Giving them a voice: Examining nonprofits’ perspectives on their relationships with professional sport organizations

Abstract

Professional sport organizations (PSOs) are increasingly engaging in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives within their local communities. While past studies have examined why PSOs work with local communities, the beneficiaries of these partnerships are widely dismissed from the literature. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine how nonprofits perceive PSOs’ CSR initiatives. This study has three specific aims: 1) To identify the unique benefits and challenges that nonprofits believe they yield from partnering with PSOs; 2) To understand how the relationships between nonprofits and PSOs are established from the perspective of nonprofits; and 3) To account for the (de)evolution of relationships between nonprofits and PSOs over time. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nonprofit practitioners who have collaborated with PSOs in the United States. The findings draw on gaps in the literature and provide insights into how PSOs and nonprofits can practice CSR more coherently together.