No Longer Unmeasurable? A Multidimensional Integrated Model of Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness

Abstract

Few topics in nonprofit research and practice have received greater attention in recent years than organizational effectiveness. In spite of this intellectual interest, little consensus has emerged, either theoretically or empirically, as to what constitutes organizational effectiveness and how best to measure it. In this article, we introduce a multidimensional and integrated model of nonprofit organizational effectiveness (MIMNOE). The model captures two prominent dimensions of organizational effectiveness, management effectiveness and program effectiveness. In addition, to illustrate how this framework can be used empirically, the article proposes a method of analysis that exploits the interrelationships between the multiple dimensions in the model. MIMNOE is useful for both scholars and practitioners because it requires attention not only to program outcomes, but also equally to the factors that influence those outcomes.