Laurie E. Paarlberg

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Chair at Indiana Purdue University Indianapolis

Objective This article tests how income inequality mediates and moderates the relationship between racial diversity and social capital. We posit that racial diversity leads to higher levels of income equality, which reduces social capital. We also hypothesize that racial diversity has a stronger negative effect on social capital in places with high...

Drawing upon transaction costs economics, we examine the determinants of the two-stage allocation process within the local United Way (UW) system. We use a unique multiyear data set that captures local UW allocations to nonprofit grantees at four points in time (2000, 2004, 2008, and 2010). We find that the first stage is screening, in which organi...

How does competition for resources affect the fundraising performance of local United Way (UW) affiliates? Drawing upon population ecology, we hypothesize a nonlinear relationship between competition and organizational performance. Using a 21-year panel data set that includes UW campaign data, contributions to specialized fundraising organizations,...

While organizational systems are associated with innovation and adaptability, interorganizational relationships may be predisposed to stability. Using multinomial logit analysis, we test how resource dependencies affect system stability in local United Way (UW) systems between 2000 and 2010. We find strong support for the resource dependence argume...

The authors examine major aspects of the connection between social capital and economic development in U.S. counties. They test the conclusions of Putnam, who saw associations as a force for positive development, and Olson, who concluded the opposite. The authors find that Putnam organizations have a negative effect on income, while Olson organizat...

This article explores how local economic structure directly and indirectly affects community philanthropy. Drawing on campaign data for local United Way (UW) affiliates at three points in time (1990, 2000, and 2010), the article tests the degree to which the relationship between economic structure and community philanthropy is mediated through loca...

Board member recruitment stands as a pressing human resource challenge for nonprofit organizations. This study examines means, motives, and opportunities in order to investigate the factors that distinguish volunteers who serve on nonprofit boards from those who volunteer programmatically among 377 survey respondents in southeastern North Carolina....

How does competition for resources affect the fundraising performance of local UW affiliates? Drawing upon population ecology we hypothesize a non-linear relationship between competition and organizational performance. Using a twenty-one year panel data set that includes UW campaign data, contributions to specialized fund raising organizations, and...

The geographic distribution of nonprofit antipoverty organizations has important implications for economic development, social services, public health, and policy efforts. With counts of antipoverty nonprofits at the census tract level in Greater Hartford, Connecticut, we examine whether these organizations are located in areas with high levels of...

This paper re-examines the concept of nonprofit carrying capacity. While alarms have been raised that too many nonprofits competing for a finite pool of resources are impacting the performance of the nonprofit sector, there is limited empirical evidence to how the density of nonprofit organizations impacts the health of the nonprofit sector. While...

This study seeks to quantify the impact of the nonprofit sector on economic development by more clearly defining the diverse roles that nonprofits may play in development – instrumental, expressive, and connective. We begin by summarizing existing research on nonprofit organizations and economic development. Using secondary data, we test our model...

In this paper, we seek to understand more about how geographic moves affect philanthropic behaviors, especially giving and volunteering. This is a mixed-methods study of a group of older Americans using both survey and interview data. Using a grounded-theory approach, we develop a conceptual model for how geographic moves affect philanthropic choic...

In response to ongoing changes in local economic and philanthropic structures, the United Way of America has encouraged local affiliates to adopt a new philanthropic model-Community Impact. Despite efforts to rebrand the system, significant variation exists in local implementation of the new initiative. Drawing on case studies in 6 communities, we...