| It is no secret that countless small and large businesses, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and the nation as a whole have been impacted by the economic recession of 2007-09. The purpose of this study was to draw on the experiences of nonprofit organizations that have survived or even thrived during the economic recession of 2007-09, to arm nonprofit leaders with strategies to help prepare and guide their organization through the next economic downturn. Building on past research, this study gives new consideration to identifying the differences in the responses between small-medium and large nonprofits to the changes in individual donations and funding as a result of an economic recession. How the responses of the organizations who just survived the recession compared to those that experienced growth and thrived during the recession was also considered. The research methodology that was used for the study was an emergent mixed methods design of quantitative and qualitative research, with a cross-sectional analysis method. The overall analysis of the data collected from surveys of 40 nonprofit organizations, 8 nonprofit executives interviews and a field expert interview yielded results that suggests belt-tightening, fundraising, entrepreneurial, and opportunities were used and perceived as having a degree of success by small-medium, large organizations, surviving and thriving organizations. This study has implications for social change by providing small-medium nonprofits with a framework that may provide sustainability and growth strategies during times of economic recession. |
