Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise

Category: Past events

Volunteer Engagement to AI: A Summary of the 2024 Symposium on Public Policy for Nonprofits

The 13th Annual Symposium on Public Policy for Nonprofits convened virtually on Friday, September 20, 2024. This year’s topic, “Nonprofit Civic Infrastructure: A Recipe for a Thriving Nation,” focused on policies and practices to enhance nonprofits’ infrastructure, or support systems, to ensure nonprofit organizations are healthy, equitable, and well-represented in society.

The symposium kicked off with a brief greeting and introduction from all of its co-hosts. Dr. Akilah Watkins, CEO, represented the Independent Sector. Dr. Alan Abramson, professor and director of the Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, represented the Nonprofit Policy Forum as one of the journal’s three co-editors. Executive Director Lynnette Cook represented the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA).

The symposium was divided into two thematic panels, each featuring three presentations. The first panel discussed nonprofit engagement and featured topics such as volunteerism, youth perspectives, and the representation of people with lived experiences in nonprofit leadership.

The first panel began with Beth Steinhorn, president of VQ Volunteer Strategies, presenting “From Policy to Practice: Elevating Nonprofits Through Strategic Volunteer Engagement.” Strategic volunteer engagement offers nonprofits a wide range of benefits, but many organizations do not devote time, energy, and resources into developing a strategy for volunteer engagement. Steinhorn’s presentation highlighted three success stories to inspire more nonprofit organizations to invest in a volunteer engagement strategy.

We believe a nonprofit sector that is healthy, trusted, and equitable is essential to building a nation where all people thrive and democracy flourishes. To achieve this vision, we need strong nonprofit civic infrastructure that includes representation and voice, healthy and equitable organizations, and conducive, enabling environments.

Dr. Akilah Watkins, Chief Executive Officer, Independent Sector

The second presentation, titled “Youth Perspectives: Civic Engagement, Equity, and Public Policy,” was presented by Jodi Benenson, Eryn Busenbark, Eva Burklund, and Jon Grant from the University of Nebraska Omaha. Their presentation discussed three themes from their exploratory longitudinal research project that sought to uncover the ways young people conceptualize and experience civic mobility. Their research found young people experience several barriers to civic engagement, including a lack of time, money, and social ties. However, they also noted young people value civic engagement and feel empowered when they engage in activities related to their personal identities. Together, their findings offer a baseline understanding of civic engagement as it relates to young people and can help nonprofits craft effective strategies to recruit young volunteers.

The final presentation in the first panel, titled “Shifting and Sharing Power to Persons with Lived Experience through Equitable Process, Intentional Preparation, and Authentic Skill Building in Nonprofit Public Policy and Advocacy,” was presented by Joshua Cogan, Destiny Wiley-Yancy, Evelyn Bagley, Kahran LaTourette and Marcella Middleton from A Way Home America. Their presentation highlighted the importance of centering people with lived experiences to transform the way nonprofits engage in public policy and advocacy. This is done through an equitable process, intentional preparation, and authentic engagement, which encompasses many aspects from fair compensation and proper credit for contributions to offering skills training and changing hiring and employment practices to truly accommodate these individuals with lived experiences.

After a discussion of the first panel and a question and answer period, Dr. Abramson introduced the second panel on the role of technology and AI in nonprofit civic infrastructure.

The first presentation, titled “A Better Deal for Data: Model Commitments to Unlock Data in the Nonprofit Sector,” by Katy McKinney-Bock, Steve Franci and Jim Fruchterman of Tech Matters addressed several of barriers to data-sharing in the nonprofit sector, including a lack of trust, a lack of policy consensus, and sensitive data. While there are several existing data-sharing models, none of these work for the nonprofit sector, Therefore, they proposed a set standardized, enforceable commitments to help nonprofits build accountability and share data.

The second presentation, “Leveraging Data for Generosity: The Giving Tuesday Data Commons Model” by Samir Khan, Jesse Bourns, and Woodrow Rosenbaum of Giving Tuesday, discussed the Giving Tuesday Data Commons. The Giving Tuesday Data Commons is used to collect, extract, distill, and house a growing body datasets on generosity as practiced in the United States and in other countries. The Giving Tuesday Data Commons is an example of the kind of civic infrastructure needed to address many of the concerns surrounding data-sharing in the nonprofit sector as outlined in the first presentation on this panel.

