses Buch liefert eine fundierte Einführung in die Praxis und Theorie des strategischen Controlling. Es zeigt dabei vor allem die zentralen Begriffe des Controlling auf und nimmt eine für die Praxis taugliche Abgrenzung des operativen und strategischen Controlling vor. Der Schwerpunkt liegt auf der Darstellung und vor allem der strukturierten Aufbereitung sinnvoller strategischer Instrumente. Hierbei wird nach einem einheitlichen Konzept für alle Instrumente vorgegangen. Werden diese Instrumente heute eher selten und nicht flächendeckend eingesetzt, so will dieses Buch einen Beitrag dazu leisten, dass die Hemmschwelle zur partizipativen Anwendung dieser Instrumente abgebaut wird und sie einen vielfältigen und zahlreichen Praxiseinsatz erfahren

Organizational capacity is necessary for nonprofits to meet their missions and contribute to society. Less is known about rural nonprofits' organizational capacity and characteristics, as most research focuses on urban nonprofits. The present study first considers the utility of an organizational capacity assessment and identifies pertinent areas of organizational capacity in rural nonprofits. The second objective of the study is to examine relationships between areas of organizational capacity and organizational-level characteristics. In May 2019, nonprofits (n = 290) from persistently poor, rural counties in 14 southern states participated in a survey providing organizational characteristics and assessing organizational capacity. An exploratory factor analysis on the organizational capacity assessment revealed four organizational capacity areas: Organizational Identity, Fund Development, Volunteers, and Organizational Procedures. Then, descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted to understand the relationships between the organizational capacity areas and organization characteristics, including organizational age, expenses, life stage, NTEE classification, and executive director tenure. Findings indicate significant relationships exist between organizational capacity and characteristics, consistent with previous studies. Older, mature, and/or larger rural nonprofits have increased capacity in several areas. Thus, targeting younger and smaller rural organizations for capacity-building efforts may be impactful.