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Request For Proposals: NACC 2025 Member Meeting and Biennial Conference Host Institution

Three Day Conference in 2025

Purpose of RFP: The Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NACC) seeks proposals from among its member institutions to serve as Host for the 1-day member/ board meeting and 2-day biennial conference, to be held in July 2025. Other dates can be considered. The meeting and conference would take place over three days, with the following suggested format: The first day is the member meeting or board retreat and (smaller, more informal) member reception, and the subsequent two days are the conference, with a (larger) reception on the evening of the first day. The dates are flexible, but traditionally, NACC’s Biennial Conference dates are 3 days attached to the weekends in the second week of July 2025, i.e., Monday-Wednesday 7-9 July 2025 or Wednesday-Friday 9-11 July 2025.

Purpose of Biennial Conference: The 2025 conference will be the 15th anniversary of NACC’s conferences, which are traditionally held biennially. Past academic hosts have provided substantial resources in the form of conference venues and catering, funding, and organizational effort. We salute these past host universities: Arizona State University, University of San Diego, DePaul University, Texas A&M University, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis, the Bayes School of Business, part of City, University of London, and Auburn University. Conferences do not need to be hosted by one university/program.

The Biennial Conference attracts sponsorships from NACC university members, local host institution philanthropy, and other sources; all of which sustain the operations of the organization. Consequently, the Biennial conference provides a signal to the global academic peer communities of the vitality of NACC and its programs.

Theme for the 2025 Biennial Conference: We encourage interested host institutions to suggest themes for the conference. NACC will assist with having a host/conference committee help develop the theme as needed.

Selected papers may be published in a special issue of our key partner Sagamore Publisher’s Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership.

Eligibility: Respondents to the RFP must be NACC members at the time of the submission materials. Institutions that are in the process of applying for NACC membership may be part of joint applications with current members.

Required Conditions: A dedicated coordinating staff member must be assigned to connect with NACC to plan, arrange, and facilitate conference logistics on site. The host institution(s) may recommend suggested hotels, but accommodations are arranged by the conference participants themselves. Reception space must be provided by the host institution for up to 125 attendees. On-site dining or catering services must also be available. Meeting space must be sufficient for two (non-concurrent) plenary sessions with seating for approximately 80 – 100 attendees, plus five break-out presentation spaces for concurrent topical panels. Presentation hardware, adaptable software programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint, and internet access must be provided, including technical support.

Preferred Conditions: The ideal host institution will be accessible readily by air transport and near a population center of sufficient size to accommodate the group. In addition to in- kind physical services, host institutions are asked to provide sponsorship (for example; covering the costs meals, breaks, or receptions), or to facilitate fundraising from external sources. NACC will also solicit sponsorships from other NACC members, as it has in the past to cover other necessary costs.

Cover Letter and Budget: In a signed cover letter, describe the facilities that will be provided by your institution. Complete a budget indicating the amount of direct and indirect contributions your institution will invest in the Biennial Conference.

Letter of Support from Institutional Executive Officer: Provide a letter confirming support for this proposal signed by the chief executive officer (i.e. president, provost, dean or department head).

Additional information: You are welcome to submit any additional information you think will be useful in helping us in our deliberations.

Due Date: Complete responses to this RFP in PDF format are due no later than Monday, April 5, 2024. The PDF document should include the signed cover letter, budget, and institutional letter of support (plus any additional materials). Email to Nicole Collier, NACC Executive Director: nicole.e.collier@tamu.edu.

By |2024-02-22T16:58:11-05:00February 22nd, 2024|NACC Announcement|

NACC Members

NACC Membership

Nonprofit organizations and voluntary action are critical to the development and strengthening of democracy and civil society throughout the world. Universities are central institutions for understanding and promoting the structures essential for democratic life. University-based programs that perform research, teaching and public service to strengthen nonprofit/nongovernmental organizations, philanthropy, and voluntary action are critical to helping universities and their communities meet this need.

NACC is pleased to acknowledge our Sustaining Members who have made an additional investment in NACC to help ensure the vibrancy of this community of nonprofit academic centers serving for the public good.

NACC Members by University:

Academic Institution College, Department, Center, or Degree Program
Antioch University of Los Angeles MA in Nonprofit Management
Arizona State University ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation
Auburn University Bachelor of Science degree in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies
Auburn University Master of Public Administration Program
Baruch College, CUNY Center for Nonprofit Strategy and Management
Bay Path University MS in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy and MS in Strategic Fundraising and Philanthropy
Carleton University School of Public Policy and Administration
Case Western Reserve University Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences
Catholic University of Milan ALTIS Graduate School of Business & Society
Bayes Business School, City University London Centre for Charity Effectiveness
Columbus State University Non-Profit and Civic Engagement Center
DePaul University School of Public Service
George Mason University Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise
Georgia Southern University Department of Public and Nonprofit Studies
Grand Valley State University Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy & School of Public, Nonprofit and Health Administration
Hamline University Master of Nonprofit Management, School of Business
Indiana University Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Linfield University School of Business
Lindenwood University Plaster School of Business and Entrepreneurship
Louisiana State University in Shreveport Institute for Nonprofit Administration and Research
Metropolitan State University College of Community Studies and Public Affairs
Murray State University Nonprofit Leadership Studies Program
National Research University Centre for Studies of Civil Society and the Nonprofit Sector
New York University School of Law National Center on Philanthropy and the Law
North Carolina State University Institute for Nonprofits
North Park University Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management
Northern Illinois University Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies
Queensland University of Technology Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies
Regis University Master of Nonprofit Management
Seattle University Nonprofit Leadership
Seton Hall University Master of Public Administration Program
Slippery Rock University Department of Philanthropy, Nonprofit Leadership and Public Affairs
Texas A&M University Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy, Bush School of Government & Public Service
The New School MS in Nonprofit Management, Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment
University of Central Florida School of Public Administration
University of Connecticut School of Public Policy
University of Delaware Biden School of Public Policy and Administration, Center for Community Research & Service
University of Denver Master of Nonprofit Leadership
University of Kent (UK) Centre for Philanthropy
University of Maryland Do Good Institute
University of Memphis Public and Nonprofit Administration
University of Missouri-Kansas City Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, Department of Public Affairs, Henry W. Bloch School of Management
University of Missouri-St. Louis Nonprofit Management and Leadership Program
University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business
University of Oregon Master of Nonprofit Management, School of Planning, Public Policy, and Management
University of Richmond Master of Nonprofit Studies
University of San Diego The Nonprofit Institute, School of Leadership & Education Sciences
University of San Francisco Master of Nonprofit Administration, School of Management
University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy, Center on Philanthropy & Public Policy
University of Tampa Nonprofit Management, Sykes College of Business
University of Technology – Sydney Master of Not-for-Profit and Social Enterprise Management, UTS Business School
University of Texas at Arlington Bachelor of Arts in Philanthropy
University of Texas at Austin RGK Center for Philanthropy & Community Service, LBJ School of Public Affairs
University of Texas at Dallas Public and Nonprofit Management | School of Economic, Political, and Policy Sciences
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics
Virginia Tech Institute for Policy and Governance

