Type of Document Dissertation Author Ashley, Shena Renee URN etd-09272007-163224 Title Overcoming the "Do-Gooder Fallacy": Explaining the Adoption of Effectiveness Best Practices in Philanthropic Foundations Degree Ph.D. Department Public Policy Advisory Committee
Advisor Name Title Dr. John C. Thomas Committee Chair Dr. David Van Slyke Committee Member Dr. Eric C. Twombly Committee Member Dr. Mary Frank Fox Committee Member Dr. Theodore H. Poister Committee Member Keywords
- Foundations
- Knowledge management
- Nonprofit performance
- Evaluation
- Effectiveness
- Leadership development
Date of Defense 2007-06-26 Availability unrestricted Abstract An adoption model was proposed to examine the influence of four types of organizational factors- organizational capacity, organizational structure, operating environment and grantmaking orientation- on the adoption of four effectiveness best practices, formal evaluation, knowledge management, leadership development and operating grants in philanthropic foundations. Data were collected from a national survey of foundations and the Foundation Center database. The results indicate that the grantmaking orientation of a foundation is the greatest indicator of adoptive behavior. Furthermore, capacity constraints are most relevant to the adoption decision when the adopting practice requires significant investments of time, money and expertise. Given the social and political context in which the effectiveness best practices are associated, this dissertation research has broad relevance for the ways in which foundation behavior is perceived and the means by which that behavior is shaped through policy and practice.Files
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