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There has been much discussion about the intergenerational transfer of wealth and what it might portend for philanthropy and the non-profit sector in the United States. However, the future of philanthropy and the sector is going to be determined, not by the transfer of wealth itself, but by the dollars that find their way into philanthropy, and how those dollars are leveraged. How will they shape philanthropy, the non-profit sector and the communities served? Given that philanthropy is significantly insulated from market forces and political pressures, it is up to philanthropy to discover pathways to greater impact. This article examines the potential of three strategies to make it so: networks and collaboration; working with government; and leveraging all of philanthropy's assets.

AbstractThe increased role of government contracts in the funding of nonprofits has heightened tensions as governments seek accountability and nonprofits seek to preserve autonomy. Considering both sides of the contract market, this article suggests that the threat of government funding is exaggerated. Nonprofits are attractive contractor options because of their experience and trustworthiness. Governments should recognize that excessive intrusions limit the advantages of the nonprofit sector. At the same time, nonprofits should be conscious of the implications of public funding, just as they must be of other sources of funding.

Determinants of local government reliance on volunteers; U.S.

This article examines the personnel and fiscal implications of public employee pensions for local government. First, the interpretation of pensions as a form of public employee compensation is presented and the implications for pensions as an instrument for public personnel policy are discussed. Second, the consequences of pensions for local government finances, given the labor intensity of the public sector and the structure of defined benefit pension plans, are underscored and the fun ding options are evaluated.

This article examines the determinants of contracting out among cities in the United States. A precondition to contracting out is the expected realization of the cost savings from external production as a result of scale economies and/or increased competition in the supply of public services. Yet, whether or not a city chooses external production depends on the fiscal pressures within the city and the political impediments. This model of the decision to contract out is examined using a sample of 433 cities. The percentage of publicly provided services that are externally produced is found to increase with (1) greater cost savings, (2) more stringent fiscal conditions, and (3) less powerful public service constituency groups.