The Resilient Sector makes available in an updated form the concise overview of the state of health of America’s nonprofit organizations that Johns Hopkins scholar Lester Salamon recently completed as part of the “state of nonprofit America” project he undertook in cooperation with the Aspen Institute. Contrary to popular understanding, Salamon argues, America’s nonprofit organizations have shown remarkable resilience in recent years in the face of a variety of difficult challenges, significantly re-engineering themselves in the process. But this very resilience now poses risks for the sector’s continued ability to perform the tasks that we have long expected of it.
The Resilient Sector offers nonprofit practitioners, policymakers, the press, and the public at large a lively assessment of this set of institutions that we have long taken for granted, but that the Frenchman Alexis de-Toqueville recognized to be “more deserving of our attention” than almost any other part of the American experiment.
Praise for The State of Nonprofit America
“The State of Nonprofit America gives us a much-needed assessment of one of the true treasures of American society—our private, nonprofit organizations—at a critically important moment in their development. All of those concerned about the special qualities of our society should read and ponder its message.”
—President Jimmy Carter, 2002 Nobel Laureate
“Provides a revealing insight into the important role that nonprofit organizations have come to play in the effective operation of our publicly funded services. It makes clear why we must make this partnership work.”
—Stephen Goldsmith, special adviser to President Bush for faith-based and nonprofit initiatives, mayor of Indianapolis (1992-99)