NACC Affiliate Members:

Institution
Nonprofit Leadership Alliance

By |2023-11-16T10:08:16-05:00January 18th, 2019|

Membership Criteria and Process

NACC Membership

Nonprofit organizations and voluntary action are critical to the development and strengthening of democracy and civil society throughout the world. Universities are central institutions for understanding and promoting the structures essential for democratic life. University-based programs that perform research, teaching and public service to strengthen nonprofit/nongovernmental organizations, philanthropy, and voluntary action are critical to helping universities and their communities meet this need.

Our Three Core Programmatic Areas of Focus

Three programmatic areas form the foundation for the work of NACC members – education, research, and community engagement. Click on each of these areas below to learn more about our requirements.

A systematic program of academic credit studies is a requirement of the education criterion. The program need not take the form of a full degree, but it should be of an academic credit-bearing nature, including concentrations or specializations within full degrees, or academic credit (as opposed to noncredit) certificate programs.

If a center or program does not offer credit programs itself, its leadership or staff shall participate in teaching these offerings by other academic units affiliated with the center. Other forms of noncredit education, including professional seminars, workshops and continuing education noncredit certificates, can be important dimensions of a center’s educational programming and offer diverse learning opportunities, but a core of academic, credit-bearing offerings is essential.

Some ongoing creation of publications by persons directly affiliated with the program is a requirement for the research criterion. We recognize that research in the field of nonprofit, nongovernmental, and philanthropic studies can take a wide variety of forms including: scholarship that yields books, articles, and papers in academic outlets; applied research of immediate application to practitioners in the field whether done under contract and/or disseminated in professional practice publications; knowledge-building that yields curriculum and instructional materials and publications; or different products from the “scholarship of engagement.” It also consists of disseminating the knowledge created through conferences, symposia, and seminars. All of these research and dissemination activities are valid and encouraged. However, among these activities we consider some on-going activity yielding scholarly and/or professional publications to be essential.

The community engagement or service criterion is understood as academically-based activities that go beyond conventional faculty service assignments. This includes an ongoing and intentional program of engagement that attempts to provide direct impact in its nonprofit community to nonprofit organizations and the community at large. These should be substantial and a formal part of the program or center’s programming, and may include providing consulting, technical advice or assistance to nonprofit organizations, convenings or workshops, or participating in nonprofit public policy and advocacy activities, to name just a few examples.

Membership Types

NACC offers two main categories of membership. Use the links and information below to learn more about the membership types that NACC offers, and the criteria to become part of NACC.

  • General Membership: programs with an academic affiliation that can demonstrate a focus on at least two of the three programmatic areas outlined below (education, research and community).
  • Affiliate Membership: for organizations, entities, etc. that have an interest in affiliation with NACC that do not meet our criteria for full membership as part of accredited colleges or universities.

General Membership

Our general membership is comprised of programs, schools, centers, majors, etc. that are dedicated to nonprofit and philanthropic education within an accredited college or university. Programs with an academic affiliation that can demonstrate a focus on at least two of the three programmatic areas outlined above (education, research and community) are welcome to apply for membership.

Eligibility

To be eligible for general membership, the applying program or center must:

  • Operate within an accredited college or university. If the program or center is located internationally, accreditation will be appropriate to the home institution.

  • Have a primary focus on nonprofit, non-governmental sector management, or philanthropic studies (or related areas such as civil society, social economy, and social innovation).

  • Provide evidence of ongoing activity in at least two of the three core programmatic areas – education, research, and community engagement, defined on this page.

  • Demonstrate a substantial allocation of resources and programming to those same programmatic area(s), including:

    • A designated faculty or staff position which has primary responsibility to direct programmatic activities. We recognize the title and exact scope and type of responsibilities may vary, and some responsibility can be shared among other faculty, staff, or students.
    • Accountability to and association with the academic division of the school, college, or university (which can include continuing or professional education), rather than some other area, such as student affairs.
    • Staff support for its activities. No minimum level of staffing is required.

Application Process

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but application processing time varies based on the time of year. Keep in mind that our board and membership is comprised of faculty, administrators, researchers and more that volunteer their time with NACC so the time to review applications may vary based on their availability.

General Membership Dues

Affiliate Membership

NACC offers Affiliate Membership to organizations and individuals who are not degree-conferring colleges or universities but who have a related interest in education, training, research or service to nonprofit, nongovernmental philanthropic organizations. This can include government agencies, foundations and other nonprofits, private firms, and individual consultants and trainers that provide non-credit bearing education, or support.

Eligibility

To be eligible for general membership, the applying program or center must:

  • Support the mission of NACC as an association of academic degree programs at accredited colleges and universities.

  • Demonstrate that a substantive part of their work contributes to developing any of the knowledge and skills covered by the NACC Curricular Guidelines.

Application Process

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but application processing time varies based on the time of year. Keep in mind that our board and membership is comprised of faculty, administrators, researchers and more that volunteer their time with NACC so the time to review applications may vary based on their availability.

Affiliate Membership Dues

By |2023-06-13T14:46:17-04:00January 18th, 2019|

Membership

NACC Membership

Nonprofit organizations and voluntary action are critical to the development and strengthening of democracy and civil society throughout the world. Universities are central institutions for understanding and promoting the structures essential for democratic life. University-based programs that perform research, teaching and public service to strengthen nonprofit/nongovernmental organizations, philanthropy, and voluntary action are critical to helping universities and their communities meet this need.

The Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NACC) was founded in 1991 by leaders of university-based nonprofit academic programs who wanted to share information and ideas to strengthen their programs and advance the field of philanthropic and nonprofit sector education within their institutions and beyond. Central to building the field is recognition and support by institutions of higher education that philanthropic and nonprofit sector studies are a vital component of the education, research and community engagement that they undertake. NACC member programs are committed to the advancement of nonprofit and philanthropic studies programs that are recognized by their host institutions as a focal point of nonprofit sector activity.

Click here to view a list of NACC Members.

A Revised NACC Membership Model

In 2019 NACC’s members and board discussed membership for organizations interested in NACC membership, who do not meet all the current criteria for membership as members of accredited colleges or universities. At the 2019 membership meeting we voted to create affiliate membership for these types of organizations.

NACC offers two main categories of membership:

  • General Membership: programs with an academic affiliation that can demonstrate a focus on at least two of the three programmatic areas outlined below (education, research and community).
  • Affiliate Membership: for organizations, entities, etc. that have an interest in affiliation with NACC that do not meet our criteria for full membership as part of accredited colleges or universities.

Click here to apply for NACC membership.

Why Join NACC?

Member Benefits Include:

  • Direct access to a network of top leaders from among the most prestigious and innovative programs, centers, and institutions focused on a shared commitment to philanthropic and nonprofit sector studies, research, and service. NACC does not distribute email addresses for NACC members or those subscribing to its monthly email newsletter (NACC News). Members may request information be distributed to NACC News recipients or NACC member representatives.

  • The opportunity to have a voice in shaping nonprofit academic center resources (such as curricular guidelines and indicators of quality).

  • Meetings, forums, and conferences that blend hands-on field-building work and peer information exchange.

  • Visibility of each member program or center within the field and with the larger public.

  • Legitimacy with host academic institutions and local communities through association with a respected international organization.

  • Free advertising for job posting on the NACC website and in the NACC news. At this time, only NACC members may advertise job postings via these outreach mechanisms.

  • Discounted registration fees for NACC conferences.

  • An exclusive international honor society available only to students of NACC member programs.

  • Access to accreditation for stand-alone degree programs.

Member Testimonials:

“NACC provides the space where we can think about collaboration and social capital as solely nonprofit studies concepts.”

Stuart C. Mendel, Ph.D., NCNE

“NACC is the rudder that keeps me mindful of the field we love so dearly. Besides, I truly enjoy the professional people who represent the institutional members.”

J. Patrick Murphy, Ph.D., DePaul University

“As we’ve grown our nonprofit programs to include a graduate certificate, an undergraduate minor, and a full master of nonprofit management, NACC has been our source for nonprofit-first curricular and administrative innovation.  The camaraderie among NACC members is both fun and valuable.”

Renee A. Irvin, Ph.D., University of Oregon

“NACC helps me find best practices in the field of nonprofit education. I can see what courses make up a relevant program that will be attractive and helpful to students.”

Theresa Ricke-Kiely, Ed.D., University of Notre Dame

“NACC provides an instant network of people with similar concerns and issues; I have learned more from interacting with people in the NACC network than I have from any other source.”

Robert Donmoyer, Ph.D., University of San Diego

“NACC is the forum that encourages me to think more deeply about teaching and research in our field. It is an essential reference point for understanding how we can better assist our students and strengthen the organizations they work in.”

John Casey, Ph.D., Baruch College, CUNY

By |2024-04-15T16:56:43-04:00January 18th, 2019|

2017 NACC Biennial Conference and Member Meeting

Hosted by:

Registration for the conference is now closed. If you still need to pay your registration fee, you can do so here: http://bit.ly/2p2j863. Please contact Erin Vokes, Managing Director of NACC, at e.vokes@csuohio.edu if you have any questions.

Registrants: Access the 2017 Conference Materials Here


Dates: Monday, July 31—Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Schedule Overview:
Monday, 7/31: NACC Member Meeting, 12 pm to 5 pm (reception to follow)
Tuesday, 8/1: Biennial Conference Day 1, 8 am to 5 pm (reception to follow)
Wednesday, 8/2: Biennial Conference Day 2, 8 am to 1:30 pm

Location: JW Marriott Indianapolis, 10 S West Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204 and Indiana University, University Hall, Suite 3000, 301 University Blvd, Indianapolis, IN 46202

Lodging: JW Marriott Indianapolis, 10 S West Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204. The JW Marriott has offered us a special group rate of $199 USD per night. Book your room here:  Group rate for IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy – NACC at the JW Marriott Indianapolis. The last day to reserve your room at this rate is July 14, 2017.

Registration Fees: Discounted registration rates are available for NACC members and to graduate students of NACC member universities:
$125 for NACC members
$150 for non-NACC-members
$75 for students of NACC member organizations
$100 for students of non-NACC-member organizations

NACC 2017 Biennial Conference Overview

The NACC Biennial conference brings together academics, scholars, practitioners, and administrators from around the world to discuss, learn, and share tactics and methods that support and build university-based educational programs focused on nonprofit and philanthropic studies.  Topics for conversation include instruction, pedagogy, research, and substantive issues in education and administration. NACC invites papers from interested member institutions, their faculty affiliates, graduate students, and other members of the nonprofit community. Proposals will be considered by a review committee, and final manuscripts must be of scholarly quality.

View the Call for Proposals here. Papers on advances in nonprofit pedagogy, research, and service are encouraged. Papers pertaining to the conference theme, “Nonprofit and Philanthropy Parables and Cases: What We Learn from the Stories We Tell,” are also welcomed.

