Before an organisation can draw up a constitution, it must decide what kind of organisation it wants to be. An organisation can be a legally constituted organisation which registers with government bodies or it can be an organisation by constitution alone. If an organisation makes a profit from selling things or else administers large sums of money, it must be legally constituted. Such an organisation would be called a closed corporation or a trust fund. If you want to write such a constitution, you should consult a lawyer for advice. Organisations such as civic organisations or advice offices are usually organisations by constitution alone. This means that there is a clause in the constitution which says the organisation has its own personality and that it can be sued or be in debt just like an ordinary person. This book will help those who want to write constitutions for organisations which are organisations by constitution alone.

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Local non-governmental organisations play an important role in the development processes of Zimbabwe. However, they face an uncertain future, as they depend on volatile external donor funding which leaves them financially unsustainable. This research sought to determine whether local non-governmental organisations in Zimbabwe were sustainable, and to analyse the main factors that influenced their financial sustainability. Through a mixed methods research design including literature review, secondary data analysis and a survey using a structured questionnaire, this research revealed that local non-governmental organisations in Zimbabwe were financially unsustainable. A regression analysis was employed to determine the relationships between the different factors and financial sustainability. The research focused on four factors of financial sustainability of local non-governmental organisations: sound financial management practices, income diversification, own income generation, and good donor relationship management practices. Data used for the research was from 2009 to 2013. The survey of 52 local non-governmental organisations spread throughout Zimbabwe provided primary data for the research. The research confirmed findings of others that local non-governmental organisations in Zimbabwe were not financially sustainable and depended on external donor funds. The research revealed that most local non-governmental organisations were funded entirely by external donors, had no reserve funds, were not generating own income, and depended on average on about three donors. This meant that if the external donors pulled out these organisations would cease operations. The research revealed that on average donor dependency ratios for Zimbabwean non-governmental organisations were above 93 percent, while survival ratios were very low with 22 days being the maximum. These results meant that if external donors completely pulled out their funding, local non-governmental organisations would operate for at most 22 days before closing down. The research also revealed that most local non-governmental organisations in Zimbabwe were not leveraging their assets to generate income, and most were not engaged in own income generating activities while their funding sources were not diversified enough to be regarded sustainable. The government of Zimbabwe was not funding local non-governmental organisations and local donors were scant. The regression analysis ascertained that sound financial management practices had the largest influence on financial sustainability of local non-governmental organisations in Zimbabwe, followed by income diversification, then own income generation and good donor relationship management. The research recommends that international donors should provide local non-governmental organisations with some unrestricted income to support start-up of social entrepreneurship activities and small businesses to ensure the financial sustainability of the programmes they fund. The government of Zimbabwe must view local non-governmental organisations as partners that complement its work and are therefore deserving of government funding. Non-governmental organisations need to change their mind-set, start social entrepreneurship and small business activities, and refrain from just seeing external donors as their main source of funding. Networks of non-governmental organisations must fundraise to train and enhance the capacity of their member organisations in running social enterprises and small businesses, and hire staff with expertise in running profit-making activities to complement their non-profit work.

This dissertation analyzes competition for foundation grants in the nonprofit sector. First, I examine how inter-organization competition and foundation activity in local grants markets affect organization behavior through institutional pressure on (1) firm fundraising expenses, (2) program expense ratios, and (3) revenue diversification. Second, I explore the impacts of nonprofit program expense ratios and fundraising expenses on foundation grantmaking. This analysis focuses on the relative "prices" of donations to competing nonprofit organizations, represented by these expense ratios, and the impact prices have on foundation grant decisions relative to the impact that nonprofit marketing has. Finally, I examine whether greater competition in grants markets increases the importance of program expense ratios and firm marketing behavior for grant selection. Overall, this dissertation contributes to our understanding of organization behavior and foundation influence in grant-seeking markets and competition's role in the distribution of charitable grants.

This dissertation analyzes competition for foundation grants in the nonprofit sector. First, I examine how inter-organization competition and foundation activity in local grants markets affect organization behavior through institutional pressure on (1) firm fundraising expenses, (2) program expense ratios, and (3) revenue diversification. Second, I explore the impacts of nonprofit program expense ratios and fundraising expenses on foundation grantmaking. This analysis focuses on the relative "prices" of donations to competing nonprofit organizations, represented by these expense ratios, and the impact prices have on foundation grant decisions relative to the impact that nonprofit marketing has. Finally, I examine whether greater competition in grants markets increases the importance of program expense ratios and firm marketing behavior for grant selection. Overall, this dissertation contributes to our understanding of organization behavior and foundation influence in grant-seeking markets and competition's role in the distribution of charitable grants.

This dissertation analyzes competition for foundation grants in the nonprofit sector. First, I examine how inter-organization competition and foundation activity in local grants markets affect organization behavior through institutional pressure on (1) firm fundraising expenses, (2) program expense ratios, and (3) revenue diversification. Second, I explore the impacts of nonprofit program expense ratios and fundraising expenses on foundation grantmaking. This analysis focuses on the relative "prices" of donations to competing nonprofit organizations, represented by these expense ratios, and the impact prices have on foundation grant decisions relative to the impact that nonprofit marketing has. Finally, I examine whether greater competition in grants markets increases the importance of program expense ratios and firm marketing behavior for grant selection. Overall, this dissertation contributes to our understanding of organization behavior and foundation influence in grant-seeking markets and competition's role in the distribution of charitable grants.

