Research Reports
Exploring the Imapct of the Cannabis Industry on Nonprofits in Colorado
Jessica Berrett & Kate Quintana (2023)
The goal of this study is to explore the impact of the cannabis industry on nonprofits in Colorado. Data was collected from surveys that were distributed to nonprofits across the state in Janaury 2023. The study specifically addressed the following research questions: 1) What are the differences between organizations that will and will not accept donations from dispensaries? 2) What ethical considerations guide nonprofits in accepting or declining donations from cannabis dispensaries? 3) Despite legalization in Colorado, do nonprofits perceive cannabis-dervied funds as tainted? 4) Is cannabis philanthropy perceived similarly to support from alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and pharmaceutical philanthropy? 5) Would nonprofits that reject dispensary funding also decline state-provided cannabis tax funds? 6) What potential benefits could cannabis philanthropy have on Colorado’s nonprofits?
Measures and Determinants of Nonprofit Efficiency in Habitat for Humanity
Jessica Berrett & Alexandra Lahoud (2020)
Nonprofit organizations continue to be faced with pressure to be efficient. However, there lacks consensus on the most appropriate measures of efficiency as well as an understanding of how nonprofits can be most efficient. Therefore, this study takes an on-the-ground approach intended to afford a more practical view of nonprofit efficiency by conducting interviews with nonprofit leaders of Habitat for Humanity affiliates, to gain a better understanding of the measures and determinants of efficiency. This exploratory qualitative study reveals two key findings with implications for both nonprofit scholars and practitioners. First, an overarching measure of nonprofit organizational efficiency does not exist, necessitating a multidimensional approach. Second, findings indicate that practitioners tend to think about the quality of their human capital as the most important determinant of their overall organizational efficiency, rather than the quantity of their costs.
Carrying Capacity from the Community Perspective: A Case Study of One Nonprofit Sector
Jessica Berrett, Amanda Stewart & Kerri Kuenzi (2017)
The size, density and capacity of nonprofit sectors is of importance to both nonprofit practitioners and researchers. What nonprofit leaders describe as overcrowded and competitive, nonprofit scholars define in terms of supply and demand factors that explain sector size and density. Developing a case study of one nonprofit sector in the southeastern U.S., we combine factors of sector density and network relations with viewpoints of those working in the local sector to examine nonprofit sector capacity. The case study uses secondary data of community and economic factors along with primary data from surveys and interviews with local nonprofits. Taken together, this study furthers nonprofit density and carrying capacity research, as well as provides those working in the sector with awareness about how sector density and capacity affect their work in addressing community needs.