Challenges in Assessing the Scope and Dynamics of the Nonprofit Sector
How many nonprofits operate in your community? How many closed during the pandemic? These questions are not as easy to answer as you might think. Production of demographic data for the nonprofit sector has been a challenge for nonprofit researchers. Scholars frequently rely on administrative record...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Midwest Public Affairs Conference
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.jpna.org/index.php/jpna/article/view/736 |
| _version_ | 1827988801213956096 |
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| author | Tania L. Hernandez Ortiz Mark A. Hager |
| author_facet | Tania L. Hernandez Ortiz Mark A. Hager |
| author_sort | Tania L. Hernandez Ortiz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
How many nonprofits operate in your community? How many closed during the pandemic? These questions are not as easy to answer as you might think. Production of demographic data for the nonprofit sector has been a challenge for nonprofit researchers. Scholars frequently rely on administrative records, but they sometimes make leaps without evaluating the shortcomings of their data. Our exploration documents the challenges researchers should confront when they seek to produce accurate demographics of the nonprofit sector. We compare administrative records and lists (core files, full Form 990 digitized, Business Master Files) with online footprints (news, websites, state records) to account for the variety of ways that living organizations get mislabeled as dissolved. We urge researchers to approach administrative lists critically when using them to paint pictures of community ecology.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T00:09:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ae3e8f4dcc0c4875842ba3dc9ae250f7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2381-3717 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T00:09:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Midwest Public Affairs Conference |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs |
| spelling | doaj.art-ae3e8f4dcc0c4875842ba3dc9ae250f72023-03-16T13:08:43ZengMidwest Public Affairs ConferenceJournal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs2381-37172023-03-0110.20899/jpna.9.1.1-16Challenges in Assessing the Scope and Dynamics of the Nonprofit SectorTania L. Hernandez Ortiz0Mark A. Hager1Arizona State UniversityArizona State University How many nonprofits operate in your community? How many closed during the pandemic? These questions are not as easy to answer as you might think. Production of demographic data for the nonprofit sector has been a challenge for nonprofit researchers. Scholars frequently rely on administrative records, but they sometimes make leaps without evaluating the shortcomings of their data. Our exploration documents the challenges researchers should confront when they seek to produce accurate demographics of the nonprofit sector. We compare administrative records and lists (core files, full Form 990 digitized, Business Master Files) with online footprints (news, websites, state records) to account for the variety of ways that living organizations get mislabeled as dissolved. We urge researchers to approach administrative lists critically when using them to paint pictures of community ecology. http://www.jpna.org/index.php/jpna/article/view/736Community EcologyIRS RecordsAdministrative Data |
| spellingShingle | Tania L. Hernandez Ortiz Mark A. Hager Challenges in Assessing the Scope and Dynamics of the Nonprofit Sector Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs Community Ecology IRS Records Administrative Data |
| title | Challenges in Assessing the Scope and Dynamics of the Nonprofit Sector |
| title_full | Challenges in Assessing the Scope and Dynamics of the Nonprofit Sector |
| title_fullStr | Challenges in Assessing the Scope and Dynamics of the Nonprofit Sector |
| title_full_unstemmed | Challenges in Assessing the Scope and Dynamics of the Nonprofit Sector |
| title_short | Challenges in Assessing the Scope and Dynamics of the Nonprofit Sector |
| title_sort | challenges in assessing the scope and dynamics of the nonprofit sector |
| topic | Community Ecology IRS Records Administrative Data |
| url | http://www.jpna.org/index.php/jpna/article/view/736 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tanialhernandezortiz challengesinassessingthescopeanddynamicsofthenonprofitsector AT markahager challengesinassessingthescopeanddynamicsofthenonprofitsector |