Service and/or Advocacy: Nonprofit Sector in the Twenty-first Century

In both Israel and the United States over the past twenty years, there has been an explosion in the number of nonprofit organizations that live in a space somewhere between government agencies and for-profit companies. While the growth of these organizations may have been stimulated by different factors in each country, there is much to be learned through a cross-cultural exchange like the one between organizations in Haifa and in Boston. In order to analyze some of the challenges facing nonprofit organizations across a wide spectrum of mission, purpose, and size, I have categorized the type of organizations being discussed as follows: Direct Service only — with public and private funds (for example, Jewish Family and Children’s Services) Direct Service and Advocacy — with public and private funds (for example, antipoverty agencies) Advocacy and Organizing — with a mix of public and private funds (for example, Hyde Square Task Force) Advocacy and Organizing — with no public funds (for example, JCRC Boston)