The Resilient Sector: The State of Nonprofit America
Like the arteries of a living organism, nonprofit organizations carry a life force
that has long been a centerpiece of American culture—a faith in the capacity
of individual action to improve the quality of human life. They embody two seemingly
contradictory impulses at the heart of American character: a deep-seated commitment
to freedom and individual initiative and an equally fundamental realization that
people live in communities and consequently have responsibilities that extend beyond
themselves. Uniquely among American institutions, those in the nonprofit sector blend
these competing impulses, creating a special class of entities that Alexis de Tocqueville
recognized more than 175 years ago to be "more deserving of our attention" than any
other part of the American experiment.
Until very recently, little headway had been made in tracking developments to the nonprofit sector systematically, in assessing the impact they are having, and in getting the results into the hands of the nonprofit practitioners, policymakers, the press, and the public at large. Lester Salamon helped close that information gap by compiling a comprehensive volume titled The State of Nonprofit America (Brookings). This book, which grew out of the larger project, provides an accessible overview of the sector to non-scholarly readers. It paints a broad and clear picture of the state of America;s nonprofit sector while identifying the changes that might be needed to promote its long-term health. The result is a concise and convincing testament to the scope, significance, and determination of America;s nonprofits. |
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- The Stakes: The Nonprofit Sector and Why We Need It
- The Challenges
- The Opportunities
- The Nonprofit Response: A Story of Resilience
- Resetting the Balance: The Task Ahead
Notes
Index
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