Bridging the Gaps: Local Government and Nonprofit Collaborations

Authors

  • Todd Collins Western Carolina University
  • John David Gerlach Western Carolina University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20899/jpna.5.2.118-133

Keywords:

Local Government, Nonprofit, Collaboration, Partnerships

Abstract

Local governments and nonprofit organizations often struggle to provide quality services to their residents and clients. One potential way for these organizations to overcome obstacles in service provision is to engage in joint programming and service delivery. In this study, we use original survey data collected from local government and nonprofit managers in the state of North Carolina to examine recent trends in collaboration between these sectors. Specifically, we explore the perceptions of these managers concerning the types of collaborations that work best, the types of collaborations that are least successful, and the factors that foster or hinder cooperation. We also explore the perceptions that these managers have about the other. We hypothesize that positive perceptions of the other sector, greater access to resources, operating in a more urbanized environment, and participation in past positive cross-sector collaboration experiences will all lead to increased collaboration between local governments and nonprofits. We find, however, that although an organization’s resources and managerial perceptions of the other sector do influence collaboration, having participated in a past successful collaboration does not necessarily lead to an increase in future partnerships.

Author Biographies

  • Todd Collins, Western Carolina University

    Todd Collins is the Steed Distinguished Professor in Public Policy in the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs at Western Carolina University (WCU). He earned his J.D. from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his Ph.D. from University of Georgia. Dr. Collins serves as the Director of the Public Policy Institute at WCU. The Public Policy Institute is a nonpartisan and independent research and outreach organization that works with community partners in Western North Carolina. Dr. Collins’s research focuses on law and courts, constitutional law, and judicial behavior. His publications appear in numerous political science journals, law reviews, and media outlets.

  • John David Gerlach, Western Carolina University

    John David Gerlach is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs at WCU. He earned his Ph.D. in Public Administration from North Carolina State University. Dr. Gerlach serves as the MPA Director at WCU. Dr. Gerlach’s research focuses on nonprofit management and environmental policy issues. Dr. Gerlach’s publications appear in numerous political science and public administration journals and media outlets. Dr. Gerlach serves on multiple nonprofit boards and committees in Western North Carolina and served nonprofits in a similar capacity in West Texas prior to joining the faculty at WCU.

Downloads

Published

2019-08-01

Issue

Section

Research Articles

Similar Articles

1-10 of 198

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >>