Exploring the Revenue Mix of Nonprofit Organizations -- Does it Relate to Publicness

Nonprofit organizations offer a wide range of goods and services and seek funding from a variety of revenue sources. Our working theory n this paper is that the sources of funding are related to the services a nonprofit provides - specifically whether services are public, private, or mixed in the nature of their benefits. Using multiple subfields from three major fields in the National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE), this study divides nonprofits according to service type, and estimates the impact of service character on particular revenue streams and overall level of revenue diversification. Generally, the proportion of revenues generated by program fees is lowest for the category deemed public, highest for those with mostly private benefits, and midway for "mixed" services which are private in character but entail substantial public benefits. Similarly, the more public a nonprofit's services, the greater the proportion of revenues it generates through donations. However, we also identify some puzzling results that suggest the need for continued investigation of the determinants of the sources and mixes of nonprofit income. Working Paper 07-3

Support for Sister-Affiliated Ministries During Challenging Times: Understanding a Foundation Initiative in Two Regions

This article describes the efforts of two foundations to sustain the ministries of Catholic sisters in two regions: northeast Ohio and South Carolina. Spanning more than 10 years, the initiative has drawn on multiple strategies – including convening, grantmaking, communicating, and research – in partnership with sisters themselves to sustain a diverse set of ministries. The work informs foundation practice by illuminating an approach to capacity development in very different regional contexts. Key lessons include being sensitive to the context, paying attention to both individual and organizational capacity, and the need for data

Exploring the Revenue Mix of Nonprofit Organizations: Does it Relate to Publicness?

Nonprofits receive funding from multiple revenue sources, including private contributions and earned program revenues. In this article, we hypothesize that the composition of revenues is a result of the nature of services provided—specifically whether services are public, private, or mixed in the nature of their benefits. Using subfields from three major fields in the National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE), this study divides nonprofits according to service type and estimates the impact of service character on particular revenue streams and overall revenue diversification. Generally, we find that the proportion of revenues generated by earned program revenues is lowest for the category deemed public, highest for those with mostly private benefits, and midway for those classified as mixed. Similarly, the more public a nonprofit’s services, the greater its reliance on donations. We also identify some puzzling results that suggest the need for continued investigation

Using Data to Build Community: Exploring One Model of Geographically Specific Data Use in the Non-Profit Sector

Non-profit organizations strive to identify and build community in a variety of ways. A new development to assist non-profit organizations with this critical task is the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that incorporate data assembled from area non-profit organizations. In this article, we investigate the reasons why non-profit organizations adopt these systems, their inclusion of various stakeholders in site launch, and the challenges for sustaining GIS use. Based on in-depth interviews conducted with sites that have adopted a prominent GIS application – the Urban Institute\u27s Community Platform – we find that although non-profits may implement GIS with the expressed purpose of fostering collaboration and building community, realizing and sustaining these goals remain challenges. We discuss the implications of these findings and conclude with recommendations for non-profit and community leaders to assist non-profit organizations in making better use of GIS tools to involve and build their communities

Assessing Client Change in Individual and Family Counseling

This article presents outcome data from an ongoing nonintrusive method for evaluating counseling services. Applied to one agency\u27s delivery of solution-focused brief therapy, the method is brief and easily integrated into clinical practice. Using two scaling questions (one to measure daily functioning and the other to measure emotional coping), clinicians asked clients in every session to rate on a scale of 0 to 10 their present status on two dimensions. Data were collected by 40 professional counselors providing services to 3,920 cases during a 2-year period, averaging three counseling sessions per case. Analyses demonstrated statistically significant findings for both functioning and coping regardless of the number of sessions and client system (i.e., individual or couple and family). The research demonstrates a clinically useful method for assessing counseling services in process and illustrates the improvements in functioning and coping experienced by clients concurrent within their participation in counseling

Serving the Homeless: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Homeless Shelter Services

The effects of homeless assistance services at the local level are tremendously difficult to ascertain. In this study, a four-month sample of homeless persons served by a local homeless shelter and case management program were contacted nine to eleven months after receiving services. The findings suggest that the program had some initial success in assisting the homeless clients to locate housing within the first year after leaving the shelter. However, the housing costs paid by these formerly homeless were quite high, with nearly three-quarters of them spending forty percent or more of their income on housing

The Harvest of Ministry: Exploring the Ministry of Women Religious in Cleveland

Women religious serve in a range of ministries, often with the most disenfranchised in society. The nature of sisters\u27 ministries has often been reduced to its external character – providing education, health care, or social services. What has been less understood is the enduring nature of the forces underlying these ministries. This study draws on six focus group conversations involving 33 Catholic sisters. The study surfaces key themes that frame a better understanding of the work of today\u27s women religious. These themes can be adapted for others who seek to work with people in need

Developing a multi-metric habitat index for wadeable streams in Illinois (T-25-P-001). Annual Segment Report to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Grant/Contract No: (T-25-P-001)This project was initiated to describe key aquatic habitat characteristics and their association to anthropogenic disturbance by developing a field based, rapid assessment method for qualitatively monitoring instream conditions using a multi-metric habitat index. We have developed and applied a method for rating disturbance in wadeable streams throughout Illinois and collected information on physical habitat at 299 sites to date. Index development is in the preliminary stages with field work to continue during the summer of 2008. This report summarizes work performed for the period ending April 30, 2008 (Appendix A contains Eastern Illinois University subcontract annual report).INHS Technical Report Prepared for Illinois Department of Natural Resource

Women Religious in a Changing Urban Landscape: The Work of Catholic Sisters in Metropolitan Cleveland

In many communities, women religious play a vital role in addressing the needs of the poor, neglected, and vulnerable members of society. Catholic Sisters have long been active in the areas of education, health care, outreach, and advocacy in northeast Ohio. In high-poverty urban areas such as Cleveland, women religious continue to provide essential services, support, and spiritual guidance. The experience in Cleveland is relevant to other cities where the population has shifted from an urban center to suburban areas, leaving inner-city churches with declining membership and support. Survey data collected from 164 Catholic Sisters from fifteen religious orders in Cleveland and the surrounding area illuminate the characteristics of Sisters� ministries and suggest ways in which proactive and collaborative efforts can enhance the provision of services now and in the future

Ministries of Catholic Sisters in the Diocese of Cleveland: Assessing Capacity and Opportunity in a Period of Transition

Catholic sisters have long played a vital role in addressing the needs of the poor, neglected, and vulnerable members of society. In northeast Ohio, sisters have been instrumental in the arenas of education, healthcare, social service, and advocacy. This research builds on research conducted in 2009 on the characteristics of the ministries of Catholic sisters. Using a survey approach, responses were collected from 358 Catholic Sisters in 12 religious orders, approximately 60 percent of the sisters living in the Diocese of Cleveland. The study explores sisters\u27 current ministries (work and service), the plans for their ministries to continue, and their perspectives on the future of ministry. The research highlights several avenues for strengthening the transition of ministry activities as the number of retired sisters continues to increase