About the Project:
Research Design

The project began in June 2000 and has produced a substantial body of research results. It includes five major phases.

PHASE I - Developing a Comprehensive Database of Indiana Nonprofits (ongoing)

We have constructed a comprehensive database of Indiana nonprofits, using a unique methodology that combines a variety of data sources. Several papers and reports based on these efforts (see "research results") describe what we have learned about the composition of the Indiana nonprofit sector and about the challenges involved in working with different types of nonprofits listings. This work began in the fall of 1999 and was completed in August of 2001 with updates in 2002, 2004 and 2005. A searchable, web-based listing of Indiana nonprofits from our database (based on the 2005 update) is now available, hosted by the Indiana Business Research Center. For a description of how the database was created, see our database protocol (you will need the Acrobat program to read the paper) as well as several papers posted on our "Paper Abstracts" page.

PHASE II - Profiling the Indiana Nonprofit Sector (in process)

We have completed two surveys of Indiana nonprofits to profile their characteristics and describe their management challenges and capacities.

2002 Survey of Indiana Nonprofits (completed)

Indiana Nonprofit Capacity Assessment (in process)

Phase I of the Indiana Nonprofit Capacity Assessment project is now completed. Between January and March of 2007 we surveyed Indiana charities that were either affiliate members of the Indiana Grantmakers Alliance or Indiana Grantees of Lumina Foundation for Education. A total of 91 organizations responded to the web-based survey for a response rate of 43 percent. We asked responding nonprofits to identify their three most significant capacity building or technical assistance needs and the best ways to address them. We also examine seven broad categories of capacity building identified in the literature in order to establish which specific dimensions in each category present the most severe and/or widespread challenges. For each of the broad categories, we also asked respondents to indicate how helpful various types of funding, technical assistance, or peer learning would be in addressing the challenges. We plan to administer the survey to other nonprofits shortly, including those that responded to our 2002 Indiana nonprofit survey in order to determine how management challenges and capacities have changed over the 2002-2007 period. Results are posted on our "Research Results" page.

PHASE III - Community Profile Analysis (in process)

During Phase II of our project, we have profiled the nonprofit sector in the 12 participating communities. We plan continuing analysis on how the scope, structure and linkages of the community's nonprofit sector relate to community social, political, economic, and cultural characteristics. This work is currently underway. For more information on this, please see the Project Synopsis.

PHASE IV - Supplementary Data Sources on Indiana Nonprofits (ongoing)

Although not part of the project as originally conceived, we have begun a series of annual reports on nonprofit employment in Indiana, using special analyses of data from the Covered Employment and Wage Program prepared for us by the Indiana Business Research Center. These reports document the size, composition, and distribution of paid employment in the private nonprofit sector in Indiana over time, including trends in nonprofit, for-profit, and government employment and wages as well as industry and regional differences in nonprofit employment. Reports for several economic regions have also been completed. For more information on this, please see the Project Synopsis.

PHASE V - Study of Nonprofit Networks & Development of Curricular Materials (in planning stage)

Future plans include conducting in-depth case studies of organizations involved in networks or other collaborative relationships, with particular attention to religious linkages. We also plan to collaborate with the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy and The Fundraising School at the Center, to develop curriculum additions and adaptations based on project findings. For more information on this, please see the Project Synopsis.