This dissertation analyzes the nonprofit sector using a framework developed by economists to analyze for-profit industries. Its central hypotheses are that nonprofit 'firms' are run by self-interested individuals and compete for donations in a 'market'. It develops a model that demonstrates that nonprofit contracts are not necessary to solve the principal-agent problem that stems from a good being financed by unconditional lump-sum donations. The effects of nonprofit contracts in the model are ambiguous and might very well be harmful. The model is tested using both field data from California and laboratory experiments. The tests broadly support the model.

Cash management is a process for controlling the flow of money into and out of an organization for the purpose of optimizing its financial position. The benefits of cash management - a more complete understanding of financial standing, a stronger financial position, and an improved ability to plan and fund activities and expenditures - are just as relevant to the non-profit organization as to its government or business counterpart. This study explores the extent to which this argument is valid within a sample of religiously affiliated non-profit organizations by identifying and evaluating the patterns of cash management techniques they use. This research demonstrates that part of the religious non-profit subsector employs a variety of cash management techniques ranging from simply depositing incoming money daily to preparing cash budgets and investing surplus funds. On the whole, however, this use is not very sophisticated. Nevertheless, significant sophistication differences between denominations indicate that while there are no inherent subsector structural barriers to cash management implementation, implementation is related to other factors including the type of accounting system used and the size of the organization’s budget. This thesis also develops an index that reflects the relative sophistication of cash management implementation in the organizations studied. The index reflects categories of cash management techniques culled from the literature while for the first time weighting those tools based on their relative level of implementation difficulty and sophistication. This index allows comparisons between organizations within and between sectors. / Master of Urban Affairs

Concerns have long been raised about the conduct and accountability of charitable organisations, particularly the adequacy of reporting and oversight mechanisms. Consequently, charities and the institutions that monitor the sector are under increasing pressure to demonstrate their legitimacy. This thesis focuses on the ways in which risk is operationalised by the Scottish Charity Regulator and experienced by charities. In particular, it examines the nature, extent, determinants and outcomes of four types of risk: complaints concerning charity conduct, regulatory action in response to a complaint, financial vulnerability, and triggering accountability concerns. The thesis begins with a detailed review of the overlapping literatures of risk, regulation and charity theory, and the development of a contextual framework for guiding the empirical work. The thesis draws on contemporary large-scale administrative social science data derived from the regulator, supported by modest use of primary social survey and qualitative data. Findings from the four empirical chapters provide evidence that the risks explored in this research are uncommon for individual charities but are a persistent feature of the sector as a whole, and vary in predictable ways across certain organisational characteristics. The results also reveal the concern of charities with financial risks, their willingness to demonstrate transparency regarding their actions (particularly in response to complaints), and the perceived lack of regulatory burden. The thesis makes an original contribution in the form of new empirical knowledge about the charity sector, in particular through the use of large-scale administrative social science data to ‘peer under the hood’ and shine a light on aspects of charity behaviour that are often overlooked. The thesis concludes with a reflection on the key findings and comments on potential areas for future research.

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / In Limpopo Province, the delivery of social welfare services is the joint responsibility of the Limpopo DSD and NPOs. The current NPO sector is organisationally configured to have strong partnerships with the public and corporate sectors due to diminished donations from individual and private donors. The Limpopo DSD conserves this beneficial partnership by providing financial support to organisations that render services that are in line with its priorities and also address the strategic objectives of the department. All these partners play a crucial role in ensuring that the poor, vulnerable and excluded people within the South African society secure a better life for themselves. The aim of this study is to determine the reasons behind the incongruence in the funding of NPOs and the services they offer to communities as expected by the Limpopo Department of Social Development in South Africa. The literature reviews concur that successful implementation of developmental social welfare services depends on role players who bring expert knowledge, skills, financial resources and commitment to achieve the desired results. A qualitative research approach was used in this research and data were gathered through the semi-structured interviews. The study proposed that delivery of social welfare services require working together in developing budget and performance reporting arrangements that meet accountability obligations and also contribute to the collective attainment of the outcome. The recommendations made were augmented by the information gathered from the interviewed respondents and were written in such a way that it can address the identified challenges if there are implemented appropriately.

Regulation of the nonprofit sector is a subject of significant debate in the academic and professional literature. The debate raises questions about how to regulate the sector in a manner that addresses accountability while preserving the sector’s unique role in society. Central to the debate is the role of self-regulation. The nonprofit sector is recognized and defended as a distinct third sector in society. Cultural norms and values differentiate the purpose of the sector from the governmental and commercial realms. The legal regime secures rights, establishes organizational structures, and provides tax benefits that enable, reinforce, and protect participation in nonprofit activities. Nevertheless, government regulation is thought to be antithetical to sector autonomy, as well as an obstacle to flexibility and innovation. Selfregulation protects the sector’s political independence and its distinctiveness through the cultivation of shared norms, standards, and processes for ethical practices. Although self regulation is considered to be consistent with the autonomous nature of the sector, it is also criticized as a weaker form of regulation. The ability to address regulatory issues expressed in the broader debate is limited by how we frame nonprofit regulation. The problem with advancing our understanding of self-regulation has to do with how we conceptualize nonprofit regulation. Government and self-regulation are conceptualized and studied as distinct options for regulating the sector. Missing in the nonprofit scholarship is a theoretical framework capable of reframing nonprofit regulation as a system of governance that depends on self-regulation. This represents a glaring gap in the research. Neglecting the institutional context that explains the structure and functioning of the nonprofit sector has led to an oversimplification of nonprofit governance. To study the effects of self-regulation on the functioning of the sector, I argue that we must first frame what is relevant about how the nonprofit sector is governed. The Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) Framework outlines a systematic approach for analyzing institutions that govern collective endeavors. The objective of this dissertation is to introduce the IAD as an approach for examining self-regulation not as an alternative to government regulation but as an important part of nonprofit governance. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection