The Not-for-Profit Sector in Stable and Growing Metropolitan Regions

A regional focus on not-for-profit organizations leads to a better understanding of the not-for-profit (NFP) sector, adding to the insights coming from national studies. The research reported here, focusing on the Philadelphia, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Houston, and Los Angeles areas, shows major contrasts in funding and in certain structural features of the NFPs. For example, the NFP share of the service sector in Philadelphia is three times the share in Houston, pointing to the importance of an early start in determining NFP representation. The impact of the 1973-1974 recession provides some clues to the importance of a diversified funding base and the consequences of business cycles on NFP expenditures for program-related activities.