BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — In 2020, the great majority (85%) of Indiana local government officials (LGOs) reported positive working relationships with local Indiana nonprofits, and almost half (47%) said these relationships were very positive, new research finds.
These findings and more are the subject of a new report on Indiana Local Government Officials and Working Relationships with Nonprofits released today by the Indiana University O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
The new report is based on data from the 2020 survey by the Indiana Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (IACIR) of Indiana LGOs on issues affecting Indiana local governments and residents.
“The COVID-19 pandemic presented major challenges to local government officials,” said Kirsten Grønbjerg, Distinguished Professor at the O’Neill School and Efroymson Chair in Philanthropy (2001-2020) at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI, who directs the Indiana Nonprofits Project. “They had to deal with the direct impact of the pandemic as residents in their communities got sick or died, lost their livelihood, or couldn’t attend schools or receive needed services.”
Periodic surveys since 2012 show that LGOs consistently report more positive relationships with nonprofits than with eight different governmental institutions (federal, state, county, city, town, township, school districts, and libraries) or local businesses. The overall high rating of working relationships with nonprofits has not changed over time, but those with all other institutions have improved. As a result, nonprofits have lost some of their comparative advantage.
“The continuously strong working relationships with nonprofits and improvements in working relationships with all other institutions is encouraging,” said Jamie Palmer, Director of the IACIR “Good relationships among institutions—federal and state government, local governments, nonprofits, and local businesses—are critical to addressing communities’ unique needs and challenges.”
The report shows that LGOs who view local government as important to nonprofits are significantly more likely to report positive working relationships with both nonprofits and other institutions. That is also the case if the LGO reported that their community is headed in a positive direction or that they trust local nonprofits to do the right thing. However, if LGOs reported problematic community conditions, they are significantly less likely to report positive working relationships with nonprofits as are LGOs who are a school board member or a city council member (compared to mayors).
“Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is reassuring to see strong and increasingly positive working relationships between LGOs and various institutions,” Grønbjerg noted.
She cautioned that the research captured only the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic but speculates that the pandemic likely served to strengthen working relationships in many cases as various institutions found it necessary to collaborate to address the crisis.
About the report
This is the twelfth report in the series on nonprofit-government relations in Indiana from the Indiana Nonprofits Project: Scope and Community Dimensions. The report uses data from periodic surveys by the Indiana Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (IACIR) on issues affecting Indiana local governments and residents. Other reports in this series have examined major disaster preparedness, contracting, and payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs).
These analyses are a joint effort of the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington, the Indiana Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (IACIR), and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI. The co-authors of this report include project director Kirsten Grønbjerg and research assistants and Indiana University undergraduate students Zoe Bardon and Elizabeth McAvoy.
For more information, contact Ken Bikoff at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, 812-856-0176 or kbikoff@iu.edu , or Adriene Davis Kalugyer at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, 317-278-8972 or adrldavi@iupui.edu.
About the Indiana Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (IACIR)
The mission of the IACIR is to create effective communication, cooperation, and partnerships between the federal, state, and local units of government to improve the delivery of services to the citizens of Indiana. The Center for Urban Policy and Environment, now known as the IU Public Policy Institute, was named by the General Assembly to staff the IACIR.
About the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) at Indiana University Bloomington
The O’Neill School is a world leader in public and environmental affairs and is the largest school of public administration and public policy in the United States. In the 2022 “Best Graduate Public Affairs Programs” by U.S. News & World Report, O’Neill ranks first in the country. Additionally, five of its specialty programs are ranked in the top-five listings, including top rankings for its nonprofit management, public finance and budgeting, and environmental policy and management programs.
About the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI is dedicated to improving philanthropy to improve the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change. The school offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy through its undergraduate, graduate, certificate and professional development programs, its research and international programs and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. Follow us on Twitter @IUPhilanthropy or “Like” us on Facebook.
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