**We are seeking sponsors for the 2017 NACC Conference. View the Call for Sponsors. Interested individuals should contact Erin Vokes at e.vokes@csuohio.edu.**

Thank you very much to those who have already sponsored the conference:

PLATINUM SPONSORS
Host Sponsor & Tuesday Evening Reception Sponsor –
Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy 

Sponsor Cost: $5,000

Monday Evening Reception Sponsor –
University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business

Sponsor Cost: $5,000

GOLD SPONSORS
NACC Member Meeting Sponsor —
Cleveland State University, Levin College of Urban Affairs

Sponsor Cost: $2,500

Technology Sponsor –
University of San Francisco, School of Management 

Sponsor Cost: $2,500

General Support –
Auburn University, Department of Political Science

Sponsor Cost: $2,500

SILVER SPONSORS
General Support —
Texas A&M University, Bush School of Government & Public Service

Sponsor Cost: $1,000

BRONZE SPONSORS
General Support –
Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 

Sponsor Cost: $750

General Support –
Seton Hall University, Center for Public Service

Sponsor Cost: $750

General Support –
University of Oregon, Department of Planning, Public Policy, & Management

Sponsor Cost: $500

General Support –
Arizona State University, Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation 

Sponsor Cost: $500

General Support –
North Park University, Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management

Sponsor Cost: $500

NACC would also like to recognize our Sustaining Members: 

  • Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
  • University of Oregon, Department of Planning, Public Policy, & Management

If you are interested in providing a sponsorship, please contact Erin Vokes at e.vokes@csuohio.edu.

Thanks and we look forward to seeing you this summer!

By |2019-01-20T21:10:02-05:00July 31st, 2017|Events|

Accreditation

NACC Accreditation

NACC Accreditation fosters third sector academic programs worldwide, including nonprofit and nongovernmental studies and management, social entrepreneurship, social-purpose organizations leadership, and philanthropy studies and management, all with curriculum that places the civil sector at the center of the curricular perspective.

OVERVIEW

The NACC Accreditation Process fosters third sector academic programs world-wide, including nonprofit and NGO studies and management, social entrepreneurship, social-purpose organizations leadership, and philanthropy studies and management, all with curriculum which places the civil sector at the center of the curricular perspective.

The value to both existing and emerging third sector, nongovernmental, and related degree programs is that accreditation serves as a signal to prospective students and prospective faculty that a university has a well-developed program, while providing a brighter line than just guidelines in constructing a curriculum that specifically addresses our distinctive sector.

For a comprehensive understanding of the NACC Accreditation Process, please view the available resources and links found in the sidebar of this webpage.

Please review all of the information below before you apply for Accreditation.


FRAMING CONCEPTS FOR THE NACC ACCREDITATION PROCESS

NACC Accreditation will launch with the idea that a critical mass of dedicated research, instruction, and experience has reached sufficient density to underpin nonprofit and philanthropy centered academic programs and their curriculum. Evidence of this is found in the growing number of stand-alone nonprofit and philanthropy studies credit bearing degree programs offered by NACC member institutions and others.

The legitimacy of nonprofit/philanthropy-first epistemology arises with the processes and outcomes followed in the creation and content of the successive iterations of NACC Curricular Guidelines.

The term “Accreditation” is used as a nod to the current practices of the profession of higher education. It is meant as the process of identifying how a particular academic program aligns with the best thinking of our day, as reflected in the NACC Curricular Guidelines and Indicators of Quality Institutions. It is our goal and hope that this process remains focused on ensuring “truth in advertising” and while also serving as an ongoing forum for innovations in nonprofit/philanthropy learning.

Among the principles contributing to the ethos and spirit of the organizers of the NACC Curricular Guidelines that we are applying to the NACC Accreditation process are as follows:

  • A nonprofit/philanthropy-first philosophy and perspective. A nonprofit/philanthropy-first approach refers to research centered on the unique role and nature of the nonprofit and philanthropy sector institutions in civil society.
  • Affirmation by academic program leaders and participants in this accreditation process that the pedagogical subject matter in the major subject headers of the NACC Curricular Guidelines reflect the distinctive and autonomous character of the nonprofit and philanthropy sector institution forms from those of business and government. Also that the themes of volunteerism governance; mission fulfillment; advocacy, intermediation and facilitation in society; partnership; social enterprise and others are interwoven in the subject areas.
  • A broader-than-management nonprofit studies pedagogy. The criteria for program review and assessment will be full stand-alone degree programs utilizing terminology that synchronizes with the nomenclature and themes found in the NACC Curricular Guidelines.

This project will trend for the simplest and most transparent analytical tools and logics to validate a nonprofit/philanthropy first academic program’s alignment with the NACC Curricular Guidelines. The approach will also use as guiding principles the following perspectives:

  • Take a reactive review standard rather than proscriptive to participating institutions seeking the imprimatur of the NACC;
  • Favor a consensus, non-confrontational process and outcome;
  • Endeavor to offer transparency in methods and in reporting of outcomes;
  • Provide opportunity and weight to participant context and explanation within the limits of brevity and clarity;
  • Validate a “truth in advertising” that academic programs accredited through the NACC process meet the criteria for content and quality framed by the NACC Curricular Guidelines.

BEFORE YOU APPLY

The Initial NACC Accreditation Application (Section 1: Intent to Undergo Accreditation) is accepted on a rolling basis.

We are excited to have you and your program move forward toward NACC Accreditation. We have designed the application process and portal so that it is easy and straightforward.

Before you initiate the application process, please review all of the information on this webpage and then we collect some key documents (PDFs) or web links ahead of time. This will save time as you are going through the application process. These documents are:

  • CV/Qualifications of professors who taught in the program over the last 2 years.
  • Curriculum plans, program guides, and/or course catalogues for the program to be accredited.
  • Syllabi and/or course summaries for all nonprofit classes taught in the program over the last 2 years.

In addition, we recommend you review the NACC Curricular Guidelines in advance as you will later be asked to “map” your curriculum according to these guidelines. Additional details about “curriculum mapping” can be found below.

An organization must be a member of NACC in order to undergo accreditation. If you are not yet a member of NACC but would like to become accredited, please visit our NACC Membership page to learn more about becoming a NACC member.


APPLICATION PROCESS OVERVIEW

The application contains three sections:

  • Section 1: Initial Application: Intent to Undergo Accreditation. This is a very brief electronic application that provides us with some basic information and informs us that you wish to undergo accreditation. The application fee is due at this time.
  • Section 2: Phone Interview. Once your initial application and proof of payment is received, the NACC Accreditation Team will contact you to schedule a phone interview to complete the second section of the application. Data based on your responses to our questions will be input by the Accreditation Launch Director and the Accreditation Coordinator. You should plan to spend an hour or so with us at that time. Additional information will be provided in advance of your interview.
  • Section 3: Curricular Guideline Mapping and Program Distinctiveness. In this section, you will “map” how your program’s curriculum aligns with the NACC Curricular Guidelines. It is neither mandatory nor expected that your curriculum meets every guideline. Additional information will be provided before you begin this section, and an overview about both components can be found below.

