Welcome to Research Friday! As part of a continuing series, we invite a nonprofit scholar or practitioner to highlight current nonprofit research reports or studies and discuss how they can inform and improve day-to-day practice. We welcome your comments and feedback.

In April of 2011, a story broke regarding The Central Asia Institute, a nonprofit organization. Although it had been in existence for 13 years, the organization had no audited financial statements, had only three board members (including the executive director), was not clear about how donor money was being spent, and had a clear conflict of interest with the executive director promoting personal book sales through the nonprofit. The truth about the Central Asia Institute was revealed in several high-profile journals and newspapers such as the Harvard Business Review, The Chronicle of Philanthropy and the Wall Street Journal, with articles titled “Lessons from the ‘Three Cups of Tea’ Controversy,” “‘Three Cups of Tea’ Scandal Offers Lessons for Charities and Trustees,” and “Lessons for Donors from ‘Three Cups of Tea’,” respectively.…

Twenty years ago, I was privileged to serve as a senior consultant and trainer with the newly created Center for Corporate Community Relations at Boston College (now the Center for Corporate Citizenship).

In the two decades that have elapsed, the scope and texture of corporate social responsibility (CSR) have evolved dramatically. Then, the focus of my consultation was on community needs assessments, priority-setting, and allocations processes; today, the focus is on impact and return on investment. In the coming years, given dramatic changes in the marketplace, the context and scope of CSR may need to take a giant paradigmatic leap.

What was once a matter of checkbook philanthropy is now decidedly strategic, and the driving forces of CSR revolve around the convergence or fit between the company’s business interests (its customers, product line, and brand) and the offerings of potential nonprofit beneficiaries.

Corporate support is today an indispensable component of the nonprofit organization’s diversified fundraising strategy. Corporate presence and visibility in the community have been most effectively accomplished through relatively low cost/high yield investments, including short-term project grants, event sponsorships, cause-related marketing, voluntarism and hands-on projects, in-kind giving (e.g., printing, marketing, human resources, information technology services), and board membership.

This is all…

As anyone who works at a nonprofit organization can tell you, surplus is a luxury most NPOs rarely enjoy.

Funding, guidance, volunteers, community engagement – all vital resources to sustaining a nonprofit – seem to be in short supply most days. Thankfully, the age of internet has come to our rescue through “crowdsourcing,” helping nonprofit organizations get by with a little help from their friends.

What is crowdsourcing?

Crowdsourcing, the virtual gathering of thinkers from around the world, is a modern solution to a classic predicament: how do I get the resources I need? Before the internet, nonprofit organizations could only establish supportive relationships with the limited number of individuals and organizations in their region. In this modern age, however, we have the remarkable ability to reach likeminded people anywhere in the world with internet access. Nonprofits can post open-call questions on a discussion board and gain insight and assets from countless members of the global community; proximity never even enters the equation.

According to Daren Brabham, crowdsourcing consultant and author of Crowdsourcing: A Model for Leveraging Online Communities, crowdsourcing is the organization of online communities to utilize their combined resources. “Crowdsourcing…

Welcome to Research Friday! As part of a continuing series, we invite a nonprofit scholar, student, or professional to highlight current research reports or studies and discuss how they can inform and improve day-to-day nonprofit practice.

Recent research findings by Christopher Einolf and Susan Chambre (2011) provided empirical evidence of the strong influence of both formal and informal social networks on volunteering. They found that individuals actively involved in activities with social organizations were more likely to volunteer. Previously, the positive impact of religious congregations and social networks on volunteering was found by Park and Smith (2000). This strong relationship was also evident for informal social networks where friend and neighbor interactions significantly increased the likelihood of volunteering (Bekkers, 2005; Okun, Pugliese, Rook, 2007). What about volunteers in Arizona and particularly senior volunteers? Are Arizona seniors influenced by both formal and informal social networks to volunteer? Do socioeconomic characteristics, health, and social isolation of an aging individual limit the likelihood of volunteering?

These challenging questions were addressed by the 2010 Arizona Health Survey sponsored by the St. Luke’s Health Initiative. Over 8,000 adults were surveyed about their physical, mental and social well-being. Fortunately, over 2,000 adults over 65 years old responded to…

Committing to volunteer can end up being the equivalent of a part time job! It can be quite the commitment in addition to your “real job.”

As you are doing your research, remember to sign up for a cause you’re passionate about, be realistic about the time commitment you are willing to dedicate to the cause, and research the organization before you sign yourself up. As you’re looking, put forth the same amount of effort into looking for a volunteer position as you would a part time job. A good volunteer posting should include:

• Purpose of the position — how will you, as a volunteer, be working toward the project or organization’s goal?
• Length of the volunteer term — from a few hours to the course of a few years- be sure you know what you are signing yourself up for!
• Location of volunteering — is the project a reasonable distance? Perhaps the project is virtual — virtual volunteering is on the rise (and is commonly listed on volunteer search sites as part of the description) and making it more convenient to volunteer from the comfort of your home or office
• Description of expected duties — be aware of what it is you will be doing. A thorough description should not leave you wondering what exactly is expected of you as volunteer. Look for a list of duties or tasks that match your needs and interests
• Mission/vision of…