According to a new Indiana University report, more than two-thirds of Indiana nonprofits with any paid staff engage in formal collaborations or informal networks with other organizations.
The report, “Indiana Nonprofits: Collaboration – Purposes and Impacts,” was released today by the Indiana University Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The report uses data from a 2017-18 survey (the most recent data available) of 1,036 nonprofits that was conducted by the Indiana Nonprofits Project.
No organization can provide a broad enough range of services to meet all the needs of the community it serves. For nonprofits, this means identifying a service niche aligned with its particular mission and its own capacity, while taking into account services provided by other entities. Often, this requires them to engage in formal collaborations and informal networks (jointly referred to as linkages in this report).
The report examines three key questions about nonprofit collaborations or networks: to what extent do Indiana nonprofits engage in such activities, what is the purpose of the most important linkage, and do linkages make it easier or harder for them to deliver programs and to secure qualified staff, board members or volunteers?
“Engaging in collaborations and networking takes time and effort,” notes Kirsten Grønbjerg, Distinguished Professor of the O’Neill School at Indiana University and Efroymson Chair in Philanthropy (2001-2020). “It is not surprising that linkages are more prevalent for nonprofits with at least some paid staff.”
Although access to staff is important, almost two-fifths (39%) of nonprofits without any paid staff still have linkages with other organizations. However, for networks and collaborations to be successful, nonprofits must effectively scan information sources, identify key external actors, engage those actors, build familiarity and trust with external audiences, and make appropriate adjustments in their own operations.
“Clearly,” Grønbjerg notes, “there is considerable room for expanding linkages to include more nonprofits. Greater investment in organizational capacity, particularly capacities designed to allow nonprofits to develop strong networks and collaborations, will likely be important for nonprofits moving forward.”
Among Indiana nonprofits with linkages, about half (55%) say that their most important linkages help them deliver programs (e.g., coordinate services, promote awareness), about a third (35%) describe management purposes (e.g., share resources), and about a fifth (20%) identify relational purposes (e.g., connect the organization to umbrella organizations).
Indiana nonprofits’ most important collaboration or network (linkage) almost always makes it easier for them to reach program-related goals, such as enhancing the organization’s visibility (77%), reaching more clients/members (67%), and delivering programs and/or services (64%), but it appears to have little or no impact on their abilities to secure and retain staff, board members and volunteers.
About the briefing
This briefing is the sixth in a series of reports from the Indiana Nonprofit Survey, Round III produced by the Indiana Nonprofit Sector: Scope and Community Dimensions project, designed to inform local community leaders and policy makers. The analysis is a joint effort of the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The brief’s co-authors are the director of this project, Kirsten Grønbjerg, and Leah Clemenson and Anna Doering.
About the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
The O’Neill School is a world leader in public and environmental affairs and is the largest of public administration and public policy in the United States. In the 2023, “Best Graduate Public Affairs Programs” by U.S. News & World Report, the O’Neill School ranks first in the country. Five of its specialty programs are ranked in the top-five listings, including nonprofit management, ranked first.
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, LinkedIn, or Instagram and “Like” us on Facebook.
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