1st Edition
Organizational Histories of Nonprofit Human Service Organizations
This book is based on an important but complicated question: How have nonprofit human service organizations sustained themselves over time? It documents the organizational histories of pioneering nonprofits that have unique missions and significant longevity – in one case, 157 years. This volume provides one of the few documented histories of nonprofit human service organizations and includes a cross-case analysis of the major themes that help to expand our understanding of organizational lifecycles with respect to organizational growth and resilience. The major themes appear in the form of clusters of organizations that are exemplars of: leadership (experiences of either founding or long-term executive directors); internal operations (capacity to respond to changing community needs); and external relations (capacity to develop unique and/or sustained relationships with funding sources and/or donor populations). These cases also provide students of nonprofit management with opportunities for case-based learning that complements the more time-limited and episodic teaching cases which rarely provide learners with a longitudinal perspective of nonprofit organizations.
This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work.
1. Introduction Michael J. Austin
2. Growth and Resilience of Pioneering Nonprofit Human Service Organizations: A Cross-Case Analysis of Organizational Histories Sara E. Kimberlin, Sara L. Schwartz, and Michael J. Austin
Part I: Organizational Exemplars of Sustained Leadership
3. BANANAS: Providing Child Care Services to a Multi-Ethnic Community Catherine M. Vu, Sara L. Schwartz, and Michael J. Austin
4. The Unity Council at 40: A Pioneering Community Development and Service Organization (1967–2007) Gabriel Orozco, Sara L. Schwartz, and Michael J. Austin
5. Girls Incorporated of Alameda County at 50: A Voice for Girls (1958–2008) Cecilia Terrazas, Sara L. Schwartz, and Michael J. Austin
6. Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth: A Pioneering Child Advocacy Organization (1974–2008) Sarah Carnochan and Michael J. Austin
Part II: Organizational Exemplars of Re-Inventing Internal Operations
7. Larkin Street Youth Services: Helping Kids Get Off the Street for Good (1982–2007) Loren Farrar, Sara L. Schwartz, and Michael J. Austin
8. Asian Community Mental Health Services at 35: A Pioneering Ethnic Organization (1973–2008) Catherine M. Vu, Sara L. Schwartz, and Michael J. Austin
9. CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: Strengthening the Capacities of Nonprofits (1971–2008) Jessica R. Eschman, Sara L. Schwartz, and Michael J. Austin
10. Black Adoption Placement and Research Center at 25: Placing African-American Children in Permanent Homes (1983–2008) Sara L. Schwartz and Michael J. Austin
Part III: Organizational Exemplars of Substantial External Relations
11. Shelter Network: Serving Homeless Families and Individuals (1987–2007) Sara E. Kimberlin, Sara L. Schwartz, and Michael J. Austin
12. Jewish Family and Children’s Services: A Pioneering Human Service Organization (1850–2008) Sara L. Schwartz and Michael J. Austin
13. On Lok: A Pioneering Long-Term Care Organization for the Elderly (1971–2008) Amanda J. Lehning and Michael J. Austin
14. The Bayview Hunters Point Foundation for Community Improvement: A Pioneering Multi-Ethnic Human Service Organization (1971–2008) Ellen Joe, Sara L. Schwartz, and Michael J. Austin
15. Conclusion: Assessing the Organizational Capacity of Nonprofit Human Service Agencies: Self-Assessment Tools for Practice Michael J. Austin, Jordan Thompson, & Sarah Carnochan
Biography
Michael J. Austin is the Milton and Florence Krenz Mack Distinguished Professor of Nonprofit Management in the School of Social Welfare at the University of California, Berkeley, USA. He has authored or co-authored 18 books and over 100 articles. He is the Associate Editor of Administration in Social Work.
