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Browsing by Subject "Nonprofit"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Advantages of Increasing Evaluation Capacity in Nonprofits: How Principles of Process Use Can Inform Development and Strengthen a Nonprofit’s Position in its External Landscape
    (2018) Matsumoto, Carley
    Within this paper I explore how process use, or the intentional engagement of stakeholders in the creation and implementation of an evaluation, can increase an organization’s capacity for evaluative inquiry. Here, I share the impact of employing process use principles to a specific evaluation conducted within Full Spectrum Features (FSF), a small film production nonprofit based in Chicago, IL. I begin with a comprehensive literature review of process use theories and practices and continue by exploring the application of relevant principles to an evaluation conducted to assess the effectiveness of FSF’s educational tool and short film, The Orange Story. This exploration of translating theory to practice focuses primarily on the design phase and initial data collection process; the majority of the data analysis occurred outside the timeline for this paper. Throughout the Theory to Practice section, I incorporate components of the evaluation design, as well as insights from FSF’s internal evaluation team, to provide clarity and context. I conclude with a discussion of the challenges and successes of integrating principles of process use into a small nonprofit, then explore the broader implications of how FSF can use evaluation to strengthen their position in external landscapes. While FSF’s capacity for evaluative inquiry will serve as my primary focus, this endeavor cannot ignore the role systematic oppression has played in the erasure of underrepresented stories, in both the past and present. FSF strives to produce materials that have the fortitude to not only insert themselves into the psyche of dominant cultural spaces but to live there, to thrive there and to challenge this space indefinitely. Given this truth, if used intentionally, evaluative inquiry has the potential to increase FSF’s legibility in spaces that have historically excluded non-dominant perspectives and ways of knowing.
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    The Currency of Public Trust: Ways the nonprofit sector builds trust among constituents.
    (2023) Rodel Sorum, Kristina
    In the nonprofit sector, building trust among constituents is of paramount importance to an organization's effectiveness. This paper explores how organizational leadership prioritize constituents and establish a trusting reciprocal relationship with them. Through interviews with leadership figures at nine arts nonprofits in Minneapolis and Saint Paul Minnesota, this paper provides real examples in trust building, repair after a breach in trust, and provides recommendations for best practices.
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    Mind the gap: a case study of values-based decision making in a nonprofit organization
    (2013-08) Craft, Jana L.
    Using an exploratory case study approach, this research examined the consistency between espoused and enacted values within a large nonprofit organization known as an ethical leader in the human services industry. This research explored ethical business culture, ethical decision making, deontological and utilitarian moral paradigms and learning organization theory. The process of values-based decision making was dissected and analyzed in order to understand why and how it was used. Findings revealed a gap between hierarchical levels and corporate and satellite locations in several areas. Yet, strong ethical culture and ethical decision making practices were evident. Further, differing philosophical viewpoints were found to exist between higher and lower organizational levels. The study concluded with recommendations for Human Resource Development-related practices that help address the gap between espoused and enacted values and more fully operate as a learning organization to strengthen the ethical business culture and better understand the benefits of ethical decision making.
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    The Opportunities and Challenges of Nonprofit Advocacy
    (2008-03-13) Jacobs, Lawrence R.
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    Stakeholder expectations: a mixed methods study of services provided by share, a faith-based international organization.
    (2009-05) Shipman, Melissa Louise
    This study investigates the extent to which the expectations of stakeholders are met by an international, faith-based nonprofit organization. The organization selected for this mixed methods case study is SHARE Education Services, which is registered as a nonprofit organization in the United States and is headquartered in Budapest, Hungary. Expectations for and satisfaction with the parent education, assessment, and consulting services of SHARE are examined in this study. The 162 survey participants, 12 focus group participants, and seven interview participants are all clients of SHARE and are residing in Europe or Central Asia with their families. Quantitative data were collected through a survey which addressed the participant's expectations for the services of SHARE, as well as the extent to which those expectations are satisfied by the organization. Qualitative data were collected through focus groups and interviews, as well as open-ended survey questions. Background data were also collected to determine if responses varied according to gender, number of years lived overseas, proximity to SHARE's offices in Budapest or Prague, or geographic region.The study results indicate that the clients of SHARE are satisfied with its parent education, assessment, and consulting services. Additionally, an analysis of the data yields several conclusions. First, services needed by client families vary by the length of time they have lived overseas. Results suggest that parent education is needed more by families new to living overseas, while assessment and consulting services are needed more by experienced families. Second, participants indicated that they want more applicable workshops at SHARE's conferences led by individuals with some understanding of cross-cultural living. Third, the qualitative data in particular highlighted a desire by client families to be connected with one another at SHARE events or via the internet. Finally, the current assessment practices of SHARE are in contrast with current best practice in the field, and suggestions for more alignment between the two are presented.
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    Weathering the Storm: Strategic Risk Management and Nonprofit Accountability
    (Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, 2010-04-28) Oswald, Adam
    "Introduction"