More Than the Sum of Its Parts? Bridging Research-to-Practice Gaps to Explain Local Nonprofit Sector Health

This study examines nonprofit sector capacity by integrating economic concepts of supply and demand with practitioner perspectives. Focusing on health and human services nonprofits in a midsize southeastern U.S. city, it combines community indicators with survey and interview data. Findings suggest that sector capacity depends not only on resource availability and organizational density but also on the strength of local networks and community context. Well-established nonprofits embedded in local networks differ from more loosely connected organizations, demonstrating how network position shapes perceptions of capacity and the ability to meet community needs. These findings advance research on nonprofit carrying capacity.