Organizational Capacity of Nonprofit Organizations in Rural Areas of the United States: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT

Rural America is facing a plethora of problems related to poverty, crime, health, and education. Nonprofit organizations serve a vital role in rural communities by providing services and advocacy to residents. Yet, it is unknown if rural nonprofits have the means to effectively address the complex issues before them. This study examines the results of scoping review which characterizes the state of empirical knowledge regarding the organizational capacity of rural nonprofits in the United States. Fifteen articles from the past decade uncovered challenges and strengths related to organizational capacity, though more research is necessary to inform funders and educators.

KEYWORDS:

• Rural nonprofits
• organizational capacity
• capacity building

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to acknowledge the guidance and feedback from Drs. Lisa Reyes Mason, David Dupper, John Orme, and Patricia Freeland as well as university librarian Steven Milewski. Further, the author thanks the anonymous reviewers who provided valuable insight to enhance the quality of the content in this manuscript.

Authors’ Note

Jayme Walters is a PhD candidate in the College of Social Work of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Practice Highlights

• Despite minimal financial resources, rural nonprofits were engaged in creative problem-solving and implementing innovative solutions through building peer networks and fostering partnerships to meet the needs of their communities.

• Areas of challenge for rural nonprofits included resource development, technology, recruitment and retention, leadership, evaluation, and programmatic issues related to rural contextual factors.

• Further research is needed in most domains of organizational capacity in rural nonprofits including resource development, financial accountability, human resources, strategic planning, and communications – among others.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The author received no specific funding for this study.