Rural nonprofit organizations and their functions in communities and local governance: Survey results from Vysočina and South Moravia

CURTISS, Jarmila and Simona ŠKARABELOVÁ. Rural nonprofit organizations and their functions in communities and local governance: Survey results from Vysočina and South Moravia. In Dagmar Špalková, Lenka Matějová. Proceeding of the 19th International Conference: Current Trends in Public Sector Research. 1. vydání. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2015, p. 368-376. ISBN 978-80-210-7532-0.

Basic information

Original name

Rural nonprofit organizations and their functions in communities and local governance: Survey results from Vysočina and South Moravia

Name in Czech

Neziskové organizace na venkově a jejich funkce v komunitách a obecní samosprávě: výsledky výzkumu v kraji Vysočina a Jižní Morava

Authors

CURTISS, Jarmila (276 Germany) and Simona ŠKARABELOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

1. vydání. Brno, Proceeding of the 19th International Conference: Current Trends in Public Sector Research, p. 368-376, 9 pp. 2015

Publisher

Masarykova univerzita

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Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Stať ve sborníku

Field of Study

50200 5.2 Economics and Business

Country of publisher

Czech Republic

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Publication form

printed version "print"

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14560/15:00082171

Organization unit

Faculty of Economics and Administration

ISBN

978-80-210-7532-0

ISSN

UT WoS

000355547600044

Keywords (in Czech)

nezisková organizace na venkově; obecní samospráva; Česká republika; rozvoj vekova; servisní funkce;advokační funkce; funkce budování komunity

Keywords in English

rural nonprofit organizations; local governance; Czech Republic; rural development; service function; community building; advocacy

Tags

International impact, Reviewed

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Abstract

V originále

Motivated by constrained public good delivery and social cohesion-weakening tendencies in rural areas, this paper examines rural nonprofit organizations and their contribution to communities and local governance. We analyze three functions of the nonprofit organizations - service, community-building and advocacy functions - and their variation among municipalities characterized by different degrees of rurality. Using survey data (interviews with mayors) from 179 rural municipalities in Vysočina and South Moravian regions, we find an overall positive perception of the nonprofits’ role for communities and local governance. Although the rural nonprofits provide services mainly in areas of sports and leisure activities, while nonprofits’ provision in fields requiring more specialized expertise and professionalization are found frequently missing or insufficient, the rural nonprofits were greatly recognized for their community-building function. These organizations’ advocacy function was assessed as significantly weaker; nevertheless, the organizations are considered mostly active in local governmental affairs, and their relationship to local governments is assessed as mainly cooperative. These results, however, show systematic variation among rural municipalities, where municipality size and proximity to district towns are found to matter for the nonprofits’ potential to serve the community and play an active role in local governance.