Information for management, planning, and decision-making in nonprofit organizations: Toward a comprehensive model

The major thesis of this work is that the collection, organization, and utilization of critical information can help nonprofits become more effective in management, planning, and decision making. Increasing the capacity of nonprofit organizations to collect, organize, and utilize information offers the potential benefit of improving their capacity to deliver human services more effectively.;This research is concerned with how nonprofit organizations collect, organize, and use information. The research incorporates a descriptive survey with responses from 230 nonprofit human service organizations in Massachusetts, retrospective analysis of the use of marketing information in home health care organizations, a case study of a large nonprofit organization, and a prescriptive model with practical tools for information management in nonprofit organizations.;Since information utilization involves locating, analyzing, and applying information, the main concern of this work is to create a model that will inform practice and help managers understand the important dimensions of information management to improve organizational effectiveness. The model provides a conceptual framework by which the nonprofit manager can apply conclusions from this research while working with information in their own unique environment.;The research builds upon theoretical and practical research in nonprofit theory, management, organizational theory, information theory, knowledge utilization, and evaluation research. After a review of the historical and sociological roots of nonprofits, a series of propositions are developed from the literature for examination and discussion.;The prescriptive element of the research draws conclusions from research activities and describes actions determined useful to nonprofit organizations in their management, planning, and decision making efforts. The model serves as a practical guide for professionals, management, and boards in assessing organizational information management and includes suggestions for increasing organizational information management capacity. The model includes descriptive, analytical, and prescriptive elements, which are: (1) a typology of information including sources and ways information is helpful or not helpful; (2) an analytical tool for assessing organizational "readiness" to use information; and (3) successful methods and procedures for utilization of information. The model is designed with indices which can be used to evaluate the "information health" of an organization.