You can save your work and return to the electronic applications at any time.

Upon completion of all three sections of the application, including submission of payment, your application materials will be reviewed by separate External Review Board members trained to confirm the data made by the submitting institutions and to map the curriculum using the framework established in the NACC Curricular Guidelines.

Applications will be assessed on a first-come, first-served basis, based on when application fees are submitted and received. Graduate programs will be assessed, followed by undergraduate programs.

See the Accreditation Process Timeline below and in the resources in the sidebar of this webpage for specific details about the step-by-step timeframe, deadlines, and projected decision announcement date.


MODEL ACCREDITATION PROCESS TIMELINE:

The following dates are tentative projections for illustrative purposes, these are not concrete dates you must adhere to.

  • January 31: Initial Application and application fee received.*
  • January 31 to February 28: Interviews (Section 2) completed. Section 3 made available to the applicant immediately following completion of the interview.
  • February 29: Deadline to submit Section 3. This concludes the application process.
  • March 15: Accreditation Team to provide Preliminary Reports to ERB for their review and approval.
  • March 30: Preliminary Reports sent to respective Applicants for their review and response.
  • April 15: Deadline for Applicant to submit a response to the Preliminary Report to Accreditation Team.
  • June 1: Accreditation Team announces ERB’s final decisions to respective Applicants.
  • June 30: Hard copy reports sent to participating Institutions
  • August 30: Accreditation Team produces Accreditation Briefing report based on Accreditation findings.

CURRICULUM MAPPING

Part of the NACC Accreditation Process involves an exercise in “Curriculum Mapping,” in which programs are “mapped”* according to the NACC Curricular Guidelines. The Curricular Guidelines list 16 different broad topic areas for Graduate Programs and 13 different broad topic areas for Undergraduate Programs. Each broad topic area includes subtopics.

Kindly examine the respective Curricular Guidelines prior to starting the electronic input process. It is important to recognize that not all programs cover all Curricular Guideline topics.

*The following concept of Curriculum Mapping is applied by NACC when reviewing applications:

“The Glossary of Education Reform (n.d.) is a comprehensive online resource describing ‘widely used school-improvement terms, concepts, and strategies’ (para. 2) that was organized by the Great Schools Partnership. This glossary defines curriculum mapping as:

the process indexing or diagraming a curriculum to identify and address academic gaps, redundancies, and misalignments for purposes of improving the overall coherence of a course of study and, by extension, its effectiveness (a curriculum, in the sense that the term is typically used by educators, encompasses everything that teachers teach to students in a school or course, including the instructional materials and techniques they use). (“Curriculum Mapping,” 2013, para. 1).” (Carpenter, 2017)

There are four specific ways that programs can document that they are meeting the NACC Curricular Guidelines. This exercise will apply the mapping curriculum method in the manner listed below.

Program Meets a Curricular Guideline at the Core or Mission Level

Programs can show they are meeting a specific Curricular Guideline by linking it to their program’s mission statement or its general student learning outcomes. These are the “broadest” level of what it is that the program proposes to teach all students.

Since NACC does not expect that all programs will satisfy all Curricular Guidelines or even address all of them at this level, programs should instead pick the Curricular Guidelines that they believe are at the fundamental core of what all students in your program should be learning.

Program Meets a Curricular Guideline at the Course Level

Programs can show that they meet a specific Curricular Guideline through the general content of a specific course. For example, individual courses will often contain overall course objectives and/or course goals. These course objectives and goals are evidence that the course content addresses a specific Curricular Guideline.

Program Meets a Curricular Guideline at the Specific Course Assignment Level

Programs can also document that they address a specific Curricular Guideline by linking the specific Curricular Guideline to individual course assignments. Please make sure that reviewers know which course the specific assignment is attached to when describing it.

Program Meets a Curricular Guideline “Outside” the Classroom

While the primary mechanism for programs to show that they are meeting a Curricular Guideline is through the curriculum, it is also possible that programs can use extra-curricular activities as evidence they are meeting a specific Curricular Guideline.

For example:

  • A program-sponsored fundraising or philanthropic giving contest could be used as evidence that the program is addressing the Fundraising and Resource Development Curricular Guideline;
  • A program-sponsored Nonprofit Organization Hackathon could be evidence that the program is addressing the Information Technology, Social Media, and Data Management Curricular Guideline;
  • A program-sponsored fundraising or philanthropic giving contest could be used as evidence that the program is addressing the Nonprofit Finance and Fundraising Curricular Guideline.

Carpenter, H. L. (2017). Curriculum Mapping Models and Other Processes that Might Work for Nonprofit and Philanthropy Accreditation. Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership, 7(SI1), 111-117.


PROGRAM DISTINCTIVENESS

Part of NACC’s mission is to help build the nonprofit/philanthropy field. One way of doing that is by capturing and sharing broadly the distinctiveness and the accomplishments of academic programs and centers.

Since the goal of NACC accreditation is to offer a “mark of quality,” for academic programs, we believe that quality programs should be able to articulate ways that they are innovative, creative, distinct, or special in comparisons to other programs.

All programs have specialties or areas where they are particularly innovative, creative, distinct, and special. For some programs, this is cutting-edge research from faculty. For some programs, this is a strong community service program designed to improve local nonprofit capacity. For some programs, it is creative course structures or course content.

In the final section, we ask program identify and articulate three specific ways they see themselves as innovative, creative, distinct, and special. NACC is agnostic to what those three areas or topics are. All we ask is that programs make a good faith effort to identify, articulate, and report three distinctive characteristics of their program so that other programs can learn from these methods and processes.


DATA USAGE POLICY

Since we are considering this accreditation process as a pathway to learn from one another, we will consider the information we collect and the knowledge we create as the intellectual property of the NACC.

Consequently, we seek your affirmed permission to use the data and assessment outcomes we collect for purposes of further research questions and potentially for publication in report formats to our members; to the larger community of academics through the NACC News; at academic conferences affiliated with the field; and potentially in juried scholarly publications of the field. If you decline this permission, we require a statement from you clearly indicating your desire. We will consider the absence of a statement as consent to proceed as described.


