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The Non-Profit Sector: A Research Handbook
Walter W. Powell & Richard Steinberg (Eds)
New Haven & London: Yale University Press, February 2007. 659pp, Hardback. ISBN 978-0-300-10903-0 www.yalebooks.com £40.00
The first edition of Powell's Research Handbook has been an essential source of reference since it was first published in 1987. This new edition is thoroughly updated and includes two chapters of particular interest to people working in the philanthropy sector. Paul G. Schervish, John J. Havens and Mary A. O'Herlihy's chapter on 'Charitable Giving: How Much, by Whom, to What and How?' uses US data but provides an analysis that is of wider interest. A subsequent chapter, 'Why do People Give?' By Lise Vesterlund reviews a range of motivational theories in search of practical conclusions that enhance understanding of giving behaviours.
Viewpoints 2007: Intervening at the Inflection Point
Maximilian Martin (Ed)
UBS Philanthropy Services, 2007
This stimulating document contains a range of articles written by experienced and new philanthropic commentators who share a belief that global philanthropy is on the verge of a qualitative shift in contributing to the public good. The inflection point is said to exist where "the old strategic picture dissolves and gives way to the new". Not dissimilar to the idea of a 'tipping point', the authors argue that well-timed and skilfully designed philanthropic interventions can help us face the massive global challenges that humanity currently faces. The argument is illustrated with diverse examples including family foundations, social entrepreneurship and cultural philanthropy. Hard copies of this publication are available free, please email your request to maximilian.martin@ubs.com.
The Legitimacy of Philanthropic Foundations: United States and European Perspectives
Kenneth Prewitt, Mattei Dogan, Steven Heydemann and Stefan Toepler
New York: Russell Sage Foundation, October 2006. 294pp, Hardback. ISBN 978-0-87154-696-8 www.russellsage.org/ $45.00
Though privately controlled, foundations perform essential roles that serve society at large. They spearhead some of the world's largest and most innovative initiatives in science, health, education and the arts, fulfilling important needs that could not be addressed adequately in the marketplace or in the public sector. Still, many people have little understanding of what foundations do, what their goals are and how they continue to earn public endorsement. The Legitimacy of Philanthropic Foundations provides a thorough examination of why foundations exist and the varied purposes they serve in contemporary democratic societies. The book is a joint project of the Mattei Dogan Foundation, Russell Sage Foundation and Social Science Research Council. Contributors are largely US-based but include academics based in the UK, Germany, Italy and Denmark.
A Dictionary of Nonprofit Terms and Concepts
David Horton Smith, Robert A. Stebbins and Michael A. Dover
Indiana: Indiana University Press, April 2007. 320pp, Cloth. ISBN-13: 978-0-253-34783-1 www.iupress.indiana.edu $35.00
This reference work defines more than 1,200 terms and concepts that have been found useful in past research and theory on the non-profit sector. The entries reflect the importance of philanthropy as well as associations, citizen participation, voluntary action, non-profit management, volunteer administration, leisure, and political activities of non-profits. This dictionary is born of a belief that a general theory of the non-profit sector is needed; clarity regarding basic terms and concepts is the first stage in developing such a theory. The authors collaborated with international colleagues in an effort to make the dictionary useful outside North America, though it retains a US-centric outlook. More than 60 pages of bibliography provide an excellent resource for anyone wishing to review the key literature in the field.
Where the Green Grants Went 3: Patterns of UK Funding for Environmental and Conservation Work
Jon Cracknell and Heather Godwin
London: Environmental Funders Network, May 2007. 45pp. Download freely available at www.greenfunders.org/wp-content/uploads/wtggw3-final-260507.pdf
The report analyses the funding provided to environmental causes, looking at the grants of 176 trusts and foundations. It also includes a section where experienced fundraisers provide feedback on what they thought would make the grants market function more effectively. There also is an overview of the funding for 75 leading environmental organisations in the UK, looking at the income streams that were most important to them, how much of their funding was restricted, and how income is distributed across the sector.
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