Hi, everyone. This is my introductory blog. The purpose of this blog is to talk about the nonprofit sector in the US and how it effects our daily life. I want to discover the nonprofit world, learn about it, and apply it to my studies. I will be blogging about my PPPM 280 class and be responding to readings, lectures, and class discussion. My blogs will reflect what I learn from my PPPM class and how I can connect those ideas to the professional world.
I am a Junior at the University of Oregon. My major is Political Science and minor is PPPM. I am from Portland, OR. I would like to work in the government sector one day. I am taking this course because I am interested in learning more about the nonprofit sector. I am also taking this because its require for my PPPM minor and I feel like this course is helpful in my career field. I have somewhat experience working with nonprofit organization, specifically museums. I have work at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), Oregon Historical Society (OHS), and the UO History Museum. I am hoping to learn about the specifics of starting a nonprofit organization and how they influence government decisions.
My reaction to the readings is that I found the history of how nonprofit started very interesting. The number of nonprofit organization in the US is huge and how much of the economy comes from that sector. I think the historical aspect of philanthropy plays an important role of providing money to nonprofits and how much money wealth American giving yearly. I found the theories part of the reading, also interesting because on how anthropology, history, and sociology plays a part on why people give. The theories show how people give for social reasons, such as helping the poor and less unfortunate or how people donate for political reasons to support certain issue such as gun control. Overall, I think each nonprofit organization in America represent different aspects of society and interest groups.
The class discussion topic was tax write offs and get deductions off your income. I feel that tax write offs are a good thing and it effects how people donate to charity groups and nonprofits organization. By not having tax write off and deduction off your taxes, people won't give as much. I think some people are giving, specifically for deductions because its a win-win situation, where they get to pay less taxes and give for a good cause. Also by having tax writes offs, it lets the individual choose where they want to give the money off, instead of the government. People would be more comfortable deciding where to donate their money instead of the federal government letting that money go to waste or other bureaucratic function.
I also thought it was interesting when Nonprofit Nation mentioned the link that the nonprofit sector has with anthropology, history, and sociology. Instead of focusing on how the nonprofit sector came to be, it would be very beneficial to see the development of the nonprofit sector through different lenses. I am sure that a lot goes into why nonprofits exist and why people feel the need to help out others not only in their community, but around the world. Anthropology probably has some interesting theories regarding similar behavior in populations of early humans and even with animals, especially primates. Sociology might help explain why people have such distrust for the government and feel the need to establish nonprofits. When I took a sociology course we learned a lot about poverty in the United States and what the government does and does not do to address it and different nonprofit organizations were used as examples for people doing good things for those living in poverty in the US and around the world.
ReplyDeleteI also think that tax deductions for those who donate to non-profits is a good thing in it is a win-win situation. I also agree that socioloy (social norms, upbringing, environment, income level, religious affiliation, etc.) plays a HUGE role in the birth, development, and funding of a non-progit. I don't want to sound like a teacher when I type this, but I would like to read more about what YOU think about the statements and statistics presented in class and in the text. I'm looking forward to your next blog!
ReplyDeleteStan, I found your blog compelling, I agree that non-profit tax write-offs are important for providing incentive to people who donate. I also feel that the influences that affect how non-profits came around is interesting.
ReplyDeleteI also think that non-profits are important to provide a place for all of the different interests in America.
Look forward to reading more of your blogs.
Stanley, I also noticed in the book how many non-profits exist, 1.8 million I believe, and accounting for 5-10% of jobs. I had no idea how many existed before this class and how big the sector actualy was. It seems that if it follows past trends and given the donations by billionares it will continue to grow even further!
ReplyDeleteI thought that it was really nice of you to volunteer and interesting to have chosen musuems. I will have to find the University of Oregon history musuem. OMSI is a great musuem, and it is dedicated volunteers like yourself that make places like that possible.
In connection to your interest in the interaction of non-profits and the government, I am specifically interested to see what the correlation between the volume of a certain aid focus of nonprofits and the government pressure and attention to that sector of society's need in legislation. I feel that although the role of nonprofits is to stay disconnected from the workings of the Congress, I can imagine that this large third sector of the American economy and its growing size has facilitated greater influence over the years, especially in comparison to the extensive history and evolution of this sector.
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