Nonprofit Trusteeship in Different Contexts

Book excerpt: Critical interest in the characteristics, make-up and management of nonprofit organizations has seldom been higher. As this impetus grows, this important book draws on advances in neo-institutional organizational theory to explore the environmental and contextual influences on the structure and composition of boards of nonprofit organizations. Using information theoretic modelling, the book studies the interactions of time, place and organizational types (including faith affiliation) on US nonprofit boards, using unique quantitative data, collected from over 300 prestigious nonprofit organizations in a range of major US cities. With examples drawn from a variety of nonprofit sectors, including hospitals, museums, orchestras, universities, family services and community foundations, the book examines how boards evolve over time, in often unexpected ways; and in ways which reflect the regional, industrial and religious differences in the same period. Detailing the important implications for theory, practice and policy, this is the first book-length treatment of this topic to feature such a range of industries, geographic areas, and time frames. It offers a refreshing narrative and scientific approach; new and comprehensive subject matter; and a sweeping new time frame for literature in the field.