The final presentation of the symposium was titled “AI Policies and the Nonprofit Sector” and was given by Wendy Chen from Texas Tech University. Her presentation highlighted findings from her systematic literature review on the intersection of AI policies and nonprofits. While existing literature has analyzed AI policies in the commercial and public sectors, there is little research on AI policies in the nonprofit sector. This lack of guidance hinders nonprofits’ ability to harness AI’s potential. In the future, establishing policies for AI adoption in nonprofits will be essential to ensure ethical use, prevent harm to vulnerable populations, and maintain public trust.

Congratulations and great job to all of the symposium’s presenters! If you missed the symposium or want to learn more about any of these projects, you can watch the symposium’s recording. Be sure to stay tuned for the Nonprofit Policy Forum’s special issue with all of the papers from the 13th Annual Symposium on Public Policy for Nonprofits coming soon.

REGISTER NOW! The 15th Annual Community Partnership Forum will be held on May 2

Culture is Key:
Workplace Culture
as Competitive
Advantage

Presented by the 15th Annual
Community Partnership Forum

SAVE THE DATE

Join us May 2 to explore the topic of building a better workplace culture as the wisest investment in your organization’s future. A vibrant organizational culture that supports an employee-centric work environment offers a unique and sustainable, competitive advantage.


Join leaders across the business, government, and nonprofit sectors to hear more about top workforce trends and how your organization can thrive when it comes to the talent war and driving results.

Details

  • Tuesday, May 2, 2023
    9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
    George Mason University – Arlington Campus

Topics of Discussion

  • Hybrid work environments
  • Workplace flexibility
  • Equity initiatives
  • Engaging employees
  • And more!

Students can register for free by emailing kpodesta@gmu.edu.
All other participants can register here!

Share this post:

Please join us on April 10 for a talk by nonprofit scholar Dr. Angela M. Eikenberry

Hosted by George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government
at its Mason Square (Arlington) campus

REVEAL, REPAIR, AND (RE)IMAGINE:
REFRAMING PHILANTHROPY THEORY AND PRACTICE
Guest speaker Dr. Angela M. Eikenberry
Monday, April 10, 2023, 10:30am-Noon

Register Now!
About the Speaker

Angela M. Eikenberry, PhD, is a professor in the School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska Omaha. She was awarded the D.B. and Paula Varner Professorship, in recognition of her outstanding research. Dr. Eikenberry’s work has been featured on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” and “The Takeaway” and in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. She recently co-edited a textbook on nonprofit management: Reframing Nonprofit Management: Democracy, Inclusion, and Social Change (Melvin & Leigh, 2018). Dr. Eikenberry is a Fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration.

Abstract of the Talk

Applying a critical perspective can help us to think differently about the work we do in the philanthropic sector and how we do the work to alleviate oppressions and bring about just futures. This presentation draws on several research projects and practice examples to make an argument for using a critical perspective to reframe our research and practice in the philanthropic field through: revealing unexamined assumptions and, unintended consequences; making visible previously invisible systems of power and oppression; repairing or changing these systems of power and oppression; and (re)imagining better futures towards emancipation, transformation, equity, and justice.

Details

Date: Monday, April 10, 2023

Time:10:30am-12pm

Location: Mason Square (Arlington) Campus, Room 113, Van Metre Hall, 3351 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA.  Van Metre Hall is a short walk from the Virginia Square metro station; parking is available in a garage under Van Metre Hall by entering off of Kirkwood Drive.  To find the garage, you can enter “Founders Way North, Arlington” in Google Maps.

Food: Light refreshments and coffee will be provided

Applications for the Nu Lambda Mu international honor society are being accepted until April 21

Apply Today!

The Nu Lambda Mu international honor society was established by the Nonprofit Academic Center’s Council (NACC) to recognize students dedicated to the study of nonprofit management, philanthropy, and social enterprise. It’s mission is to advance the study of nonprofit organizations and their function in society and to promote scholarly achievement among those who engage in these academic pursuits. Nu Lambda Mu is exclusively offered to students of colleges, academic centers, and programs who are members of NACC.

Nu Lambda Mu is highly selective and your membership in this honors society informs academic scholars, employers, and colleagues that you are a superior student and preferred candidate in the workplace. Your academic achievement deserves recognition, and Nu Lambda Mu provides the perfect platform for y you to showcase exemplary leadership, academic merit, and scholarly research that advances the your nonprofit and philanthropic sector. Upon induction, members receive a personalized membership certificate and honors cords which distinguish you as an honors recipient at your graduation ceremony. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity.

Download the Flyer here

Applications for students that meet the requirements below are being accepted from February 15th to April 21st 2023, so be sure to apply today!

  • Be a current graduate or undergraduate student of a NACC member program, and be graduating this spring/summer of 2023 (or have already graduated).
  • Be pursuing a degree, concentration, major, certificate or similar in nonprofit management, philanthropy, and/or social entrepreneurship
  • Hold a minimum GPA of 3.7 (if a graduate student) or 3.5 (if an undergraduate student)
  • Pay the non-refundable $40 application fee **

**scholarships are available to those unable to pay the application fee, reach out for more information!

Contact
nacc@tamu.edu
(979) 862-2089
www.nonprofit-academic-centers-council.org/nu-lambda-mu/

George Mason University Nonprofit Scholars Launch a New Phase of the Nonprofit Employment Data Project

The Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University is pleased to announce that it has received support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation to continue the important work of the Johns Hopkins University – Nonprofit Economic Data (JHU-NED) Project following the passing of Dr. Lester Salamon in August 2021. The project will be led by Dr. Alan Abramson, director of the Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise, in collaboration with his Center faculty colleagues Dr. Stefan Toepler and Dr. Mirae Kim.

Led by Dr. Lester M. Salamon in collaboration with his colleagues S. Wojciech Sokolowski, Stephanie Lessans Geller, and Chelsea Newhouse, the JHU-NED Project surfaced and tapped a crucial new source of data on nonprofit employment and wages embedded in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). The data from the QCEW are unique in that they are systematically collected for all sectors of the economy, making data on nonprofits directly comparable to data on for-profits and government employers. These data revealed that, as of 2017, the nonprofit sector employed more than 1 in every 10 non-government workers in the US—more than all branches of the manufacturing industry combined and behind only retail trade and accommodation and food services. The JHU-NED team’s work to track how this changed over time and how nonprofits compared to their for-profit counterparts in key fields, including health care, education, social services, and the arts, changed the understanding of the importance of these critical institutions. More recently, their work during the COVID-19 pandemic to highlight the impact of the crisis on these institutions provided a unique resource, which in turn, helped lead to a number of important policy changes that supported nonprofit recovery.

The George Mason University – Nonprofit Employment Data (GMU-NED) Project will not only continue the work of the JHU project, but will build on it, bringing the unique expertise of the GMU Center’s faculty and staff to bear to broaden and enhance the available data on nonprofit employment, wages, and economic impact in the US. According to Mott Foundation Associate Program Officer Carlos Rios-Santiago, “Nonprofit employment data is essential for informed and effective nonprofit and philanthropy advocacy efforts. We are confident that Alan Abramson and his team at George Mason University are ready take on the challenge of producing, analyzing, and visualizing this data and are proud to support their efforts.”

What will stay the same
  • Cutting-edge reports. The GMU-NED Project will continue to produce cutting-edge reports on nonprofit establishments, employment, and wages based on available BLS QCEW data. GMU has engaged former JHU-NED project manager Chelsea Newhouse, now a Senior Program Manager at East-West Management Institute, to lead the production of these reports—which will ensure consistency and comparability between previous and new research. As a first step, please look for a brief on current COVID-19 employment impact estimates in December.

In 2023, we will release a major report on state-level data covering the pandemic period and testing the estimates against real-world data. This latter report will also provide important insights into nonprofit wages during the pandemic years, and reveal how nonprofits fared in terms of maintaining wage competitiveness with their for-profit counterparts.

And, of course, we look forward to analyzing the next national BLS data release in 2024, which will include data for 2018-2022 on the national, state, county, and MSA-level data.

