Determinants of Sustainability and Organisational Effectiveness in Non-Profit Organisations

Abstract

This case study investigates the criteria for organizational effectiveness in non-profit organizations (NPOs) with the aim to determine how the elements of sustainability fit within the criteria. To achieve this, the study utilized the research questions: "what criteria do NPOs use to evaluate their effectiveness?" and "how is sustainability embedded in NPO effectiveness?" The research design was interpretivist, adopting focus group interviews to obtain data. Specifically, two focus group interviews were held with the top management of an NPO which revealed that both financial and non-financial criteria were equally essential for NPO effectiveness. This finding is consistent with the literature, although it contradicts the initial assumption of the study that NPO effectiveness was based more on non-financial criteria than financial criteria. The study also found that the effectiveness of an NPO should be viewed in two ways: firstly, "the full achievement of its mandate" and, secondly, "the ability to run business projects to cover cost." It also emerged that both the ability to cover costs and the achievement of a mandate should be done in a sustainable manner (a sustainable manner is seen as one that is harmonious with the natural and the socio-political environment). The results of this paper present a practical case for the management of NPOs by reiterating that the full achievement of the NPO mandate and the successful running of social projects to generate funds for sustainability are key elements of effectiveness. Given the essential role that NPOs play in developing countries, this study has OPEN ACCESS Sustainability 2015, 7 9561 provided the foundation for more widespread enquiry into the sustainability and effectiveness of NPOs.

Toward a Romanian NPOs Sustainability Model: Determinants of Sustainability

“…Explicit scope, community dedication SR_1 [94,95] Budget and financial transparency SR_2 [96][97][98] Decision making is not based on NPO equity SR_3 [94,99] Stakeholder involvement in financial decisions SR_4 [100] High number of volunteers SR_5 [73] Data analysis was performed using the SPSS statistical software. We used univariate and bivariate analysis methods and tested the validity and consistency of the model using statistical hypothesis testing and research.…”

Variable Implementation of Sexuality Education in Three Nigerian States

“…; Fowler ; Höhn ; Armistead and Pettigrew ; Iwu et al. ). A fourth is donor selection of particular states over others, either because of their stability or because they anticipate limited local resistance and greatest success (Fruterro and Gauri ; Hasnain ; Hasnain and Jasimuddin , ).…”

“…The second explanation pertains to capabilities of domestic champions and NGOs to implement intervention programs (Fowler ; Höhn ; Iwu et al. ). Another possible explanation is state agencies’ varying capacities for conducting effective programs and collaboration across sectors and organizations (Greenhalgh et al.…”

“…Major factors influencing the effectiveness of NGOs include their innovation in performing complex tasks (Fowler ; Iwu et al. ), quality of management and service (Iwu et al. ), ability to attract donors and manage funds effectively (Fowler ; Höhn ; Iwu et al.…”

Sustainability Perceptions in Romanian Non-Profit Organizations: An Exploratory Study Using Success Factor Analysis

“…Sustainability of organizations, both for-profit and non-profit, have become a prominent theme in the literature in the last decades [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Various studies have examined the reasons why some organizations have better results than others or, in other cases, to understand why they fail [8][9][10].…”