APPEALS PROCESS

While our desire is to reach consensus with the participating organizations, and while checks and balances are in place to strive for fairness and impartiality, we will establish that appeal of the accreditation determination may be necessary and can be made through written articulation of the issue to the project director, and for subsequent review by the Accreditation Advisory Committee Chair.


FEE SCHEDULE & PAYMENT INFORMATION

The application fee is due at the time your Initial Application (Section 1: Intent to Undergo Accreditation) is submitted. Your initial application is not complete until payment is submitted.

Fees and Discounts:

$2,400 – Graduate Degree Program application fee (for one stand-alone nonprofit degree program)
$2,400 – Undergraduate Degree Program application fee (for one stand-alone nonprofit degree program)
$4,000 – Graduate & Undergraduate dual program application fee (with the $800 discount applied)*
$400 – Fee for late submission of Initial Application and/or application fee payment

By |2024-04-15T16:32:59-04:00January 18th, 2019|

Handbook of Critical Perspectives on Nonprofit Organizing and Voluntary Action

Roseanne M. Mirabella, PhD

Roseanne M. Mirabella, PhD
Associate Professor
College of Business and Public Management
Kean University

Angela M. Eikenberry

Angela M. Eikenberry, PhD
Professor and School Director
School of Public Policy
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
University of Connecticut

Angela R. Logan, PhD

Angela R. Logan, PhD
NACC President
St. Andre Bessette Academic Director
Master of Nonprofit Administration
Associate Teaching Professor
Mendoza College of Business
University of Notre Dame

Heather Carpenter, PhD

Heather Carpenter, PhD
Executive Director
Institute for Nonprofit Administration & Research

Associate Professor, College of Arts and Sciences
Louisiana State University Shreveport

Elizabeth J. Dale, PhD

Elizabeth J. Dale, PhD
Director and Associate Professor
Nonprofit Leadership
Seattle University

Kate Prendella

Katherine Prendella
Doctoral Student
School of Communication and Information
Rutgers-New Brunswick

Handbook of Critical Perspectives on Nonprofit Organizing and Voluntary Action: Concepts, Applications, and Future Directions
Eds. Roseanne M. Mirabella (Kean University, US), Tracey M. Coule (Sheffield Hallam University, UK), and Angela M. Eikenberry (University of Connecticut, US)
Edward Elgar Publishing, 2024

In August 2024, Edward Elgar Publishing released the Handbook of Critical Perspectives on Nonprofit Organizing and Voluntary Action, edited by Roseanne M. Mirabella (Kean University) and Angela M. Eikenberry (University of  Connecticut), alongside numerous contributors, including NACC member representatives Angela R. Logan (NACC President), Heather Carpenter, and Elizabeth J. Dale. (For a full list of editors and contributors, click here).

This insightful Handbook brings together leading and emerging scholars within the field of nonprofit organization, serving as a call to action for academics to interrogate key contemporary issues such as backsliding and authoritarianism. It meticulously distinguishes traditional, often marginalist perspectives from nuanced counterarguments to balance out the field.

The Handbook of Critical Perspectives on Nonprofit Organizing and Voluntary Action illustrates opportunities and challenges for future researchers within the sector and presses the reader to imagine a better, more equitable future. Chapters employ a variety of vital theoretical lenses, for example utilizing postcolonial theory, critical feminist theory, queer theory, critical disability theory and post-structural theory. They provide a timely, inter-contextual narration of the many roles enacted by nonprofit and voluntary organizations today.

Approaching nonprofit organizing as an ever-expanding topic, this crucial Handbook will be an important read for scholars of critical management studies, public administration, and public policy. It will additionally benefit researchers within the philanthropic studies field hoping to gain insight into the future of their discipline.

Below, we feature chapters from the volume authored by some of our NACC member representatives, highlighting their contributions to this publication. We would also like to share that in addition to editing the volume, Dr. Mirabella also co-authored a chapter, “Neocolonialism’s Perpetuation of Institutional Life of Disabled Individuals through the Rhetoric of Philanthropy and Charity,” with her daughter, Katherine Prendella (Doctoral Student, Rutgers-New Brunswick).

The Nature of Critical Global Civil Society Scholarship: Reviewing the State of the Art 1972-2021
Angela M. Eikenberry, Jennifer Dodge, and Tracey M. Coule

This chapter examines global civil society scholarship published in three key field journals—Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, and Voluntas—with particular attention to the most critical work originating from or focusing on countries outside the more commonly studied (“Western,” white) Anglosphere and European context. The 65 articles identified converge around two major areas: problematizing meanings of civil society concepts and practices, and problematizing assumptions about relationships. Within these themes, scholars emphasize the importance of context and political economy; societal transformation and development, democratization, and emancipation; and debates about what is the best way to study civil society in ways that uphold epistemic justice —a global South-informed unified approach, or a more contextualized country or region approach. Finally, it is noted that articles still seemed limited in their use of epistemologies and theories from parts of the world outside of the Anglosphere and Europe.

Decolonizing Nonprofit, NGO, and Development Higher Education: Valuing Indigenous Knowledge in the Majority World
Roseanne M. Mirabella, Heather Carpenter, and Ibrahim Shafau

This chapter challenges the hegemony of the Minority World over higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Minority World and proposes recommendations to decommodify higher education, refocus curricula and pedagogical approaches to challenge global inequities and neocolonial domination, empower communities to resist hegemonic discourses, and remove the veil of cultural blindness. By reviewing the major influences on HEIs generally and the application of these discourses in the case of nonprofit and nongovernmental organization education particularly, the authors highlight the ways in which future nonprofit and nongovernmental organization leaders are steeped in the language of development, development theory, and development studies, further solidifying the grip of the Minority World on the Majority World. They provide alternative structures and processes to challenge and reconfigure Minority World hegemonic practices underscoring the value of alternative frames that prioritize voices, perspectives, and understandings of stakeholders from the Majority World.

