The use of asset mapping by small non-profit organizations

This study in general provides a critical analysis of some of the methodologies currently in use, as well as the unmeet needs, of non-profit organizations that engage in planning. Specifically, the study analyzes the effect of asset mapping in non-profit organizations.; For-profit organizations plan differently than non-profit organizations. For-profit organization's planning process and product are driven by the desire to increase profit. This basic principle has a significant impact on the process and product of a for-profit plan. The process used to develop these plans is usually rational and linear. The product of this type of planning in most cases is a document that is driven by calculations on what activities and investments will provide the greatest return. Non-profit organizations utilize some of these principles when engaging in planning but they also include community needs and social action issues. The inclusion of these variables as well as the need for public participation limits what planning processes a not-for-profit can use. The purpose of the research is to determine the effectiveness of the asset mapping planning approach for small non-profit organizations. The literature on the subject has not yet identified asset based planning as one of the more credible models in the field of planning even though it is tied to the community building approach. This in large part is due to the focus on planning for municipal and government organizations. However, in recent years there has been a push in the schools of planning to teach methods of planning that are applicable for non-profits. While several methods have emerged, none have been able to (a) provide an effective model for organizations with little or no capacity, or (b) provide meaningful direction with day-to-day operations.; It is first necessary when offering a new or not widely recognized model to the academic community for consideration to describe in detail what the model is, how it is applied, as well as to provide examples of the model in practical situations. This initial study attempts to build a firm basis in the academic literature for further analysis. In order to accomplish this goal I used a quasi experiment in a field setting with four small non-profit organizations. In order to conduct the pretest and posttest there were several unstructured interviews with key individuals in the organization. These interviews gathered information about the organization on four crucial areas: the quality of organization management, the ability to make progress towards achieving organizational goals, organizational morale, and organizational stability. The treatment for this model was conducted during a one-day training session at two of the four sites.