Nonprofits Daring to Be Different as Moral Dark Energy Improving the World

Book excerpt: Voluntary associations (VAs) are the oldest and most frequent type of groups in the charitable, voluntary, nonprofit, third, or civil society sector worldwide. Smith’s book reviews the positive long-term historical impacts of some fundamentally deviant VAs (DVAs) or dark side examples of such associations. Dissenting DVAs such as the American Anti-Slavery Society in the 1800s and the National Woman’s Party in the early 1900s worked long and effectively to foster U.S. socio-cultural progress and ethical evolution as part of the global rights revolution. Parallel Noxious DVAs like the German Nazi Party or Heaven’s Gate mass suicide cult had opposite, deeply harmful impacts. Eccentric DVAs like nudist/naturist clubs or Oneida free-love commune (mid-1800s) were largely harmless hobbies, with little harmful impact.