The Impact of Nonprofits in Our Society
“There is a growing consensus among scholars and practitioners that creating and maintaining active citizen involvement through associations and groups of all kinds is an important feature of strong communities. Robert Putnam’s study (1993) of regional governments in Italy popularized the concept of civil society. He found that the strong tradition of civic engagement among a myriad of social and cultural groups was a key factor in producing strong government and economic success. Putnam argues that differences in community networks and norms can make a difference in a community’s ability to thrive. Seen in this context, building the capacity of nonprofit organizations can be viewed as an important strategy for building civil society in local areas.” (DeVita, Carol J. & Cory Fleming, eds., Building Capacity in Nonprofit Organizations. The Urban Institute. 2001)
- Arts, culture and humanities
- Education
- Environment
- Animal protection
- Health
- Human services
- Faith based organizations
- Building community,
- Fostering civil society, and
- Strengthening our social fabric