On
March 20 and 21, 1997, the staff of the research program
at Independent Sector convened its biennial Spring Research
Forum to explore contemporary methods of measuring the interaction
between the not-for-profit sector
and society. A group of over 200 practitioners, scholars,
journalists, and funders met in Alexandria, Virginia for
two-days of dialogue and exchange. Our aim was to explore
the ways that practitioners and academics are measuring
the roles, functions, and societal contributions of the
not-for-profit sector and individual nonprofit organizations
therein.
For more than a decade, a group of dedicated
researchers has produced a formidable body of literature
and empirical findings on the size, scope and dimensions
of the independent sector. This effort enabled the sector
to clearly identify its place in the growing domestic economy;
differentiate the various types of activities in which nonprofit
organizations engage (via the National Taxonomy for Exempt
Entities); and quantify both the financial capital (e.g.,
assets, revenues and expenditures) and human capital (e.g.,
volunteers and staff members) invested in the sector. Continued
research and development in this area is necessary to track
changes in the sector over time. Also necessary, however,
is new research that will enable us to measure what the
sector actually does with its dollars, staff and good will.
For example, can we develop methodologies that help us articulate
the specific roles and functions that nonprofit organizations
play? Are there ways to quantify the impact that the sector
is having on society? How would 501(c)(3) organizations
and religious congregations like their success to be measured?
If indeed there is a desire to answer these questions, will
the financial resources be forthcoming to effectively measure
the sector in ways that are meaningful for practitioners,
academics and funders alike?
As discussed throughout the Forum, this new
direction of study will be more complex and demanding than
past research efforts. Some find the charge either intimidating
for what it might reveal or too challenging to embrace for
a lack of commonly accepted methods and theories to guide
the way. Others argue that the effort is necessary as the
sector and its institutions will be called upon to demonstrate
their accomplishments and inherent worth in an era of greater
accountability to the public. A recurring theme was that
"if we don’t measure ourselves, others will do
it for us." Still others are curious to know the nature
of the new social contract. Regardless of the impetus for
the investigation, a unifying theme was a desire to know
how 501(c)(3) organizations can best describe their unique
contributions to the common good through their roles as
public charities.
The Forum was attended by practitioners who
are directly dealing with issues of measurement or seeking
assistance to do so, academics who study the nonprofit sector
or related measurement issues, funders seeking insights
into contemporary methodologies for measuring performance,
and journalists showcasing the latest thinking about the
changing social contract. Whether from government, nonprofit
or for-profit sectors, participants shared an interest in
measuring particular organizational outcomes or progress
toward identifiable goals. We welcomed the broadest participation
possible to enable us to come away with an expanded view
on measurement to inform the development of a priority research
agenda for the sector.
Toward this end, the Forum was highly successful.
Through various lenses, the participants engaged in the
arduous and honest task of exploring the concept of self-measurement.
The Forum pulled together a community of people interested
in designing consistent measures of societal and institutional
outcomes that can provide a framework for future research
and practice. In the end, a consensus emerged calling for
this group to lead the way for the development of further
studies to critically assess the sector’s performance
and potential contributions to society. A flavor for how
this might be done is presented in the chapters included
in this volume.
In response to Independent Sector’s "call
for papers" for the 1997 Spring Research Forum, over
60 papers were submitted. Practitioners and academics from
various professional disciplines and subsectors in the United
States and abroad presented their ideas and experiences
on how to measure the sector. A total of 34 papers were
selected by the Independent Sector program committee for
presentation at the Forum. These papers were also printed
in the conference volume, The Changing Social Contract:
Measuring the Interaction Between the Independent Sector
and Society, published by Independent Sector (IS) in March
of 1997.
Given the extensive interest expressed by Forum
participants and others in the nonprofit community to learn
more about how best to measure performance, IS decided to
published this special volume showcasing some of the tried
and true experiences from the field. Twenty authors were
invited to revise and resubmit their papers for this volume
on the belief that these works were the furthest developed
and/or most relevant to the research mandate of Independent
Sector. All of the authors accepted the invitation and dedicated
considerable time to updating and refining their papers
with input from the editors.
1This volume was produced while
Patrice Flynn was Vice President of Research at Independent
Sector in Washington, D.C.
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