How Do Faith-Based Organizations Compare to Secular Providers? Nonprofit Directors' and Poor Women's Assessments of FBOs

Abstract

Over the last decade, policy-makers have pushed faithbased organizations (FBOs) to increase their role in providing services to welfare-reliant and low-income families. Using data from qualitative research, I detail how poor women and nonprofit directors serving poor individuals in Philadelphia have conflicting understandings of FBOs. A substantial proportion of secular nonprofit directors question whether FBOs have the capacity to provide the range of services poor women need. Furthermore, nonprofit directors largely focused on how FBOs differ from other types of social service providers in four main areas:(1) individualized, caring treatment of clients, (2) religiosity in service delivery, (3) connections to the community, and (4) professionalization. Interviews with the poor women, however, counter many of the nonprofit directors' assumptions and reveal that these women experience FBOs and secular nonprofits in similar ways. These findings not only suggest dis-

Religion versus state and the struggle for control in society’s developmental arena: a review

“…This calls for greater research towards understanding how FBOs can work well with government towards effective service delivery. Ragan (2004), Wuthnow, Hackett and Hsu (2004), Kissane (2007) and Lipsky (2011) evaluate the effectiveness of FBOs' efforts in development. Ragan (2004) compares the performance of faith-based affiliates and other social service providers.…”

Faith-Based Organizations as Service Providers and Their Relationship to Government

“…FBOs and secular organizations were viewed differently by nonprofit directors in the personalized treatment of clients, religiosity in service delivery, community connections, and level of professionalization while clients experienced the two types of organizations in similar ways (Kissane, 2008). FBOs and secular organizations were viewed differently by nonprofit directors in the personalized treatment of clients, religiosity in service delivery, community connections, and level of professionalization while clients experienced the two types of organizations in similar ways (Kissane, 2008).…”

“…Bishop (2006) described the increased service demands on community action agencies resulting from cutbacks in state social service spending and welfare reform. Likewise, Kissane (2005Kissane ( , 2008 questioned the capacity of FBOs to take on services for low-income and welfare-reliant families and poor women. Sosin and Smith (2006) found the level of services provided rarely increased to meet increasing demand and any increment to service delivery was not responsive to eligibility for government funding due to policy changes.…”

Nonprofit organizations and government: Implications for policy and practice

“…Studies in which poor women are asked about nonprofit social service organizations suggest that they are rather disconnected from such agencies not only in terms of utilization but also in how they view neighborhood problems, needs, and organizations (Kissane, 2003(Kissane, , 2007Edin & Lein, 1997;Kissane & Gingerich, 2004).…”

“…As might be expected, women learn of agencies predominantly through people within their social networks, which ultimately means that the extent of their knowledge is dictated largely by how well-informed their social ties are and their willingness to discuss services with them (Kissane, 2003). Notably, poor women may know the least about small and faith-based agencies-those that are often trumpeted in the present policy environs as being most conducive to reaching and serving poor individuals (Kissane, 2007). Even when individuals "know" of agencies, however, their information on them is often incomplete and devoid of specifics, such that they remain unaware of the types of services that agencies offer or their eligibility requirements.…”