The increasing number of nonprofits in society has raised the question on their respective roles as part of the social institution (Domhoff, 2009). One of the key aspects to note is that stakeholders tend to view the role of nonprofits as being to provide public goods that are left out by the government and the market. The accuracy of this position can be contested from multiple perspectives taking into account that a significant number of the nonprofits only serve as key ways through which to supplement the goods and services offered by the government. On the other hand, this position can be supported by the view that nonprofits tend to play a critical role towards providing public goods with the key aspect of focus being towards providing for the people. The paper will argue that the role of nonprofits is not to provide public goods but to create a front for having to support government efforts.
Nonprofits are viewed as being one of the most essential parts of the society taking into account that they help towards creating a front for social and economic equality for the people that remain underserved (Lott & Fremont-Smith, 2017). On its part, the government has a key towards advancing public goods and services for the people in the society without any form of discrimination for the people. However, in some cases, the government find itself at a disadvantage with regard to providing the expected quality of goods and services for the people. Consequently, this means that some of the people, in the society, find themselves in a situation where it becomes difficult for them to access specific goods and services matching overall expectations.
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From this position, the role of profits is to ensure that they create an environment where the people, who are left out, receive goods and services that would match their overall expectations and objectives as part of the social institution. The projected outcome of having to involve non-profits in every aspect of the society is that it creates a rather positive outlook in ensuring that the people are able to achieve some form of equality (Anheier, 2011). Additionally, this also means that the people that remain underserved have some form of hope for them to achieve a well structured society that they deserve. In most cases, this means that the nonprofits are expected to work with the underserved population with the focus being towards understanding some of the challenges that they face with the expectation of having to alleviate some of these challenges through provision of goods and services.
The role of nonprofits can be interpreted as being a support system for the government with the focus being towards creating a rather effective platform through which the government would be able to meet the needs of every person in the society (Putnam, 2000). An example can be seen from nonprofits such as the Red Cross among others, which play a critical role during disasters to help in saving lives while providing to basic needs. The organizations only seek to create a positive structure of performance with the view that this would ensure that the people affected are well accommodated until the government is able to find an alternative way through which to cater for these persons (Te'eni & Young, 2003). From this perspective, it is clear that nonprofits cannot be said to provide public goods that are left out by the government and the market.
In most cases, nonprofits tend to create an environment in which the government is able to identify an existing loophole within the society focusing on the goods and services that it offers to the people in the society. That means that nonprofits do not seek to outdo the government in everything that they do but only seek to create an environment through which the government is able to recognize some of the areas within which it is failing (Anheier, 2014). In most cases, this means that the nonprofits will not only seek to provide for the people that remain underserved but also focus on engaging the government with the sole focus being towards finding a permanent solution to the challenges noted. The government is able to use reports by nonprofits to find key structures through which to maximize on positive outcomes in delivering expected results for the people.
In summary, one of the key questions that has been raised when dealing with nonprofits is their roles within the society taking into account that majority of these nonprofits are viewed as offering goods and services that the government fails to provide. However, evidence suggests that this is not the case, as nonprofits only seek to serve as a complement for the government with the view that this would build a positive structure of performance within the social system. Nonprofits only seek to create a positive avenue through which to ensure that the government is able to build on its capacity to deliver positive results in everything that it does. Nonprofits play a key role towards ensuring that the government is able to deliver on its sole mandate to the people, which is to provide goods and services to the people without any form of discrimination in the society.
References
Anheier, H. K. (2011). American Foundations: Their Roles and Contributions in Society . Brookings Institution Press.
Anheier, H. K. (2014). Nonprofit organizations: Theory, management, policy . Routledge.
Domhoff, G. W. (2009). The power elite and their challengers: The role of nonprofits in American social conflict. American Behavioral Scientist , 52 (7), 955-973.
Lott, C. M., & Fremont-Smith, M. (2017). State regulatory and legal framework. Nonprofits and government: Collaboration and conflict , 163-90.
Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: America’s declining social capital. In Culture and politics (pp. 223-234). Palgrave Macmillan, New York.
Te'eni, D., & Young, D. R. (2003). The changing role of nonprofits in the network economy. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly , 32 (3), 397-414.
