Overview
- Highlights the increase of corruption within 501(c)(3) not-for-profits
- Includes suggestions for internal changes and regulatory reform to reduce corruption within nonprofits
- Explains why judging a nonprofit on its financials is counterintuitive in more than just definition
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About this book
It is quite easy to find corruption within nonprofits. This is particularly the case in the subsector of not-for-profits that are incorporated as traditional 501(c)(3) entities. With the continuing erosion of public confidence in charities, these institutions must act now, both individually and collectively, to bolster trust and ensure public support for nonprofits that has been a hallmark of American democracy.
This book explores the causes of malfeasance in the nonprofit realm. It examines how the current inadequate regulatory environment—together with inherent “agency” problems—can lead organizations astray as they turn away from fulfilling donor wishes to instead act in their own self-interest. The book highlights the distinction between “soft corruption” in the nonprofit sector and “hard corruption.” The former includes the misuse of donor funds that do not cross the line into illegality and the latter covers explicitly illegal misappropriation of contributions.
In Foul Play in the Nonprofit Sector, economist Mark S. LeClair provides constructive overviews regarding charity evaluation. Is it truly fair to judge nonprofits on their financials? The financial figures so frequently dictate the value of a nonprofit, and this often isn’t the best way to judge a charity’s performance. The manuscript includes suggestions for internal sectoral changes and regulatory reforms that can deter corruption at nonprofits.
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Keywords
Table of contents (6 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Reviews
“Foul Play in the Nonprofit Sector extensively documents the way that charitable organizations misuse funds entrusted to them by donors. LeClair’s message to donors is that they should set aside the good feelings they get from making charitable donations and pay attention to where the money actually goes.” (Randall G. Holcombe, DeVoe Moore Professor of Economics, Florida State University, and author of “Political Capitalism”)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Mark S. LeClair is Professor Emeritus of Economics at Fairfield University. He specializes in international and development economics and founded the master’s program in public administration. His recent research focuses on malfeasance in the nonprofit sector and the financial crisis in higher education. LeClair is the author of Philanthropy in Transition (2014).
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Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Foul Play in the Nonprofit Sector
Book Subtitle: Analyzing Corruption in US Charities
Authors: Mark S. LeClair
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-66921-7
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham
eBook Packages: Economics and Finance, Economics and Finance (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-031-66920-0Published: 18 September 2024
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-031-69195-9Due: 02 October 2025
eBook ISBN: 978-3-031-66921-7Published: 17 September 2024
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XXXV, 204
Number of Illustrations: 2 b/w illustrations, 1 illustrations in colour
Topics: Public Economics, Non-Profit Organizations and Public Enterprises, International Economics, Development Economics