Nonprofit Studies Program¹
at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

The Nonprofit Studies Program (NSP) was organized in 2001 to foster collaborative research on the nonprofit sector within the academic community, to promote policy research that is relevant in today’s political and economic environment, and to serve as a link between scholars and nonprofit practitioners in creating and disseminating knowledge about the sector. By coordinating intellectual resources, it seeks to develop a better understanding of how the sector works. Through rigorous policy analysis, it strives to find ways to harness the unique advantages of the sector for the public good. Through the development and dissemination of “best practices”, it hopes to improve management tools and practices for more effective operations of nonprofit organizations.

Research interests and expertise among nonprofit studies program faculty and associates cover a broad range of topics, including: organizational management systems and strategies, public-private partnerships, public policy regarding nonprofits, philanthropy and the formation of social capital, as well as tax policy and alternative government funding arrangements. During 2003, the NSP was engaged in several funded research projects, participated in several conferences and community forums, and sponsored its third annual nonprofit executive leadership roundtable.

Projects

Trends Over Time in Social Capital and Philanthropy, by David M. Van Slyke and Janet L. Johnson. This study, sponsored by the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, involved quarterly surveys of households in Metropolitan Atlanta for the period January 2002-January 2003. Building on two previous studies conducted by the Andrew Young School, one a study of individual philanthropy and the other a study of patterns of social capital, this study analyzed how Metro Atlanta’s giving, volunteering, and social capital have been affected by the September 11th tragedies and the recent downturn in the economy. It also provided a look at quarterly trends in philanthropy, a topic about which there is little known to date. The final report was issued May 2003.

Public Funding of the Arts - Study for the Greater Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, by Michael J. Rushton. This study focused on options for a dedicated tax-based source of funding for arts organizations in metro Atlanta, and provided important input for discussions and deliberations of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Task Force on the Arts. Teresha Freckleton-Petite served as research assistant on the project. The final report of this study was released October 2003 by Research Atlanta. Rushton’s other research projects include the implications of cultural diversity on public funding of the arts, the political oversight of arm’s length arts funding agencies, and the introduction of performance measures in nonprofit arts organizations.

African American Philanthropy, by David M. Van Slyke, Janet L. Johnson, and Shena Ashley. This study, begun in fall 2003, utilizes available surveys of metro Atlantans which have been sponsored by the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta to study the methods, patterns and motivations for charitable giving and volunteering of African Americans. The study expects to analyze such questions as: How do the patterns of formal giving and volunteering differ for African Americans relative to other racial and ethnic groups? To what causes do African Americans give and volunteer? What motivates African Americans to give and volunteer? What factors inhibit their giving and volunteering? A final report of findings is expected in spring 2004.

Reports

Tracking Trends: Giving, Volunteering and Trust in Metro Atlanta (final report). Janet L. Johnson and David M. Van Slyke. Commissioned by The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. May 2003.

Sustainable Funding for the Arts: Earmarked Taxes and Options for Metropolitan Atlanta. Michael J. Rushton. Commissioned by Research Atlanta with funding by SunTrust. October 2003.

Activities

2003 Nonprofit Executive Leadership Roundtable. The Nonprofit Studies Program held its third annual Nonprofit Executive Roundtable on May 6, 2003. Over 50 community nonprofit leaders and scholars met to discuss some of the latest analysis of the sector, and to reflect on how to use this knowledge to shape the future of the sector. Michael Rushton of the Nonprofit Studies Program served as Master of Ceremonies for the event, and John O’Kane, SVP at Coxe, Curry & Associates and a NSP Affiliated Program Fellow, facilitated the Roundtable discussion that followed the presentations.

The Roundtable’s featured speaker was Dr. Lester Salamon, Professor at Johns Hopkins University and Director of the Center for Civil Society Studies. Salamon is a leading expert on nonprofit-governmental relations, viewing the two sectors as partners in public service. He elaborated on his latest book, The State of Nonprofit America (2002), and led a discussion of how the latest concepts in nonprofit sector development could be relevant to the Atlanta community.

David Van Slyke and Janet Johnson of the Nonprofit Studies Program presented the final results of a study sponsored by the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta on giving, volunteering and trust among metro Atlantans. This study was introduced at last year’s roundtable, where first quarter 2002 survey data were compared to previous survey data collected prior to the September 11th tragedy. The fifth and final quarter of the survey was completed during the first quarter of 2003, and the final analysis reflected a total of over 2,400 interviews over a period of 15 months.

In addition, the Nonprofit Studies Program hosted an academic seminar given by Salamon following the Roundtable program. Salamon spoke to an audience of approximately 50 faculty and students on the topic: "The Tools of Government: A Guide to New Governance."

1. For a complete listing of AYSPS Active Research Sponsored Grants from CY2003, see the Appendix: Report on External Funding.