More Empty Rah-Rah-Rahing from Researchers on the Accountability Front
posted on: Thursday, October 13, 2005
Good news on the nonprofit accountability front, or yet another methodologically weak research project designed to thwart better public oversight of nonprofit organizations? You decide:
A new study from Lester Salamon, who directs the Center for Civil Society Studies at the Institute for Policy Studies at Johns Hopkins University, suggests that Senator Charles Grassley’s concerns about nonprofit accountability shortcomings are all for naught. Among other findings, the study’s executive summary reports that “The boards of overwhelming majorities (85-90 percent) of the nonprofit organizations surveyed are highly or significantly involved in the key strategic oversight functions that nonprofit boards are expected to perform.” Overall, the executive summary suggests that all is indeed well and good in the land of nonprofit accountability.
However, the full report reveals that the data are drawn from only 247 organizations, and that 207 of them are affiliated with at least one of the five umbrella organizations that are partners with Salamon’s group in the research. Yet Salamon still somehow concludes that his evidence “strongly suggests…that the presumed problems with the management and accountability of nonprofit organizations have been significantly exaggerated.” The report also states that “the dire assessments emanating from alarmist media accounts seem significantly overdrawn. The nonprofit sector is well along toward getting its organizational house in order and legislative fixes premised on worst-case scenarios should therefore be approached with considerable caution.”
Let’s assume, for the sake of argument and amusement, that Salamon is right: that 85 to 90 percent of nonprofit boards are doing just fine with oversight and accountability. With close to 1 million charities and foundations on file with the IRS in 2004, that leaves up to 150,000 organizations having boards that are not involved in “key strategic oversight functions,” and other significant accountability shortcomings.
Bottom line: It’s time for the Senate to act and for the nonprofit researchers to get back to doing credible research, rather than serving as cheerleaders for the sector.
A new study from Lester Salamon, who directs the Center for Civil Society Studies at the Institute for Policy Studies at Johns Hopkins University, suggests that Senator Charles Grassley’s concerns about nonprofit accountability shortcomings are all for naught. Among other findings, the study’s executive summary reports that “The boards of overwhelming majorities (85-90 percent) of the nonprofit organizations surveyed are highly or significantly involved in the key strategic oversight functions that nonprofit boards are expected to perform.” Overall, the executive summary suggests that all is indeed well and good in the land of nonprofit accountability.
However, the full report reveals that the data are drawn from only 247 organizations, and that 207 of them are affiliated with at least one of the five umbrella organizations that are partners with Salamon’s group in the research. Yet Salamon still somehow concludes that his evidence “strongly suggests…that the presumed problems with the management and accountability of nonprofit organizations have been significantly exaggerated.” The report also states that “the dire assessments emanating from alarmist media accounts seem significantly overdrawn. The nonprofit sector is well along toward getting its organizational house in order and legislative fixes premised on worst-case scenarios should therefore be approached with considerable caution.”
Let’s assume, for the sake of argument and amusement, that Salamon is right: that 85 to 90 percent of nonprofit boards are doing just fine with oversight and accountability. With close to 1 million charities and foundations on file with the IRS in 2004, that leaves up to 150,000 organizations having boards that are not involved in “key strategic oversight functions,” and other significant accountability shortcomings.
Bottom line: It’s time for the Senate to act and for the nonprofit researchers to get back to doing credible research, rather than serving as cheerleaders for the sector.
posted by NCRP at
3:48 PM
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