Reimagining nonprofits : sector theory in the twenty-first century /

Edited by Witesman and Child (both, Brigham Young Univ.), this volume examines the origins, purposes, roles, and contexts for the international nonprofit sector. Several chapters detail, critique, and offer alternative hypotheses to established sector theories, including the three failures theory. Lacking are more recent frameworks that envision nonprofits as community development assets, levers for systems change, nodes within community networks, and contributors to social well-being. Additionally, the important influences that corporations and private philanthropic foundations have on shaping nonprofit missions and goals are missing. Other chapters offer useful case studies from several non-Western countries (e.g., Russia, China, Nigeria, South Korea) and offer important and provocative perspectives: social economy (chapters 6 and 15); family sector and various forms of government (chapter 7); Muslim and non-Western perspectives on charitable activities (chapter 9); and how information availability drives donors (chapter 10). Missed opportunities include explorations of the "value" provided by nonprofits and the related concept of impact; how to evaluate meaningful, positive outcomes from nonprofits' activities; and recent international development approaches that offer greater autonomy to local actors and evaluate against meaningful and actionable outcomes. This publication is appropriate for those studying policies, governance structures, funding, and laws for international development and social benefit efforts. Summing Up: Optional. Researchers and faculty only. --Kathryn Matthew, independent scholar