Organizational Capacity of Nonprofit Organizations in Rural Areas of the United States: A Scoping Review

Walters, J. E.

doi:10.1080/23303131.2019.1696909

Cited by 17 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…More pinpointed to persistently poor areas like Appalachia, the Mississippi Delta, and Rio Grande, grants per person equated to $50 compared to the national mean of $451 (Partners for Rural Transformation, 2019). Financial stresses of generating enough funds through grants and donor development negatively affect rural nonprofits' organizational capacity and their ability to carry out missions (Walters, 2020). A recent scoping review on organizational capacity of rural nonprofits found strengths of innovation and problem solving, collaboration, dedicated employees, and quality programming.…”

Section: Operating a Rural Nonprofitmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A recent scoping review on organizational capacity of rural nonprofits found strengths of innovation and problem solving, collaboration, dedicated employees, and quality programming. While these strengths can help in guiding and maintaining rural nonprofits, major areas for improvement included fundraising, staffing, and planning (Walters, 2020). Of the 15 articles included in the scoping review, 14 studies noted that insufficient funding impacted the organizations' missions, strategic planning, and program design, all of which impact the ability to provide services to the community (Walters, 2020).…”

Section: Operating a Rural Nonprofitmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many organizational capacity challenges in rural nonprofits have been traced back to financial health (Walters, 2020), while financial investments from private and public sources lag considerably in rural areas, especially in persistently poor counties (Arneal, 2015;Campbell University, 2018;Center on Philanthropy, 2010;Clyburn, 2014;Kneebone, 2016). Lack of organizational capacity could be one reason for minimal investments in rural nonprofits.…”

Section: Purpose Of the Present Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent evidence suggests rural nonprofits may be struggling with certain areas of organizational capacity, which hinder their ability to serve communities (Walters, 2020). Organizational capacity is any element necessary to meet strategic goals, including human resources, technology, and funding (Light, 2004).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Organizational capacity is any element necessary to meet strategic goals, including human resources, technology, and funding (Light, 2004). The required organizational capacity differs among organizations and depends on mission and contextual factors like geography (Andersson et al, 2016;Walters, 2020;. As minimal empirical evidence exists (Walters, 2020), the present study seeks to expand knowledge about rural nonprofits and their organizational capacity while raising awareness of an extremely vulnerable region-the rural, persistently poor South.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characteristics and Organizational Capacity of Nonprofits in Rural, Persistently Poor Southern Counties in the United States

Walters

Wallis

2021

J. Public Nonprof Aff.

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The present study focuses on organizational capacity of nonprofits located in rural, persistently poor counties in the South region of the United States, an area of the country that encapsulates the majority of rural poverty. IRS Form 990 data were utilized for recruitment and to obtain demographic characteristics for nonprofits in the area of interest (N=3,530). Emailed and mailed surveys to all qualifying organizations sought to measure organizational capacity. Data from 292 nonprofits were examined in a descriptive analysis. Overall, the participating rural nonprofits scored moderate to high in most dimensions of organizational capacity. Financial management, strategic planning, collaboration, and program planning were strengths in organizational capacity. Evaluation, succession planning, fundraising planning, human resources, and volunteer management were challenges. Study findings provide guidance to capacity builders and funders to guide future training, investments, and policy related to rural nonprofits and communities they serve.

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Section: Operating a Rural Nonprofitmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Operating a Rural Nonprofitmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Purpose Of the Present Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characteristics and Organizational Capacity of Nonprofits in Rural, Persistently Poor Southern Counties in the United States

Walters

Wallis

2021

J. Public Nonprof Aff.

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Challenges encountered by nonprofit employees during the COVID‐19 crisis: A mirror reflecting nonprofit leaders' performance

Kwan,

Ling,

Shum

et al. 2023

Nonprofit Mgmnt & Ldrshp

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Nonprofit organizations faced enormous challenges in maintaining service operations and fulfilling their responsibilities to their communities during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Good leadership is key to ensuring effective responses and the survival of nonprofits during a crisis. Leaders must maintain the commitment, passion, and dedication of their teams even during uncertain and difficult times. Hence, this study explored the performance of nonprofit leaders during the COVID‐19 pandemic by focusing on the difficulties encountered by their frontline staff. In a qualitative paradigm, three focus group sessions were conducted with 23 social workers from child and youth, family, and elderly care services in Hong Kong. We generated four major themes related to the expectations of nonprofit employees on their leaders: (a) visionary direction, (b) compassionate respect and communication, (c) timely support and guidance, and (d) trustworthy relationship. Our findings revealed the frustration experienced by nonprofit employees and have significant implications for their leaders. Specifically, nonprofit employees expected to receive more guidance, protection, and understanding from their leaders. Using the transformational leadership model as a reference, this study provides suggestions on how nonprofit organizations can effectively address the concerns of their employees during a crisis.

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Nonprofit capacity and social performance: mapping the field and future directions

2022

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Nonprofit organizations are critical actors in the Sustainable Development Goals as they provide a wide range of social services to the community and contribute to creating a sustainable future. They must compete for funding or government contracts by showing high social performance. Among the top factors influencing social performance is capacity, and it has received considerable attention in public and nonprofit literature. Capacity refers to the resources, capabilities, and practices required to perform their functions to achieve the social mission and high social performance. However, studies concerning capacity linked with social performance remain controversial. Understanding the linkage between capacity and social performance is relevant to funders, board directors, and management as it helps them enhance organizational performance. This research aims to assess the flow of knowledge in the study field and make recommendations for future research. The study focuses on capacity of nonprofits and thoroughly reviews the literature using complementary bibliometric analysis: co-occurrence analysis of keywords, sources, and authors and bibliographic coupling analysis of documents. We conduct a systematic analysis of peer-reviewed journal articles published between 1955 and 2022. Seven significant themes emerge among the most prominent researchers: (1) the link between capacity and social performance; (2) dimensions of capacity; (3) human resource capacity linked with social performance: (4) financial capacity linked with social performance; (5) capacity building linked with social performance; (6) collaboration and capacity; and (7) factors affecting capacity–social performance. The literature on nonprofits is determined to have inconsistent findings regarding the relationship between capacity and social performance. Research on various factors influencing capacity–social performance relationships is also scarce. This article highlights major principles in the discipline and identifies significant theoretical gaps in the body of knowledge. It also outlines the conceptual foundation for the study and makes recommendations for further research. From a managerial standpoint, the study sheds light on whether capacity is linked to higher performance levels and provides policymakers with guidelines on the implications of capacity building and collaboration.

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Organizational Capacity of Nonprofit Organizations in Rural Areas of the United States: A Scoping Review

Cited by 17 publications

References 50 publications

Characteristics and Organizational Capacity of Nonprofits in Rural, Persistently Poor Southern Counties in the United States

Characteristics and Organizational Capacity of Nonprofits in Rural, Persistently Poor Southern Counties in the United States

Challenges encountered by nonprofit employees during the COVID‐19 crisis: A mirror reflecting nonprofit leaders' performance

Nonprofit capacity and social performance: mapping the field and future directions

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