The Racialization of Philanthropic and Nonprofit Organizations: A Critical Analysis of White Supremacy and Economic Injustice in the Sector
Angela R. Logan and Maureen Emerson Feit

Philanthropic organizations, and the nonprofits that rely on philanthropic giving, are built upon a vast and persistent racial wealth gap in the United States. In this chapter, the authors call for intentional and sustained attention to intersections of race and class in the dynamics between organized philanthropy and nonprofit organizations. Combining scholarship on elite philanthropy with critical theories of structural racism, they argue that systems of unearned white advantage have simultaneously fueled organized philanthropy and muted the philanthropic contributions of communities of color. They examine how interactions between organized philanthropy and nonprofits facilitate the racialization of these organizations as spaces that center the interests of white donors and encourage the reproduction and reinforcement of racial inequality in core functions of nonprofits. Finally, they consider the implications of the perpetuation of white supremacy in the sector and offer avenues for transformation in policy, research, and practice.

Burn it to the Ground: Queer Theory, (Hetero)normativities, and Binaries in Nonprofit Organizations
Seth J. Meyer, Elizabeth J. Dale, and Kareem K. M. Willis

In this chapter the authors use queer theory, a critical theory that questions heteronormative understandings of society, to challenge normalized definitions and concepts in nonprofit organizations. They advance alternative and arguably more emancipatory interpretations of nonprofit organizations by ‘queering’ some of the traditional binaries that structure how we organize and operate nonprofit organizations and their work. They begin by queering the definition of what constitutes a nonprofit organization and discuss how compulsory heterosexuality manifests in organizations. They critically investigate four binaries, including the relationship between donors and beneficiaries, funders and grantors, employees and clients, and the organization and community, and argue for more fluid, power-sharing relationships. Throughout their analysis, they show how queer theory can be integrated into nonprofit scholarship and generate new questions with which to investigate the nonprofit sector.

Neocolonialism’s Perpetuation of Institutional Life of Disabled Individuals through the Rhetoric of Philanthropy and Charity
Kate Prendella and Roseanne M. Mirabella

This chapter utilizes critical disability theory, voluntourism studies, and neocolonial theory to discuss how the actions of philanthropists and nonprofit organizations from the Minority World have perpetuated the global marginalization and displacement of children, particularly disabled children. Tying the resurgence of orphanages to recolonization, the authors explore the role of these neoliberal institutions as sites of violence towards and control of disabled bodies. They explore the ways in which the charity rhetoric of disability popularized through media intersects with and abets the orphanage industrial complex supported by and dependent upon voluntourism, describing the ways in which the orphan tourism industry depends upon the exploitation of children to fuel its financial needs. Recognizing the toll that this system exacts on children, particularly children with disabilities, they end with a call for recognition and action to challenge and demolish this system of oppression and stigmatization centering the needs of children in this discourse.

Roseanne M. Mirabella, Ph.D. is member of the faculty of the College of Business and Public Management at Kean University. She conducts research on philanthropy and nonprofit and nongovernmental education and critical perspectives on nonprofit organizing. She has authored or co-authored many papers on nonprofit and nongovernment organization education and one co-edited book “Reframing Nonprofit Organizations: Democracy, Inclusion and Social Change” exploring the ways in which nonprofit management education programs can prepare students both to lead organizations as well as for their important role as advocates for the communities they serve. She is co-editor of the recently published Handbook of Critical Perspectives on Nonprofit Organizing and Voluntary Action one of the first major surveys of critical scholarship within the field. She is past President of ARNOVA and the New Jersey Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) and is currently a member of the leadership team of the Critical Perspectives Section of ARNOVA.

Dr. Angela M. Eikenberry is Professor and Director in the School of Public Policy (SPP) at the University of Connecticut. Her research focuses on the social, economic and political roles of philanthropy, voluntary associations, and nonprofit organizations in democratic governance. Empirical and theoretical areas of research include giving circles and collaborative giving, marketization of nonprofit organizations and philanthropy, social enterprise, democracy and social equity/justice areas related to nonprofits/philanthropy, and critical social theories.

Dr. Eikenberry’s work appears in dozens of peer-reviewed books, journal articles and book chapters and has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered and The Takeaway, and in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Her book, Giving Circles: Philanthropy, Voluntary Association, Democracy won CASE’s John Grenzebach Research Award for Outstanding Research in Philanthropy. She also received a Fulbright Scholar Award to conduct research on giving circles in the UK, the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus-wide Awards for Distinguished Research or Creative Activity and Outstanding Graduate Mentor, and the 2023 NVSQ Best Paper Award. She is past President of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) and a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

Before coming to UConn SPP, Dr. Eikenberry was a Professor serving in several leadership positions at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, including as Chair of the School of Public Administration doctoral program and President and Grievance Officer of the UNO AAUP. She also helped found and run the nonprofit organization, Mode Shift Omaha.

Angela R. Logan, Ph.D. is an Associate Teaching Professor and the St. Andre Bessette Academic Director of the Master of Nonprofit Administration in the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. In her role as Academic Director, she provides leadership to the team that oversees both formats of the Master of Nonprofit Administration degree, and as a member of the College’s Department of Management and Organization, she teaches core courses for both programs as well. Professor Logan’s honors and distinctions include the inaugural Notre Dame Faculty Black Excellence Award (2023) and the MNAR Outstanding Professor Award (2023). Prior to joining the College in 2013, Angela has over 25 years of experience in higher education and philanthropy, with a particular focus in the areas of education and diversity. Over the course of her career, she has served as the Program Officer for Education at The Harvest Foundation (Martinsville, VA), the Director of the Bonner Scholars Program at Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH), and the Director of Multicultural Affairs and the Admissions Counselor / Coordinator of Multicultural Admissions at Defiance College (Defiance, OH). Her research focuses on the intersection of gender, race, faith, and nonprofit and philanthropic leadership.

Dr. Heather Carpenter is a highly networked nonprofit professor, researcher, consultant, and trainer passionate about nonprofit capacity building and talent development. She has served as a nonprofit professor and academic program director for over ten years and a nonprofit leader for over 20 years. She serves as Executive Director of the Institute for Nonprofit Administration and Research at LSU Shreveport. INAR’s mission is to conduct research and disseminate knowledge about nonprofit organizations. It has three programmatic areas: academics, professional development, and research.

She has published numerous academic journal articles and books. She previously served as co-editor and chief of the Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership was on the board of the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council the national accrediting body for nonprofit academic degree programs from 2017-2023. In 2022, the Nonprofit Times selected Dr. Carpenter as a Top 50 Power and Influence Nonprofit Leader.

