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Abstract
This research explores what roles nonprofits play in political representation, applying the concept of the representational role to nonprofits. Additionally, it examines how donors and members affect the representational role of nonprofits, using the concept of organizational maintenance-related concerns. The representational role consists of representational focus and style. Representational focus refers to those whom nonprofits aim mainly to serve: members, constituents, or the general public. Representational style denotes the ways nonprofits advocate for those people: the delegation, trusteeship, and educational styles. Organizational maintenance-related concerns predict that nonprofits prioritize their members and donors to secure resources rather than prioritize those whom they aim to serve.
This study uses data collected through mixed-mode surveys. The web and mail surveys achieved approximately a 57.5% response rate (729 respondents). The survey and regression analysis results demonstrate that nonprofits serving their members are most likely to adopt the delegation style; these nonprofits convey their members' voices directly to policy makers. In contrast, nonprofits advocating for their constituents are likely to employ the trusteeship style; these nonprofits pursue what they independently identify as the interests of their constituents. Finally, nonprofits speaking for the general public are most likely to utilize the educational style; these nonprofits work toward educating the general public. These results suggest that nonprofits play different roles in political representation, depending on those whom they aim mainly to serve.
Additionally, this research reveals that nonprofits do not speak for their donors' preferences at the expense of those whom they aim to serve. Moreover, the more nonprofits depend on or receive donations, the more likely they are to act on their own initiative based on their own assessment of policy issues. These results imply that donations can increase the likelihood that nonprofits will make independent judgments in political representation. Also, this study demonstrates that nonprofits aiming to serve broader groups than their members are still likely to represent their members' preferences at the expense of those whom they aim to serve. This is because these nonprofits tend to prioritize their members rather than their constituents or the general public to secure resources.