Representations of the Vladimir residents on the role of non-profit organizations in solving the problems of the local community

Abstract

This article analyzes the activities of non-profit organizations (NPO) based on a sociological survey of 709 residents of the city Vladimir, held in 2018. Its specific goal is to study a wide range of citizens’ ideas about the role of non-profit organizations in solving the problems of the local community. The research method is a questionnaire survey. The citizens of Vladimir are well informed about NPOs and evaluate their activities very high. In the process of the study, the demand for the population of various fields of NGO activity was assessed. The results show that there is a serious contradiction between the demand for NPO areas of activity in the representations of the population, on the one hand, and the real needs of deprived groups of the population. In particular, such a socially vulnerable group of the population as persons without a fixed place of residence is considered as worthy of NPOs’ attention only by 16.6% of respondents. Almost as rarely mentioned are unemployed. An even smaller place among the priority target groups belongs to military personnel and members of their families, entrepreneurs, business representatives, homeowners, women, migrants, and representatives of national minorities, as well prisoners. The majority considers NPOs to be the operators of governmental social policy financed by state-corporations and state budget. Only the minority thinks that NPOs must protect private, economic, and political rights. Respondents are very pessimistic towards willingness of their compatriots to participate in solving the problems of local community. The author concludes that, according to the ideas of the city residents surveyed, a number of significant deprived groups of the population find themselves outside the field of activity of NPOs, which, in principle, makes it difficult to reduce the state of social exclusion of these groups. Recommendations are provided on the need for active outreach among the population about the goals and opportunities of NPOs, which should be addressed by similar organizations themselves.