News and Updates

Center Director Alan Abramson Recounts Reagan-era Nonprofit Research and Advocacy, Highlighting Some Similarities to Present Day

At a recent convening hosted by the Urban Institute’s Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, Mason Nonprofit Center Director Alan Abramson reflected on his early work with Lester Salamon during the Reagan Administration’s era of federal budget cuts, offering insights that continue to resonate with today’s nonprofit sector challenges. Abramson and Salamon began collaborating at the…
New George Mason University Report Highlights Nonprofit Wages Compared to For-profits and Government

The Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise in George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government is pleased to announce the release of a new report, Spotlight on Nonprofit Wages, from the George Mason University – Nonprofit Employment Data Project (GMU-NED). The report shows that charitable nonprofit workers in the U.S. are, overall,…
The Future of Nonprofit Regulation: A Special Double Issue of Nonprofit Policy Forum

Nonprofit Policy Forum (NPF), which is hosted at the Schar School’s Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise, is pleased to announce the release of a special double issue devoted to a critical, understudied topic: The Future of Nonprofit Regulation in the U.S.
Center Faculty Participating in ARNOVA’s Annual Conference from November 20-22

The Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action’s (ARNOVA) 54th annual conference will be held at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown from November 20, 2025, through November 22, 2025. This year’s theme, “The Evolving Role of Philanthropy in Global, National, and Local Contexts,” will be explored within two plenary sessions, 180+ panel/paper presentation sessions,…
14th Symposium on Public Policy for Nonprofits

Breaking Through The NoiseAssessing and Communicating the Impact of Nonprofits and Philanthropy Date: September 12, 2025Location: Virtual Hosted by: Independent Sector, ARNOVA, and Nonprofit Policy Forum Now more than ever, nonprofits need effective strategies to communicate about their impact. On September 12, the Symposium on Public Policy for Nonprofits will bring experts together to help…
Charles Kieffer Honored with 2025 Posner Award for Federal Budgeting Excellence

On June 13, surrounded by friends and former colleagues at the OMB/BOB Alumni Society’s spring luncheon, Charles E. Kieffer received the 2025 Paul L. Posner Federal Budgeting Career Legacy Award, a well-earned recognition for more than four decades of outstanding public service in the federal budgeting world. Now in its eleventh year, the Posner Award…
Nonprofit Employment in the States, 2017-2022

The Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise in George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government is pleased to announce the release of a new report, Nonprofit Employment in the States, 2017-2022, from the George Mason University – Nonprofit Employment Data Project (GMU-NED) focusing on nonprofit employment and wages in 53 states and…
Center Director Alan Abramson Discusses President Trump’s Federal Spending Cuts in Chronicle of Philanthropy Article

Center Director Professor Alan Abramson was cited in a recent article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy on the impact of President Trump’s federal spending cuts on the nonprofit sector. Dr. Abramson and several other philanthropy experts referred back to President Reagan’s economic policies in the 1980s to explore possible parallels with the current cuts. Ultimately,…
The Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise Hosts Dr. Samir Abu Rumman as Visiting Research Scholar

The Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government is excited to host Dr. Samir Abu Rumman, PhD as a visiting research scholar for the 2024-25 academic year. Dr. Abu Rumman’s research focuses on the influence Gulf countries gain through their funding of the United Nations…
Announcing the Launch of George Mason University’s Nonprofit Works Data Explorer!

Explore 30+ years of comparative and contextual data on nonprofit employment, establishments, and wages We are happy to announce the launch of the new Nonprofit Works: An Interactive Database on Nonprofit Employment and Wages, fully re-developed and updated by the George Mason University – Nonprofit Employment Data (GMU-NED) Project with support from the C.S. Mott…
Federal Staff Show Nonprofit Researchers How to Access Federal Data on Nonprofits at ARNOVA 2024

Center leader, Dr. Alan Abramson, brought together federal staff from several federal agencies to show nonprofit researchers how to access federal data regarding nonprofit employment, federal funding of nonprofits, volunteering, and more at the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action’s (ARNOVA) 2024 annual conference in Washington, DC on November 21. Julie Beckhusen…
2024 Nonprofit Employment Data Report: New Data Reveal Nonprofits’ Strengths and Challenges in the COVID-19 Era

The Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise in George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government is pleased to announce the release of the 2024 Nonprofit Employment Data Report from the George Mason University – Nonprofit Employment Data Project (GMU-NED). This brief report provides a first look at new data from the U.S.…
Volunteerism in U.S. National Parks: Dr. Bryer from the University of Central Florida Presents Early Research Findings at Nonprofit Center Event

The Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise hosted Dr. Thomas Bryer on November 12th to discuss early findings from his year-long research project on volunteerism in the U.S. national parks. The National Park Service (NPS) has run the Volunteers-in-Parks program for more than 50 years, yet NPS collects minimal data on its volunteers. According…
Join Us for ARNOVA’s Special Pre-Conference Event, Capitol Conversations, on November 20

Join us for a special, free networking event designed specifically to bring together nonprofit professionals and researchers! Capitol Conversations is happening on Wednesday, November 20 from 4:30-6 p.m. at the Westin Washington, DC Downtown Hotel in conjunction with the annual conference of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA). ARNOVA is the…
Center Faculty Participating in ARNOVA’s Annual Conference from November 21-23

The Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action’s (ARNOVA) 53rd annual conference will be held at the Westin Washington, DC Downtown hotel from Thursday, November 21 through Saturday, November 23. This year’s theme, “Dreaming for a Bright Nonprofit Future: Policy-Making, Technology, and Collaboration in a Dynamic Environment,” will facilitate discussion on a wide…
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…
Learn About Volunteerism in the U.S. National Parks with Dr. Thomas Bryer on November 12

Join the Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise on Tuesday, November 12 at 1 p.m. to hear from Dr. Thomas Bryer about his methodological innovations and early findings from a year-long research project on volunteerism in the U.S. national parks. Research on volunteerism in national parks is rare. According to the National Park Service,…
Director Alan Abramson Participating in Local Government Event on October 9th

There’s a saying that all politics is local. As we stand at a quarter of the way into this century, how are local governments operating, and, importantly, keeping in sync with their constituents in today’s world of rapid technology, social media and polarization? When contending with critical social issues like affordable housing or economic development,…
Register for the 2024 Symposium on Public Policy for Nonprofits on September 20

Join a community of leading academics, nonprofit practitioners, community advocates, and regulators for the virtual 13th Annual Symposium on Public Policy for Nonprofits on Friday, September 20 from 1-4 p.m. ET.  This year’s theme, “Nonprofit Civic Infrastructure: A Recipe for a Thriving Nation,” will focus on experience- and research-based policy ideas to strengthen the sector. Attendees…
Leon Panetta Receives 2024 Paul L. Posner Federal Budgeting Career Legacy Award

Leon Panetta, former U.S. Secretary of Defense and former director of the CIA, was presented with the 2024 Paul L. Posner Federal Budgeting Career Legacy Award at the annual spring lunch on May 20 of the Office of Management and Budget/Bureau of the Budget Alumni Society. The award, sponsored by George Mason University’s Schar School of…

Join Our Mailing List!