Managing Nonprofits - Research Paper Example

This paradigm shift has resulted in certain perceptions that question their integrity, their mission and purpose as well as their role in the society. As more and more nonprofit organizations are adopting the approach, there is a need to redefine their roles and approach towards the society. The tendency to become business-like is a very interesting paradox (Malamut and Thomas, 2008). The nonprofit organizations have been battling with the issue of very less support from governments as well as private donors.

At the same time, there was also an increased pressure of demands from the society. Paradoxically, in this situation, efficiency mattered and easiest way to achieve this efficiency was by embracing the best practices of the business world. However, instead of just adopting the best business practices, the non profits went a step further and adopted many business related approaches, there by become more corporate like in their structure as well as approach. One important consequence that came out of adopting this strategy was that the culture, business, mission and even public image of the non-profit organizations got undermined.

This study is an attempt to identify the public perception about non-profit organizations and to recommend different ways using which these organizations can be managed both efficiently and effectively, maintaining both ethical and legal practices, remaining financially solvent as well as attending to the mission of service. A nonprofit organization is an organization that does not distribute its surplus money to its founders or stakeholders and neither does it goes public to issue stocks or shares.

Instead, any funds or surplus amount is used to achieve the primary mission of the organizations (Laidler-Kylander and Simonin, 2009). Organizations such as charities, trade organizations, arts organizations and so on fall under this category. In the parlance of nonprofit organizations,