This paper challenges widespread philosophical and conceptual theories of the nonprofit sector and the state that question, or leave little conceptual room for, extensive cooperation between nonprofit organizations and government. To do so, the paper calls attention to shortcomings in the prevailing market failure/government failure theories of the nonprofit sector that have obscured recognition of key features of the sector that make cooperation with the state a natural and necessary path to effectiveness, and to certain inherent limitations of the state that make engagement of nonprofits a natural and useful path to state effectiveness. The article then outlines a set of conditions that must be met by both nonprofits and governments for this partnership to achieve the promise of which it is capable.Résumé Cet article conteste les théories philosophiques et conceptuelles généralisées au sujet du secteur à but non lucratif et de l'É tat, qui interrogent la profonde coopération entre le gouvernement et les organisations à but non lucratif, ou qui lui laissent peu de liberté conceptuelle. Pour ce faire, l'article attire l'attention sur les lacunes des théories de défaillance du marché dominant ou de défaillance du gouvernement au sujet du secteur à but non lucratif qui ont fait perdre de vue l'appréciation des principales caractéristiques du secteur, qui font de la coopération avec l'É tat une démarche naturelle et nécessaire pour l'efficacité; et sur certaines limites inhérentes à l'É tat qui font de l'engagement des organisations à but non lucratif une démarche naturelle et utile pour l'efficacité de l'É tat. L'article décrit ensuite un ensemble de conditions qui doivent être remplies par les organisations à but non lucratif et les gouvernements pour que ce partenariat réalise les promesses dont il est capable.Zusammenfassung Dieser Beitrag hinterfragt weit verbreitete philosophische und konzeptuelle Theorien des gemeinnüztigen Sektors und des Staates, die die umfangreiche Zusammenarbeit zwischen gemeinnützigen Organisationen und der Regierung in Frage stellen oder wenig konzeptuellen Spielraum zulassen. Dazu macht die Abhandlung auf Schwachstellen in den vorherrschenden Theorien des Marktversagens und Regierungsversagens des gemeinnützigen Sektors aufmerksam, die die Anerkennung wesentlicher Merkmale des Sektors verhindert haben, welche eine Zusammenarbeit mit dem Staat zu einem natürlichen und notwendigen Pfad zur Effektivität machen, sowie auf gewisse einhergehende Einschränkungen des Staates, die das Engagement der gemeinnützigen Organisationen einen natürlichen und nützlichen Pfad zur Staatseffektivität machen. Der Beitrag stellt sodann eine Reihe von Bedingungen heraus, die sowohl von den gemeinnützigen Organisationen als auch den Regierungen erfüllt werden müssen, damit ihre Partnerschaft ihr Versprechen halten kann. ResumenEl presente documento cuestiona las teorías conceptuales y filosóficas generalizadas del sector de las organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro y el estado que cuestionan, o dejan poco espacio...

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This paper reviews some of the underpinnings of the current commercialization debate in the nonprofit sector, based on an analysis of Metropolitan Museum of Art data from 1960 to 2002. The case suggests at least two avenues for additional research: First, while analysts tend to see the origins of the commercialization phenomenon in the fiscal setbacks of the 1980s, the economic crisis of the 1970s and the resulting erosion of endowment funds may also have been an as of yet unexplored driving force behind the commercialization trend. Second, current conceptual frameworks of the phenomenon adequately explain the motivations behind the observable rise of the museum's commercial activities. However, the changing rationales as well as economic fortunes of commercial activities in this case highlight the need for a better understanding of the long-term effects and consequences of commercial activity by nonprofit organizations, particularly in light of the current push for increased entrepreneurialism.