Dr. Carpenter is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts, active in the Downtown Shreveport Rotary Club, and serves on the advisory committee for the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program. She was recently named to the Volunteer Louisiana Commission by the Governor, the state service commission that has a mission to “Strength Louisiana communities through volunteerism and national service.” Her husband is a Navy Veteran and Captain at Spirit Airlines, and they have a 13-year-old daughter.

She earned her Ph.D. in Leadership Studies with an emphasis on Nonprofit and Philanthropic Leadership from the University of San Diego and a Master of Management in Nonprofit Administration from North Park University in Chicago, Illinois.

Elizabeth J. Dale, Ph.D. is program director and associate professor in Nonprofit Leadership at Seattle University. A former development director and Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), her research interests include social justice philanthropy, giving among women and LGBTQ+ donors, and the intersection of gender and philanthropy. She has presented her research nationally and internationally and has provided commentary for The New York Times, Forbes, Bloomberg, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and The Guardian. She completed her Ph.D. in Philanthropic Studies at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and women’s and gender studies from Ohio Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in women’s studies from The Ohio State University.

By |2024-10-17T09:58:32-04:00October 10th, 2024|NACC Member Research|

A Message from Your Board President: April 2024

Angela R. Logan, NACC President
Angela R. Logan, PhD

Angela R. Logan, PhD
St. Andre Bessette Academic Director,
Master of Nonprofit Administration

Associate Teaching Professor,
Mendoza College of Business
University of Notre Dame

Spring is in the Air

Hello! The calendar says it’s Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. In the northwest corner of Indiana, that can only mean one thing: I am simultaneously dealing with high pollen count days and freeze warning nights! LOL!

In all seriousness, it’s also a great time in the life of our programs: Commencement season is upon! We get to witness the time-honored tradition of the culmination of all the blood, sweat, and tears we have endured right alongside our students to get them to this point! We welcome the newest members of Nu Lambda Mu, and meet the loved ones of our students. Faculty promotions and teaching awards are also announced, and we are recognized by our students and institutions for our commitment and dedication.

For me, Spring is also a time of reflection and renewal. As a new homeowner, that means I’ve been thinking a lot lately about planting flowers, building container gardens, and welcoming slower days and patio nights. In the Christian tradition, we speak of “seed-time-harvest.” As the granddaughter of a farmer and a gardener, I learned early that you should not expect to see peppers the day or even the week after you plant them. Good things take time, attention, and care.

Our work in nonprofit and philanthropic education is no different: when our students come to us, we cannot expect them to understand de Tocqueville at Orientation. It takes time, attention, and care to get them to understand the “Four-Legged Stool of Fundraising” or how Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need impacts volunteerism. We teach our students that cultivating donors requires “seed-time-harvest:” rarely do major gifts precede annual gifts.

Good things take time, attention, and care … especially us! I hope in this season of celebration and renewal, you are able to give yourself the time, attention, and care you need to flourish and bloom! Right now, that means I’m going to sit on the deck and enjoy the sun!

Congratulations: we survived another academic year! Go get some sun!

All the best,

Angela R. Logan
Board President, NACC

By |2024-04-22T13:02:10-04:00April 22nd, 2024|President's Message|

Greetings from the Executive Director: March 2024

Nicole Collier, NACC Executive Director

Nicole Collier, MPSA
Executive Director, NACC
Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy
Bush School of Government and Public Service
Texas A&M University

Well, I have discovered a new form of anxiety…having to follow Angela Logan’s newsletter articles.

I hope you are all having an excellent spring! It’s hard to believe spring classes are almost done here in College Station. My brain still thinks it’s recovering from winter break!

I have been pretty busy the past few months. The Center for Nonprofits & Philanthropy at Texas A&M, where I dedicate the rest of my work time, hosted its first Nonprofit BRIDGE Conference. The conference was dedicated to fostering partnerships between nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions. I saw many familiar faces there, including several NACC members based in Texas. It was a great event and I’m looking forward to future conferences.

Now that I am done with that conference and can take a deep breath, it’s time to return to several NACC projects and initiatives. It’s time to send the updated curricular guidelines to an editor and printer. We need to continue welcoming applicants of Nu Lambda Mu through the rest of the application cycle. Finally, it’s time to start planning our summer 2025 conference! It’s going to be a busy year, but I can’t wait to dig back in.

I’ll keep it short and sweet this month. I look forward to sharing more. Until then, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

All the best,
Nicole

By |2024-03-25T09:04:37-04:00March 25th, 2024|Executive Director's Report|

The Nonprofit Open Data Collective

Dr. Nathan Grasse, Carleton University
Dr. Nathan Grasse

Dr. Nathan Grasse
Associate Professor
School of Public Policy & Administration
Carleton University

The Nonprofit Open Data Collective

The Nonprofit Open Data Collective is an evolving collaboration between academics, think tanks, and industry experts to promote open data in the sector, with members from sector leaders, including Cinthia Schuman of the Aspen Institute, and academic institutions, including Jesse Lecy of Arizona State University.

Members such as the Aspen Institute and Independent Sector have engaged to improve the data environment, including 990 data and the availability of electronically filed records, as well as working with administrators in the Internal Revenue Service and Bureau of Labor Statistics. They have also worked with institutions such as the Johnson Center to gather evidence on the impact of open data and useful data practices (e.g., electronic tax filing).

Globally there are dozens of administrative or research databases to track third-sector organizations. This data is sometimes released in formats that are not always easy to use – ASCII text, Javascript object notation (JSON), and extensible markup language (XML) files. This can be a barrier to those hoping to learn about the sector.

Academic members of the collective created a GitHub organization to make data more accessible to scholars and researchers. The website includes scripts to download, clean, and process data, research-ready datasets, tools for analysis, and links to other resources. These might be helpful to NACC members who wish to integrate sector data into their courses or those looking to utilize data in their research, and the collective would welcome contributions from NACC scholars.

Partner Organizations

NODC Partner Organization logos

Nathan Grasse is an Associate Professor of nonprofit finance and financial management, governance and leadership, and strategic management at Carleton University. His research focuses on the governance of public-serving organizations, including associations between governance and financial management. This includes the study of revenue structures, the potential conditioning effects of organizational and environmental factors, and the implications of strategic choices on financial health and other organizational outcomes.

By |2023-05-25T10:17:54-04:00May 22nd, 2023|NACC Member Research|
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