Nonprofits and the Promotion of Civic Engagement: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding the “Civic Footprint” of Nonprofits within Local Communities

TY - JOUR

T1 - Nonprofits and the Promotion of Civic Engagement

T2 - A Conceptual Framework for Understanding the “Civic Footprint” of Nonprofits within Local Communities

AU - Shier, Micheal L.

AU - Handy, Femida

AU - McDougle, Lindsey M.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2014, University of Alberta Library. All rights reserved.

PY - 2014/5/16

Y1 - 2014/5/16

N2 - The literature suggests that nonprofit organizations provide civic benefits by promoting engagement within local communities. However, there exists minimal empirical evidence describing the ways in which nonprofits actually undertake this role. In order to address this omission, we conducted interviews with personnel of nonprofit organizations in one rural community in the United States. Our preliminary findings indicate that nonprofit organizations promote civic engagement through programs and activities that: 1) engage volunteers and donors; 2) bring community members together; 3) collaborate with organizations within and beyond the community; and 4) promote community education and awareness. Together, these findings help to develop a working model to understand the civic footprint of nonprofit organizations with methodological implications for future research that would seek to measure the extent to which nonprofits promote civic engagement.

AB - The literature suggests that nonprofit organizations provide civic benefits by promoting engagement within local communities. However, there exists minimal empirical evidence describing the ways in which nonprofits actually undertake this role. In order to address this omission, we conducted interviews with personnel of nonprofit organizations in one rural community in the United States. Our preliminary findings indicate that nonprofit organizations promote civic engagement through programs and activities that: 1) engage volunteers and donors; 2) bring community members together; 3) collaborate with organizations within and beyond the community; and 4) promote community education and awareness. Together, these findings help to develop a working model to understand the civic footprint of nonprofit organizations with methodological implications for future research that would seek to measure the extent to which nonprofits promote civic engagement.

KW - Civic benefits

KW - Civic engagement

KW - Civil society

KW - Nonprofits

KW - Voluntary associations

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84925145704&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84925145704&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - https://doi.org/10.22230/cjnser.2014v5n1a158

DO - https://doi.org/10.22230/cjnser.2014v5n1a158

M3 - Article

SN - 1920-9355

VL - 5

SP - 57

EP - 75

JO - Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research

JF - Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research

IS - 1

ER -