Geographies of Organizational Connectivity: The Distribution of Nonprofit Board Interlocks Among Urban Neighborhoods

• In Event: Community and Urban Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 10: Organizations

Abstract

What role do organizational networks play in neighborhood inequality? In recent decades, the role of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in the civic, social, and political infrastructure of urban neighborhoods in the United States has increased dramatically. NPOs have the ability to foster social connections between residents, facilitate civic action, represent collective interests in municipal politics, and influence the distribution of city resources. These abilities can be amplified through connections to other organizations, but such connections are not evenly distributed among NPOs. Interconnectivity among NPOs has become increasingly concentrated, and its distribution plays a role in the narrative of neighborhood inequality in cities. This paper examines the connections between neighborhood inequality and organizational networks by conducting a geographic analysis of the distribution of NPO board interlocks in New York City.

Author

• Leah Jacobson, UCLA