Advocare has recently completed a survey of Canadian National Voluntary Health Organizations, and has made available a report which describes the findings.
The purpose of the project was to define and test a model of not-for-profit, voluntary health organizations (NVHOs) which can then serve as a framework for understanding different types of NVHOs, the driving forces which determine each type, the success factors and vulnerabilities for each type, and the ways in which NVHOs can progress from one type to another.
While for-profit organizations have long realized that there is no single best organizational structure or a single best way to manage, not-for-profits (NFPs) are still chasing the myth of the ideal organizational structure and management style.
While we recognize the variations in NVHOs, we have little understanding as to why these variations occur or how to manage the differences. Our prescriptions tend to be the same regardless of whether we are dealing with a volunteer service group or a multi-million-dollar business; whether the organization is professional or constituency-based; or whether it engages in militant advocacy or research. Moreover, while the for-profits have articulated elaborate models that define their stages of growth and development, there is no clear understanding as to why and how NFPs change over time.
The goal of this project was to develop and test a model of NFPs, in particular, not-for-profit voluntary health organizations, takes into consideration their unique features, environmental pressures, and stages of developmental progression as a guide for more effective management and development.