Bridging the Gap: How Youth Behaviors Influence the Density of Youth Nonprofits in U.S. Counties.

• In Event: Emerging Research on the Nonprofit Sector

Abstract

Nonprofit organizations play a critical role in addressing community challenges, yet limited research examines how youth safety and risky behaviors influence the density of youth-serving nonprofits. This research addresses a key public management issue: the alignment between nonprofit presence and localized youth-specific needs, particularly in addressing service gaps left by local governments. 

The primary research question is: How do youth safety and risky behaviors at the county level influence the density of youth development nonprofits?  Combining insights from two frameworks, this study puts forth a model to explain the presence of youth-serving nonprofits. According to Government Failure Theory, nonprofits emerge to fill gaps left by insufficient or ineffective public systems (Smith & Grønbjerg, 2006), whereas Demand Heterogeneity Theory suggests that communities with diverse socioeconomic profiles drive nonprofit density due to varied needs (Grønbjerg & Paarlberg, 2001). While the government at every level has consistently tried to prevent and reduce youth crime and delinquency, this remains a pressing issue in local municipalities across the U.S. The correlates of such behavior often include racial and socioeconomic diversity. 

Using longitudinal county-level data on youth risk indicators, socioeconomic conditions, and public funding, the study employs hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to explore relationships between these factors and nonprofit density. Using counties as the unit of analysis enables a detailed understanding of nonprofit distribution, given their alignment with public service administration and their reflection of socioeconomic diversity across urban, suburban, and rural areas (Allard, 2009; Lecy & Van Slyke, 2013). Preliminary findings indicate that higher nonprofit density is associated with counties experiencing elevated juvenile crime, substance abuse, and school dropout rates, especially where traditional public systems show resource constraints or limited effectiveness.

These findings have significant implications for public management and policy. They suggest that nonprofits play a pivotal role in filling service gaps, but whether nonprofit service provision reduces youth’s risky behaviors is yet to be seen. This study advances nonprofit and public management literature by refining theoretical frameworks and offering actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to improve youth outcomes and community well-being.

References
Allard, S. W. (2009). Out of reach: Place, poverty, and the new American welfare state. Yale University Press.

Grønbjerg, K. A., & Paarlberg, L. (2001). Community variations in the size and scope of the nonprofit sector: Theory and preliminary findings. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 30(4), 684–706.

Guo, C., & Acar, M. (2005). Understanding collaboration among nonprofit organizations: Combining resource dependency, institutional, and network perspectives. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 34(3), 340–361.

Hwang, H., & Powell, W. W. (2009). The rationalization of charity: The influences of professionalism in the nonprofit sector. Administrative Science Quarterly, 54(2), 268–298.

Lecy, J. D., & Van Slyke, D. M. (2013). Nonprofit sector growth and density: Testing theories of government support. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 23(1), 189–214.

Smith, S. R., & Grønbjerg, K. A. (2006). Scope and theory of government-nonprofit relations. In W.W. Powell & R. Steinberg (Eds.), The nonprofit sector: A research handbook (2nd ed., pp. 221–242). Yale University Press.

Author

• Vernise Estorcien, Indiana University
  Presenting Author