Nathan Grasse Archives - Nonprofit Academic Centers Council

Feeding the Flock: The Role of the Revenue Portfolio in the Financial Growth of Congregations and Religious Organizations

Dr. William M. Plater
Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus of
Philanthropic Studies, Public Policy, and English
Indiana University Indianapolis

Dr. Genevieve Shaker
Donald A. Campbell Chair in Fundraising Leadership
Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

R. Regina Cline
Visiting Professor
Merrilee Alexander Kick College of Business and Entrepreneurship
Texas Woman’s University

Feeding the Flock: The Role of the Revenue Portfolio in the Financial Growth of Congregations and Religious Organizations
Elizabeth A. M. Searing, Nathan J. Grasse, R. Regina Cline
Nonprofit Management & Leadership, February 2025
This work was supported by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

There have been fewer population-level studies of religious organization revenues compared to other nonprofit organizations. This discrepancy is likely due to the exemption of houses of worship from filing the U.S. Form 990, which is the basis for most nonprofit financial analysis in academic literature. Using granular financial data on over 30,000 religious organizations in Canada from 2009 to 2016, the authors explore the characteristics of the revenue portfolios for this under-studied subsector of tax-exempt organizations.

In addition to providing useful descriptive information, such as the differences between funding portfolios by religion or denomination, they identify characteristics associated with financial growth using dynamic difference-generalized method of moments estimations. They find that donations where receipts were given drive almost all portfolios, while revenues that comprise the portfolio fringe vary widely in form and importance for growth. This study yields information useful to practitioners and researchers interested in nonprofit finance and the financial management.

Dr. Elizabeth A. M. Searing is an Associate Professor of Public and Nonprofit Management at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is also an Adjunct research Professor at Carleton University, Canada. Dr. Searing’s primary research focus is the financial management of nonprofit and social enterprise organizations, but she also conducts work on comparative social economy more broadly. She is an Associate Editor and editorial board member of Nonprofit Management & Leadership, and an editorial advisory board member at VOLUNTAS and the Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management (JPBAFM). Her articles have been published in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, and Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly.

Nathan J. Grasse is an Associate Professor in the Master of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (MPNL) program at Carleton University. He is an associate editor at the Journal of Civil Society, a member of the editorial board of Public Administration Review, and a board member of the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council, and has published in journals such as Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Policy Studies Journal, and the Review of Public Personnel Administration. His academic focus primarily revolves around the governance and financial management of public-serving organizations.

R. Regina Cline is a visiting professor at Texas Woman’s University in the Merrilee Alexander Kick College of Business and Entrepreneurship’s Health Care Administration program. She is also a PhD candidate at the University of Texas at Dallas, completing her dissertation entitled “Equity and administrative burden in comparative race and immigration policy: A study of refugee experiences.” Regina’s professional background includes management positions in the field of substance abuse treatment. She also founded and directed Embracing Diversity, Inc, a 501(c)3 nonprofit in Florida and in Mississippi, starting in 2014. In addition, she is a public speaker, trainer, consultant, and community organizer.

Funding Health Care for People Experiencing Homelessness: An Examination of Federally Qualified Health Centers’ Funding Streams and Homeless Patients Served (2014–2019)

Dr. Marcus Lam
Associate Professor
School of Leadership and Education Sciences
Department of Leadership
University of San Diego

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

Funding Health Care for People Experiencing Homelessness: An Examination of Federally Qualified Health Centers’ Funding Streams and Homeless Patients Served (2014–2019)
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(7) | June 2024

Abstract
It is estimated that three million people annually experience homelessness, with about a third of the homeless population being served by Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Thus, FQHCs, dependent on government funding for financial viability, are vital to the infrastructure addressing the complex issues facing people experiencing homelessness. This study examines the relationship between various government funding streams and the number of homeless patients served by FQHCs. Data for this study come from three publicly available databases: the Uniform Data System (UDS), the IRS Core files, and the Area Resource File. Fixed-effects models employed examine changes across six years from 2014 to 2019. The results suggest that, on average, an additional homeless patient served increases the expenses of FQHCs more than other patients and that federal funding, specifically Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) funding, is a vital revenue source for FQHCs. We found that the number of homeless patients served is negatively associated with contemporaneous state and local funding but positively associated with substance use and anxiety disorders. Our findings have important implications for the effective management of FQHCs in the long term and for broader public policy supporting these vital elements of the social safety net.

Introduction
Homelessness is an intractable issue that requires interventions at multiple levels. At the macro level, public policies and elected officials are critical to driving government funding and public opinion to bring awareness to the homelessness problem and the subsequent consequences of inaction. At the micro level, interventions by social workers and medical professionals that help homeless persons find shelter and receive health care are critical to short-term survival and care. At the meso level, community-based not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) that employ medical professionals, social workers, and other frontline workers are an often overlooked but essential component of the multi-pronged solution to providing vital health, social, and shelter services to people experiencing homelessness.

Marcus Lam’s research focuses on identifying strategies for the sustainability of health and human service nonprofit organizations. Specifically, his program of research advances two interrelated domains: 1) the effect of organizational and environmental factors on nonprofit sustainable resources and 2) the influence of resources on organizational programs, services, and client outcomes. Prior to joining SOLES, Dr. Lam was on faculty at the Columbia School of Social Work in New York City. Dr. Lam has also served as a senior research associate at the UCLA Center for Civil Society and has published reports on the state of the nonprofit sector in Los Angeles, the state of arts and culture funding in Los Angeles, as well as methodological chapters in the Global Civil Society Yearbook. He has also held fellowship positions with the Nonprofit Finance Fund, Los Angeles Program and EMES European Research Network on social enterprises and the social economy.

Nathan Grasse is an Associate Professor in the Master of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (MPNL) program at Carleton University. He holds a Bachelor of Science (BS), a Master of Public Administration (MPA), and a PhD in Political Science, all from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, United States. His academic focus primarily revolves around the governance of public-serving organizations, highlighting the connections between governance and financial management. This encompasses a detailed study of revenue structures, the influence of organizational and environmental factors, and how strategic choices impact financial health and other organizational outcomes.

Dr. Grasse’s expertise includes nonprofit finance and financial management, governance and leadership, and strategic management. He emphasizes the critical role of charities in addressing social issues, enhancing representation, and delivering services in communities. Recognizing the challenges these organizations face in financial management and governance, particularly due to a reliance on historical or anecdotal information, his work aims to expand knowledge in these areas. This focus is vital for the effective management of charitable organizations, providing them with more robust frameworks and guidelines to improve their decision-making processes.