  • Nonprofit Works. In addition, the Nonprofit Works interactive database application will remain live while we explore options for further development of the site in anticipation for the planned 2024 release of BLS employment and wage data covering 2018-2022.
  • Data advocacy. We will also continue to work with our colleagues at Independent Sector, the Aspen Institute, the National Council of Nonprofits, and other organizations to seek more frequent release of nonprofit employment data by BLS. The ultimate goal is to have BLS report on nonprofit employment more frequently than every five years, which is the current reporting cycle. As shared by our advocacy partner Independent Sector: “The Nonprofit Economic Data Project revolutionized how policymakers, sector leaders, and the American public view the immense contributions of the nonprofit sector. The importance of that work has never been clearer than during the COVID-19 pandemic. Independent Sector has been honored to advocate with our partners in recent years for critical data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and more. We are thrilled that this work will continue and grow under the leadership of the Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise at George Mason University.”
What we will add
  • Broadening the nonprofit data landscape. We will look to tap our team’s expertise in a broad range of federal data systems to enhance and expand the pool of available data on nonprofit employment, wages, and impact. Tapping into these additional data sources will allow for a more robust understanding of the nonprofit sector’s economic role, the demographics of the nonprofit workforce, and federal funding of nonprofit organizations.

In some cases, these data aren’t being fully used by those interested in the nonprofit sector because sector leaders and researchers are simply unfamiliar with the data sources. In other cases, information on nonprofits in the data sources is incomplete, inaccurate, or not fully identified, and adjustments or corrections are needed before the data can be used with confidence. But, while obstacles to using federal data sources for nonprofit purposes exist, there is great potential in making greater use of these sources. To address this, the project will identify several of the major federal data systems that have the potential to be more useful to nonprofit stakeholders and convene relevant stakeholders—including federal data staff, nonprofit researchers, and nonprofit leaders—to develop plans for overcoming the obstacles preventing better use of these federal data. For example, with one data source, Bureau of Economic Analysis data on nonprofits as a share of the overall economy, a first step would be to convene government and university-based researchers to better understand the strengths and limitations of the current data and how the data can appropriately be used to inform the work of nonprofit leaders. This initiative will follow up work begun by Alan Abramson during his year as a visiting scholar at Independent Sector on developing a state of the nonprofit sector report.

  • Synergies with sector data projects. The GMU-NED Project is well positioned to explore synergies with other on-going efforts to make data on the nonprofit sector more readily accessible. Specifically, we will explore the possibility of folding the BLS and other federal databases on nonprofits into an on-going effort to develop a platform that can become a warehouse of various datasets on the nonprofit sector under the “Developing a Data Platform for Analysis of Nonprofit Organizations” project, funded by the National Science Foundation. GMU-NED Director Alan Abramson and Dr. Mirae Kim, who have been involved in this effort, will lead the discussion around integrating BLS and other federal data into the platform. 
  • Building networks for nonprofit data. The GMU-NED Project will also explore with other stakeholders creating and hosting a network for federal officials who work with databases containing useful nonprofit data. We believe convening these officials on a regular basis would be of significant benefit for the nonprofit sector by highlighting the importance of nonprofit data for federal data experts, creating opportunities for collaboration, and expanding the pool of experts who can support nonprofit data generation, publication, and analysis within federal data systems.

Our team at George Mason University is excited to partner with the Mott Foundation and the East-West Management Institute to carry the important work of the JHU-NED project forward, to expand the available data on the nonprofit sector, and to ensure that this vital information remains available to sector stakeholders. “The exceptional team at the GMU-NED Project is uniquely positioned to carry on the pioneering work of Lester Salamon and his colleagues,” said Cinthia Schuman Ottinger, Director of the Nonprofit Data Project at the Aspen Institute’s Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation. “The nation’s third largest private employer—the nonprofit sector—continues to face extraordinary needs in the wake of COVID-19 and economic challenges. A regular source of employment and wage data to track the nonprofit workforce and its capacity has never been more essential. I look forward to working and advocating with GMU!”

For inquiries, contact:

Chelsea Newhouse, cnewhouse@ewmi.org

Kristina Podesta, kpodesta@gmu.edu

If you would like to keep up-to-date on new data, initiatives, and developments in the nonprofit employment and wage data space, please be sure to subscribe to our mailing list here.