Symposium: Exploring nonprofit dilemmas through a new lens: Introduction to the symposium on experimental and behavioral approaches in nonprofit and voluntary sector research 

Experimental studies have just begun to diffuse slowly in nonprofit research, reflecting the general recognition that experimental studies can help nonprofit researchers overcome some limitations of the methods that have traditionally been used. This special issue includes four papers that consider the diversity of experimental research in nonprofit studies. First, a systematic literature review of experimental studies in fundraising provides a nice overview of how experimental studies have been adopted for nonprofit research. The other three articles in this symposium cover important topics that have garnered growing attention in the field of nonprofit management --promoting diversity, donor resistance to the overhead myth, and the role of nudging in crowdfunding donations. Taken together, the four articles in this symposium strengthen our understanding of how experimental approaches can address some of the most pressing questions for the nonprofit and voluntary sector. The studies covered here suggest nearly limitless potential applications of properly designed experimental studies to address unique nonprofit challenges. The symposium issue articles also help nonprofit researchers to shift the research inquiry to individuals to address nonprofit dilemmas through the behavioral lens. 

 

Symposium guest editors

Mirae Kim
George Mason University

Kelly LeRoux
University of Illinois Chicago

Dyana Mason
University of Oregon

 

Exploring nonprofit dilemmas through a new lens: Introduction to the symposium on experimental and behavioral approaches in nonprofit and voluntary sector research
Mirae Kim, Kelly LeRoux, Dyana Mason 
Journal of Behavioral Public Administration (2021) 4(2).

A literature review of experimental studies in fundraising
Abhishek Bhati, Ruth K. Hansen
Journal of Behavioral Public Administration (2020) 3(1).

Following the crowd: Social information and crowdfunding donations in a large field experiment
Claire van Teunenbroek, René Bekkers
Journal of Behavioral Public Administration (2020) 3(1).

Breaking the nonprofit starvation cycle? An experimental test
Yuan Tian, Chiako Hung, Peter Frumkin 
Journal of Behavioral Public Administration (2020) 3(1).

Does a business-like approach to diversity in nonprofit organizations have a chilling effect on stakeholders?
Ines Jurcevic, Rachel Fyall
Journal of Behavioral Public Administration (2020) 3(1).