April 1, 2004 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Resilient Sector, by Lester M. Salamon, is an updated summary of The State of Nonprofit America, published in December 2002 (both versions are co-published by the Brookings Institution and the Aspen Institute). Mr. Salamon, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies, in Baltimore, writes that the nonprofit world has shown itself to be “surprisingly robust” in the face of such challenges as the economic downturn, greater competition with for-profit companies for clients and government financing, and grant makers’ increased demand that charities demonstrate effectiveness. He writes that nonprofit groups have responded to these challenges by, among other things, developing more-sophisticated fund-raising techniques and collaborating with companies. Mr. Salamon warns that those approaches might have unintended consequences, such as organizations losing sight of their missions in the pursuit of revenue. He also asserts that small groups might be placed at a disadvantage if they cannot acquire new technology.
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036; (202) 797-6258 or (800) 275-1447; fax (202) 797-2960; bibooks@brookings.edu; http://www.brookings.edu; 113 pages; $16.95.
